KALAMUNDA resident and oboe player Erynn Bye will be performing at an upcoming concert organised by a2. orchestra on Saturday, June 22.

The concert, titled Reflections, will be played by a 22-piece chamber orchestra, featuring works by Mozart, Debussy, Mendelssohn and more.

In line with the concert’s theme, Ms Bye reflected on her musical experiences in Kalamunda and said her family and community helped shape her passion for music.

“Some of my fondest memories as a musician in Kalamunda would be being involved in soirees my piano teacher Margaret Lyons used to put on,” she said.

“My sister is also a musician and spent many years playing in the Kalamunda Youth Swing Band.

“My family and I used to go along to each performance at Stirk Park each Thursday evening throughout summer with a picnic dinner.”

Being a musician from Kalamunda wasn’t without its hurdles though, and Ms Bye wished more opportunities were closer to home.

“One of the many challenges of being a musician in the hills is travel time,” she said.

“There aren’t too many ensembles based purely in the hills and as such many of the ensembles I am regularly involved in are based more in the Western suburbs like WAYO, Western Australian Wind Symphony, and West Coast Philharmonic Orchestra to name a few.

“Unfortunately, there aren’t many solutions to this problem other than making sure I have a good playlist to listen to for my commutes.

“That being said I have been a guest musician for the Hills Symphony Orchestra on occasion which I very much enjoyed, which has a much shorter travel time.”

Ms Bye said she was greatly looking forward to the upcoming concert and it would be the second chamber orchestra concert she’ll have been involved in with a2. 

a2. orchestra communications manager Charlotte Greenway said the organisation’s aim was to give opportunities to young and emerging musicians, with a focus on enjoyable concerts and engaging repertoire.

“We are Perth’s newest orchestra promoting young musicians and presenting passionate performances,” she said.

“We love to share our vision with the community, in order to showcase the wonderful young talent that Perth has to offer!”

Reflections will be performed at 10am in the Paul Latham Auditorium located at Churchlands Senior High School.

Tickets can be found at https://www.a2orchestra.com/reflections