QUEENSLAND YOUTH ORCHESTRA 2

 

You must be pretty serious about music if you are thinking about auditioning for Queensland Youth Orchestra 2 (QYO2). Your conductor David Deacon is an expert orchestra trainer, who will teach you the skills you need to excel as an orchestral musician. You have to work as a team and listen to your fellow musicians, as well as have the confidence to play your part like a soloist. The degree of difficulty for playing in this orchestra is significantly higher than all other QYO ensembles except QYS. In advanced orchestral music Wind and Brass parts are not doubled (unlike Concert Band repertoire).  If you are the sort of person who comes to rehearsal prepared, if you love to play solos and don't want to hide in the crowd, this group is for you. 

 

    • Conductor: David Deacon  

    • 90+ member symphony orchestra 

    • Advanced orchestral repertoire 

    • Concerto opportunities 

    • 3 Concerts (Old Museum Concert Hall), Finale (QPAC) 

    • Rehearsals/tutorials: Saturdays 1.30 - 4.30pm  

    • Weekend music workshop: 14 – 15 February 2026, St Peters Lutheran College 

    • Violin, cello, trumpet AMEB Grade 7 minimum or equivalent 

    • Viola, oboe, bassoon, horn, trombone, tuba AMEB Grade 6 minimum or equivalent  

    • Double bass AMEB Grade 5 minimum or equivalent  

    • Flute, clarinet AMEB Grade AMusA minimum or equivalent  

    • Maximum age 23 years (at 31 December 2026) 

    • Primary school students (in 2026) are not eligible to audition for wind, brass or percussion instruments for QYO2 

    • Violin 1 (16), Violin 2 (16), Viola (14), Cello (12), Double Bass (10), Flute (2), Oboe (2),  Clarinet Bb and A (2), Bassoon (2), French Horn (5), Trumpet (2), Trombone (2), Bass Trombone (1), Timpani (1), Harp (2) 

    • All positions are offered ‘within the section’ and seating orders will be arranged and rotated by the conductor.  

QYO2 CONDUCTOR

  • Shostakovich Symphony No. 10. Particularly Dudamel’s version with the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra.  The moment I heard that relentless second movement with so much passion and physical movement - I’ve been chasing that energy ever since.

  • Fearless spirit, good section vibes, and the ability to bring both precision and personality. Bonus points for bringing Tim Tams.

  • Dmitri Shostakovich. I’d ask him: “How on earth did you say that much under Soviet censorship… and do you think Bunnings would’ve let you score their sausage sizzle jingle?”

  • A border collie—insanely smart, slightly chaotic, always moving, and absolutely lives to work together as a team.

  • Bit of Shosty, a slice of Snarky Puppy, some John Williams, and whatever rabbit hole Spotify sends me on.

David Deacon