About Us

The orchestra

The Kuringai Youth Orchestra (KYO) is a community youth orchestra based in Sydney’s upper North Shore, open to talented musicians aged 13-26 to join throughout the year.

Many of our musicians attend the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, but our players also come from far and wide – Macquarie Uni, Sydney Uni, UNSW, UTS, Abbotsleigh, Conservatorium of Music HS, Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School, Killara HS, Knox Grammar, Masada College, PLC, Ravenswood Girls, St Ives HS, Sydney Grammar, Turramurra HS, Wahroonga Adventist School, etc.

The orchestra won the Community Youth/Secondary School Orchestra 25 and under category at the Sydney Eisteddfod for three years in a row from 2014-16. Furthermore, KYO featured on the 2018 Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival Gala, which was broadcast on the Chinese national broadcaster CCTV to an audience of over one billion people.

The orchestra is incorporated as a not-for-profit association and run by an elected volunteer committee.

Musical director – Brad Lucas

Brad Lucas is an emerging young conductor in Sydney who has been mentored and tutored by Steven Williams, Dr John Lynch, Max McBride, and Dr Anthony Clarke.

After growing up in Port Macquarie, Brad moved to Sydney to study Euphonium at the Sydney Conservatorium of music under the tutelage of Scott Kinmont.

As a performer, Brad has played casually with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the NSW Police Band. He is a founding member of the Sydney Ophicleide Quartet (SOQ).

A passionate educator, Brad currently directs bands at multiple schools around Sydney, and regional ensembles run by the Department of Education’s ‘The Arts Unit’. He is also a lecturer of Euphonium at the Sydney Conservatorium.