UYO Invites YOU - 2024!

Starting rehearsals on Friday 16th February

All instruments (approx Grade5) are welcome, especially viola, cello, brass and clarinet. Rehearsals are held on Fridays at Hamilton City Brass Bandroom at 245 Clyde Street at 7-9pm in school terms. Feel free to  contact us

About

On 14th Feburary, 2003, comprising around 30 members with ages from ~13 to ~23 years (secondary school age and up), the United Youth Orchestra (UYO) was formed.

Why united?
  • we are united in our enjoyment and appreciation of classical and other orchestral and chamber music;
  • we are united in our aim of helping young musicians of the Waikato to achieve their highest potential in music (as orchestral players, ensemble players, or as soloists);
  • we are united in bringing together young people of many different nationalities and cultures (we have more than ten countries represented in our ranks);
  • we are united in our desire to enjoy our music making and social time together.
 

Since its formation, the orchestra has become the premier youth orchestra of the Waikato region, performing three or four concerts each year. Our major concerts, performed in the WEL Energy Trust Academy of Performing Arts at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, are usually in mid-June and mid-October. We travelled to New Plymouth 19-20th September 2009 to take part in a joint concert with the Taranaki Youth Orchestra (TYO). We went to Te Puke (Bay of Plenty) in 2006, 2010 and in 2012 and to New Plymouth in 2005, 2009 and in 2013 where we put on a joint concert with the TYO. TYO came to Hamilton to take part in concerts with us in 2003, 2007 and in 2011. In 2019, United Youth Orchestras and other three Orchestras had been together for their first ever combined camp at the Cambridge Avantidrome

UYO Board

Conductors/Leaders

People behind the Scene / Member of UYO

The Orchestra is indebted to the many years of support from Sponsors, private donors and Friends.

The purpose and the objective of UYO: to bring young musicians who share a love for orchestra music to play together and to train them through weekly rehearsals; ; to help them develop musically through workshops, encourage them to perform with other orchestra and play in ensembles an solo in the public concerts ; to provide a friendly environment for young people to get together for social activities. ; we aim to hold 3 to 4 public concerts in a year to promote classical music.

Yoshiki Tatsumi: Music Director

Yoshiki Tatsumi is the foundation music director of UYO. Originally from Kobe, Japan, Yoshi studied brass performance, especially French horn and spent 10 years with a Tokyo civic wind orchestra as a training conductor. Arriving in New Zealand in 1990, Yoshi was the music director of the Waikato Schools Orchestra and then Waikato Youth Orchestra from 1995 to 2002. He completed conductors’ master classes under Nicholas Braithwaite and Miguel Harth-Bedoya in 1999 and 2000. He was given a Civic Award (Hamilton) in 2003 in recognition for his contributions to youth music. More recently he participated conductors' master class under Prof. Simeon Pironkoff (Professor of Conducting at The University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna) in May 2024.

Tony Hong-Che Wu: Associate Conductor

MFA (Music / Orchestral Conducting) of National Taiwan Normal University, Tony was the conductor of several orchestras in Taipei. Taipei Municipal DaAn Junior High School String Orchestra he conducted won the 1st prize (outstanding grade) for 10 times in Taiwan National Music Competition from 2010 to 2019. It also won the prize of Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival and was invited to perform in the Goldener Saal of Vienna Austria in 2011. Tony is also a professional violinist. He was the concertmaster of Taipei County Symphony Orchestra and Taipei Century Symphony Orchestra. Tony settled in Hamilton from 2019. He is the teacher of string program and orchestra in Hillcrest Normal School. He is also the conductor and violin player of Formosa Chamber Orchestra.

William Zhang: Orchestra Leader / Concert Master

William Zhang learnt Chinese music instrument Erhu in Beijing at primary school. Came to NZ late 2016 with his parents and began to learn violin in 2019 in Queenstown. After moving to Hamilton and enrolled at HBHS in early 2021, he continued to learn violin and joined UYO in July 2021. He is currently attending HBHS in year12. He is not very experienced but likes music very much and has been enjoying his time with UYO.

  • Music Director

    Awards: Civic Award (Hamilton) in 2003

    Years Active: 2003 - Current

  • Associate Conductor

    MFA (Music / Orchestral Conducting) of National Taiwan Normal University

    Years Active: 2021 - Current

  • Orchestra Leader

    Years Active: 2021 - Current

  • Viola Guest player

    2023

  • Cello Guest Player

    Years Active: 2016 - 2018

  • First Violin

    Years Active : 2019