Steel City Strings builds on the past to create a new future

When Yve Repin, Adrian Davis and Kyle Little at the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music got together in 2014 to create a string orchestra, they engaged with string players who had a passion for music and built a family with a purpose.

They created opportunities for Illawarra musicians and composers to connect and collaborate. Kyle’s energy and enthusiasm attracted players from around the region, building pride, passion and personal commitment to create music together for over almost a decade.

Yve Repin and Lyndall Fowler did the groundwork to establish the organisation Steel City Strings and provided administrative and logistical support for a 2015 season in Wollongong and the Shoalhaven, increasing to include the Southern Highlands in 2017. 

Collaborations with the Wollongong Conservatorium, the BHP Youth Orchestra and the South Coast Big Band followed, while Steel City Strings won an APRA Art Music award in 2019 and Yve Repin was awarded an OAM for her service to music. 

Covid restrictions caused the cancellation of Steel City Strings live concerts in 2020, but luckily young manager Jeremy Boulton kept supporters listening to the ensemble playing online. In 2021, programs such as Composer in the Room with Elena Kats-Chernin, and a statewide competition for young composers, won by Adriel Sukumar, attracted a growing group of supporters.

In 2022, supported by funding from CreateNSW, the Steel City Strings featured Aboriginal Australian composer and vocalist William Barton, celebrated for his didgeridoo playing with classical orchestras, as well as London-based violinist Emily Sun. Its third concert featured the world premiere of a percussion concerto, Steeling Fire, composed for leading percussionist Claire Edwardes by Natalie Williams, depicting the story of the Wollongong 'Jobs for Women' campaign in the 1980s and 1990s.

Highlights of the 2023 season were a collaboration with the Australian String Quartet, and the Shoalhaven Art Gallery for Body & Soul, which involved a commission by composer and saxophonist Nick Russoniello and the emergence of the cello quartet “Cellissimo”.

Change came over the next few years as Kyle Little, the driver and artistic director of Steel City Strings' programming, handed the baton to his assistant, violist Adrian Davis. 

Adrian curated all the concerts during 2024 and 2025. Steel City Strings benefitted from funding from CreateNSW, supporting better remuneration for orchestra members, still with the continuing volunteer support of Yve and Lyndall.

However, change was on the horizon when an application for two years' funding for the orchestra from CreateNSW was unsuccessful for 2026/27. 

In 2025, after a decade of administrative and logistical support, Yve and Lyndall announced their retirement. Their contribution has been extraordinary. Their musical knowledge, generosity and commitment has been at the heart of Steel City Strings and their legacy is immense.

Kyle Little and Adrian Davis are committed to providing continuing opportunities for the Steel City Strings family of local players to play together. The board of Steel City Strings recognises the need for change in the challenging economic environment for all Australian arts organisations. 

No subscription season is being offered in 2026, but the first concert of the season will celebrate the legacy of the founders. The program, entitled Home, will explore what the idea of home means for both audiences and the orchestra itself as it enters a new chapter.

Staying true to its vision, Steel City Strings has commissioned two new pieces by Australian composers Barry Conyngham and Adriel Sukumar that will be performed at two concerts in March in Wollongong on Saturday 21 at 7.30pm and in Berry on Sunday 22 at 2pm.

To book tickets, visit the Steel City Strings website.