The Bellingen Youth Orchestra String School (BYOSS) is a training ensemble designed to support younger string players—typically spanning from Year 3 to Year 8—as they develop their musical abilities in a fun, motivating, and supportive environment.
Players are invited to join BYOSS when they are ready for the challenges of working within a larger ensemble setting, usually at the recommendation of their string teacher.
BYOSS is directed by qualified Suzuki teachers Jacquie Gill and Elizabeth Scott, alongside additional specialist string tutors each week. This allows for intensive and engaging work on instrumental technique, ensemble skills, sight reading, and musicianship, using challenging and rewarding intermediate-level repertoire.
The String School performs regularly in the community, including appearances at the Bellingen Show and the RFBI Bellingen Masonic Village. String School players also regularly join with the BYO Wind School to form the BYO Cygnet Orchestra, our intermediate orchestra. Each year in Term 3, the Cygnet Orchestra presents a standalone concert featuring both the String School and Wind School ensembles.
The String School also occasionally performs with the Bellingen Youth Orchestra and Sinfonia, joining them in combined concerts at the end of each year. BYOSS teachers assess student readiness and support players as they graduate from the String School into our flagship ensemble, the Bellingen Youth Orchestra.
