Building on the success of the Dorkestra in North Fremantle, the Awkwardstra was established in 2014 in Victoria Park. Since then, the Awks have grown and developed as a community orchestra, welcoming new and returning adults and young adults on strings and woodwinds.

Players are welcome to join this friendly, welcoming community to gain experience playing in ensemble, to practice their reading skills, develop an appreciation for a variety of repertoire, and to enjoy making music together.

The Awks are always ready to receive new orchestral string-players on violin, viola, cello and double bass, and sometimes have space to accommodate flutes, oboes, clarinets, and bassoons. We welcome new players looking for an opportunity to develop their skills, and players are welcome to join in for as much or as little as they can in their initial stages.

We rehearse for two hours weekly on Wednesday evenings at Curtin University in Bentley, and prepare around four programmes each year to perform for friends and family at our informal, in-house concerts.

Programmes include a mix of musical styles and periods, from baroque works by Bach, Corelli, Telemann and Handel, through familiar and engaging pieces by Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven, to arrangements and original works by composers and artists like Gershwin and the Beatles. We work through new pieces at a comfortable pace, carefully learning and rehearsing together.

The Awkwardstra is a cheerful and fun community of enthusiastic players that performs when its members feel comfortable with its programme. The Awks gather together for an annual weekend music camp, play together at community concerts, and are welcome to explore additional repertoire at Dorkestra camps.

Prospective players and teachers are welcome to drop by to hear us rehearse, and to chat with members about our orchestra.