Fighting fires with music

The BYO are hosting this auction in support of the Australian Red Cross Disaster Fund. Your donation will help Red Cross give people the support they need. Our young players wanted to be able to create an impact and thus our fundraising idea 'fighting fires with music' was developed.

We have all been affected by recent fires and many of us are still struggling with recovery efforts and trauma. The loss of lives and livelihoods from the bushfires has been devastating. The Fires have burnt through close to 6 million hectares across Australia and destroyed over 1000 homes. Communities have been evacuated and lives have been lost. The continuing impact on people, communities and their land and livelihood are devastating and widespread across Australia. All money raised will be used directly by The Australian Red Cross Disaster Fund to help rebuild homes and dwellings in OUR LOCAL and SURROUNDING areas.

'If the funds raised by the Bellingen Youth Orchestra are deposited into the Red Cross Bellingen Branch account, they will be quarantined for the local area, and will not be included in the Red Cross state recovery funds.' Janelle Cazaubon, Regional Manager Northern NSW.

We are very grateful to all the local and surrounding business and individuals that have donated time, goods or a voucher.

Thank you. What a wonderful community we live in. Happy bidding.

Bellingen Youth Orchestra are a non for profit community youth orchestra that prides itself on presenting the very best musical opportunities for our local youth and those in surrounding communities.

In 2007 a special visit from Richard Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra inspired Anne Phelan and Liz Scott to establish the Bellingen Youth Orchestra. Initially, the orchestra started off with only 16 members. Over the years under the guidance of these two inspiring ladies, the orchestra has gone from strength to strength. With many local and state performances under their belt, they now currently have over 90 performers, including a junior training orchestra and a senior Sinfonia.

The students perform at least 4 performances a year, one alongside the wonderful world-renowned concert pianist David Helfgott, the orchestra’s patron along with his beautiful wife Gillian. The opportunity to be a part of this wonderful orchestra has paid off for many students, with some students becoming involved with programs run by the Australian Youth Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Acacia Quartet. The BYO’s mission has many dimensions. These include:
· Providing young musicians with the joy of making music together and inspiring young musicians to stretch themselves and aim higher than they would if playing alone.
· To encourage students throughout the Bellingen shire to learn an instrument and in so doing give some disengaged students a hook back into education and with others, improve their participation in school and overall academic performance
· To give local people in rural Australia - in particular sectors of the community that are unlikely to travel to large metropolitan centres - the opportunity to hear live performances of classical music that would otherwise be unavailable to them; nurture and a safe haven for neurodiverse kids; students who struggle to find their footing socially; and those who have no ball skills but yearn for the sort of camaraderie that is familiar to those on a football team.
· To develop a culture in which leadership and organizational skills in students are fostered by encouraging older students to assist and mentor younger ones. These skills can then be used to great effect in other areas of study and socially;
· To support community causes by performing at fundraisers and in so doing, inculcate a sense of responsibility for others in students by enabling them to be providers as well as receivers;
· For music to become a focal point for acts of generosity which foster relationships between people of goodwill (past examples include local clubs and people contributing to the purchase of a $10,000 violin for a local prodigy who went on to become a professional concert performer and strangers paying for primary school children’s music lessons);
· Inclusion is a fundamental tenet of the BYO. All members are included in all orchestra workshops, performances and trips irrespective of any disadvantage. Assistance is provided for tuition where necessary.

One of The Bellingen Youth Orchestra’s major accomplishments was an extraordinary outdoor concert; ‘Syphmony Under the Stars’. With a repertoire list that spanned many genres, the orchestra entertained a 2500 strong crowd. Conceived as a cultural gift to the community, and joined by alumni, tutors and other musicians the BYO once again showed why they are heralded as one of the ‘best youth orchestras’ on the Mid North Coast. With the finale being the 1812 overture, accompanied by fireworks and cannons, it's no wonder the BYO was on everybody's mind for days afterwards.

We are very excited to be hosting our latest community initiatve.