The community youth music ensemble leadership project

Singapore and Australia are both Asia-Pacific countries, yet their orchestras share a western music tradition. Both countries have highly regarded youth orchestras enabling young musicians to play music at high levels in nurturing environments.

In the State of Tasmania this is Tasmanian Youth Orchestras (TYO), and in Singapore this is the Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO). Orchestral leaders (managers, board members, conductors, players and tutors) create the organisational and educational circumstances in which young musicians can thrive.

This project investigated the perceptions of leaders in both groups, exploring the following research questions:

What are the educational and organisational parameters that foster high quality performance opportunities for young musicians? What are the educational and organisational parameters that foster healthy, resilient attitudes in young musicians? What are the circumstances that enable female leaders to rise to prominent roles in youth orchestra leadership? What are the cultural factors that influence each of these areas?