By David Ellery

Trundle’s 15-year-old Carmel Kelly, a member of the NSW Regional Youth Orchestra, is about to embark on the greatest adventure of her life.
On June 29 she and 55 other members of the orchestra, who come from all parts of country NSW, will depart Sydney for a 15-day European tour which will see them perform at historic venues in Salzburg, Wachau, Vienna, and Berlin and as part of the prestigious six day Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival.
The audition-only orchestra draws its members from 17 regional music conservatoriums as far afield as Albury, Lismore, Orange, Dubbo, Tamworth, Armidale, Goulburn, Coffs Harbour, Wagga Wagga and Young. It was established in 2016 and operates under the aegis of NSW Regional Conservatoriums, a peak body supported by the NSW Department of Education.
Carmel, who has been studying the violin and the viola for more than a decade, has been a member of the orchestra since her first audition in 2021.
She is already an accomplished musician who enjoys playing the classical repertoire that features heavily in the RYO’s programs.
Carmel regularly makes the three-hour round trip to Canowindra to study with her viola teacher, Stefan Duwe.
She has grown up in a musical family and, along with other members of the “Kelly gang”, is to perform at a special concert in the Trundle Memorial Hall at 10 am on Friday, March 28.
The event is to raise funds to cover the $10,000 up front cost of taking part in the European tour.
“I have already raised $5000 from a bushdance, concerts and running a pop-up coffee shop at Trundle’s ABBA Festival last year,” she said.
“It will mean so much to me to be a part of this unique and incredible musical adventure.”
Carmel said her elder sister had started teaching her the violin “seriously” when she was just four.
She has since switched her allegiance to the viola, citing its relative rarity and mellower and richer tone.
When she departs for Europe Carmel will be well armed with a viola given to her by her grandmother and a bow lent by her music teacher.
While admission to the forthcoming concert will be free Carmel has set up a “Go Fund Me” page she is asking people to use to make donations.
“I would be absolutely thrilled if people from across the region were able to contribute towards helping me get to Europe,” she said. The link for the “Go Fund Me Page” is: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-me-go-to-europe-with-the-regional-youth-orchestra
To find out more about the Regional Youth Orchestra Tour visit: https://answrc.org/regional-youth-orchestra
Images and Article by David Ellery.