Semi-finalists

Matthias Balzat – Cello, Age: 16 (Auckland/Hamilton)

Matthias started learning the cello at the age of three and is the youngest of seven children. At the age of nine he won the Knights Templar Instrumental Scholarship and first prize in the Tauranga Concerto Competition for under 21 year olds. He was a member of the winning group Sollertinsky in the 2013 NZCT Chamber Music Contest and won first prize in the 2013 American Protege International Strings Competition. Matthias was the joint first prize winner for the 2013/2014 National Concerto Competition. He was accepted into the Music Performance Soloist Specialization Bachelor Program at the University of Waikato at the age of fourteen and was awarded a Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship and a Blues Award in 2014. Matthias has performed as a guest soloist with the NZSSSO and toured New Zealand with The Turnovsky Ensemble. He is currently in his second year of studies under James Tennant.

 

Prelude from Suite No. 6 BWV 1012 / J.S. Bach

Adagio and Allegro / Schumann

Pezzo Capriccioso / Tchaikovsky

First Movement from Concerto Op.107 / Shostakovich

Punena / Ginastera

Shadow of the Hawk / Gareth Farr (NZ)

 

Perry Carter – Bassoon, Age: 20 (Christchurch)

Perry began learning the bassoon when he was thirteen. At fourteen he was awarded the Perry Foundation Scholarship and after three years of study received the Most Promising Bassoon Player Award at the New Zealand Woodwind Competition (Tertiary Category).  Most recently, he was the winner of the Elite category at the Australasian Double Reed Society bassoon competition. He studies with Selena Orwin, and has attended classes with Yoshi Ishikawa, Kim Walker, Milan Turkovic, Lyndon Watts, and Judith LeClair. Perry plays the bassoon and contrabassoon with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and Southern Sinfonia, and is the Principal Bassoon/Contrabassoon for the NZSO National Youth Orchestra.  He hopes to study with Valeri Popov while completing his Russian Honours degree in Moscow in 2016.

 

Retracing / Elliott Carter

Sonata in C Major / Fasch

Tortan and Rossa from Five Sacred Trees / John Williams

Romanza and Rondo Vivace from Grand Concerto in F Major / Hummel

Sarabande et Cortege / Dutilleux

Romance for Bassoon and Piano / Elgar

Two Waltzes for Solo Bassoon / Francisco Mignone

 

Anna Cooper – Flute, Age: 21 (Gisborne/Auckland)

Originally from Gisborne, Anna began learning the flute at age twelve and at sixteen gained her ATCL Diploma with Distinction. Anna is currently in her final year at the University of Auckland, studying for a BMus in flute performance with Luca Manghi, and a BA in Politics. In 2013, Anna played for the World Peace Orchestra in New York, and in 2014, the NZSO National Youth Orchestra, Auckland Symphony Orchestra and Auckland Youth Orchestra. Since commencing study, Anna has performed with the University Orchestra, Wind and Flute Ensembles, and co-established the student-run University Concert Band. In 2015, Anna studied in Italy for six months, joining what she believed was a wind band, but due to language barriers turned out to be a marching band! Anna has played in masterclasses with Jasmine Choi, Pierre-Yves Artaud and Robert Aitken.

 

Flute Sonata in C Major / J.S. Bach

Concerto in D Major / Reinecke

Sonata for Flute and Piano / Taktakishvili

Orange Dawn / Ian Clarke

First and Second of Four Pooh Stories / Maria Grenfell (NZ)

 

Tim Crawford – Violin, Age: 20 (London)

Tim is currently a student of Alexander Janiczek, attending the Guildhall School of Music on a scholarship. Tim was recently awarded first prize in the Under 18 North London Festival Recital Class, joint-second in the 2014 D'Addario String Prize, was the 2014 Brent Young Musician of the Year, and won all available prizes at the Junior Academy of Music. Having recently performed Mozart’s 2nd Violin Concerto in D Major at Wembley Arena and Chausson’s Poeme with the Ernst Read Symphony Orchestra he looks forward to a performance of Glazunov’s Violin Concerto with Camden Symphony Orchestra in March 2016. In 2015 Tim will be appearing at various chamber festivals, including the Brighton Festival with the Teyber String Trio, Joroisten Musiikkipaivat (Finland), Wye Valley Chamber Music Festival and Musikdorf Ernen (Switzerland). Tim plays a Ferdinand Gagliano, c.1770.

 

Adagio and Fuga-Allegro from Sonata No.1 / J.S. Bach

Allemanda from Sonata in E Minor Op.27 No.4 / Ysaye

Allegro from Concerto No.4 in D Major / Mozart

First and Second Movements from Sonata for Violin and Piano / Franck

Scherzo Tarantelle / Wieniawski

Andantino from Concerto No.1 Op.19 / Prokofiev

 

Bryony Gibson-Cornish – Viola, Age: 22 (Dunedin/London)

Originally from Christchurch, Bryony is a graduate of The Juilliard School, the University of Canterbury, and is currently studying towards her Artist Diploma at the Royal College of Music in London. Earlier this year, she toured with Chamber Music New Zealand as a member of the Turnovsky Jubilee Ensemble, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the organisation’s Chamber Music Contest. Bryony has been a featured soloist with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and she enjoys challenging the boundaries of classical music with her pursuits of composition, singing, improvisation, new music, historical performance and music technology.

 

Prelude, Courante and Gavottes from Suite 6 in G Major / J.S. Bach

Chromatic Fantasy BWV 903 / J.S.Bach (trans. Kodaly)

Sonata for Viola and Piano / Rebecca Clarke

First Movement from Concerto Der Schwanendreher / Paul Hindemith

Reflect for Solo Viola / Salina Fisher (NZ)

 

Loh Jun Hong - Violin, Age: 25 (Singapore/USA)

Singaporean violinist Loh Jun Hong recently returned from his second year at the Verbier Festival (Switzerland), where he led the festival orchestra as concertmaster and associate concertmaster under Charles Dutoit, Daniel Harding, Valery Gergiev and Gianandrea Noseda. A graduate of The Juilliard School and the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, Jun Hong has presented recitals in the Lincoln Centre, concerto solos in Tokyo and Hong Kong and has toured through the UK and France. In his home country he co-founded More than Music, a concert series dedicated to presenting engaging and intimate concerts.

 

Adagio and Fugue from Sonata No.1 in G Major BWV1001 / J.S. Bach

Sonata No.2 in A Major Op.100 / Brahms

Fantasia on Themes from Gounod’s Faust Op.20 / Wieniawski

 

Pearl Huang – Flute, Age: 22 (Taiwan/Auckland)

Pearl is a BMus (Hons) student at the University of Auckland, studying performance flute with Professor Uwe Grodd. Earlier this year she studied with Gunhild Ott in Folkwang University of the Arts (Germany), through the 360 Auckland Abroad exchange programme. She was a member of the 2014 NZSO National Youth Orchestra, 2014 University of Auckland Orchestra, and the 2013 Auckland Youth Orchestra as principal flute. Pearl has attained her DipABRSM with Distinction. She is a recipient of the Senior Scholar Award in the Faculty of Creative Arts and Industries and the Pultron Composites Award for the best performance of a work by a New Zealand composer at the 2013 Gisborne International Music Competition.

 

Largo e dolce from Sonata in B Minor / J.S. Bach

Chant de Linos / Jolivet

Ballade / Martin

First and Second Movements from Concerto in D Major / Reinecke

Te Tangi a te Matui / Helen Fisher (NZ)

 

Shauno Isomura  - Violin, Age: 22 (Auckland)

Shauno studies at the University of Auckland under Stephen Larsen. He is the winner of the 2013 University of Auckland Graduation Gala Concerto Competition, the 2010 KBB National Young Performers Competition, the 2010 Tauranga Concerto Competition and the 2014 CMNZ Society Competition. He won a Gold award at the 2009 Australian International Music Festival, was a finalist in the Royal Overseas League competition in 2013 and 2014 and was recipient of the Pettman Special Scholarship and the NZSO Fellowship. He was Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra's young soloist of the year, performing several solo engagements with the APO. Shauno has recently attended the International Mendelssohn Festival Akademie (Germany) and has been invited to perform in Cunard's Queen Elizabeth II PAMS Summit in Beijing.

 

Adagio from Sonata No.1 in G Minor / J.S. Bach

Caprice No.16 in A Minor / Paganini

Sonata No.2 Op.94b / Prokofiev

Allegro Moderato from Concerto in D Minor / Sibelius

Gyftiko / John Psathas (NZ)

 

Sam Lucas: Cello, Age: 19 (Queensland/Hamilton)

Sam began studying cello at age twelve, under the supervision of Anne Bowyer, and also learned piano and saxophone. In 2012 Sam was awarded his AMusA and LMusA, both with distinction. Sam won the under 18 section of the 2011 Australian Concerto and Vocal Competition. He first competed in the Gisborne International Music Competition in 2012, receiving the Professor Jack Richards International String Player Award and subsequently won third prize in both 2013 and 2014. Sam was a recitalist in the National Youth Concerto Competition in 2012 and a finalist in 2013. In 2014 Sam was awarded the Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship to study towards a Bachelor of Music Performance Soloist Specialisation Degree with James Tenant at the University of Waikato. 

 

Prelude from Suite No.6 / J.S. Bach

Sonata for Solo Cello / Ligeti

First and Second Movements from Sonata No.2 Op.99 / Brahms

Second Movement from Sonata in A Major / Franck

Pampeana No.2 / Ginastera

First Movement from Concerto No.1 / Shostakovich

 

Arna Morton – Violin, Age: 24 (Christchurch/ Melbourne)

Born and raised in Christchurch, Arna moved to Wellington in 2009 to complete her Bachelor of Music and Masters of Musical Arts in violin at the New Zealand School of Music.  Arna is currently in her first year of a performance PhD at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, supervised by Dr Curt Thompson. She is a current recipient of an Australian Postgraduate Award. Arna has a passion for concertmastery - a position she has held with various orchestras including the Christchurch & Wellington Youth Orchestras, the New Zealand School of Music Orchestra, the NZSO National Youth Orchestra, and currently the University of Melbourne Orchestra. She was the joint-winner of the 2014 National Concerto Competition and has performed both Prokofiev's Violin Concerto no. 1 & Szymanowski's Concerto no. 1 with the Wellington Youth Orchestra and Ravel's Tzigane with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.

 

Sarabande from Partita No.2 in D Minor / J.S. Bach

Tzigane / Ravel

Concerto Op.15 / Britten

Gone for Solo Violin / Kenneth Young (NZ)

 

Mary Osborn: Saxophone, Age: 21 (Sydney)

Mary is currently completing a Bachelor of Music in performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, studying with Christina Leonard on a full scholarship. She was awarded first place in the 2013 Sydney Eisteddfod McDonalds Saxophone under 25s Competition, third place in the 2014 Singapore Woodwind Festival Saxophone Competition, and was selected as a semi-finalist in last year’s Gisborne International Music Competition. In 2014 her saxophone quartet Petrichor Sax was awarded first place in the Sydney Eisteddfod Musica Viva Chamber Music Award and have since performed for Musica Viva at St. James Church, and on Fine Music 102.5. Petrichor Sax has premiered over fifteen new works since forming in 2012. In 2014 Mary performed Pictures at an Exhibition with the Australian Youth Orchestra and Willoughby Symphony, and this she year premiered a new concerto for saxophone and string orchestra entitled Oil, Steam and Steel by Adelaide Coles. Mary was recently nominated for the 2015 Freedman Classical Fellowship by Paul Stanhope.

 

Sonata for Oboe and Piano / Poulenc

Sonata / Creston

Fantasie Op.89 / Singelee

Tableaux de Provence / Maurice

Clock Malfunction / Will Yaxley (NZ)

 

Kate Oswin – Violin, Age: 22 (Christchurch/London)

Originally from Christchurch, Kate won First Prize in the New Zealand Chamber Music Contest, and was a double prize-winner at the 2011 Gisborne International Music Competition, winning both the Tiromoana Recital Prize and the Most Promising Player Award. She performed as soloist with the Wellington Chamber Orchestra for their 40^th anniversary season, and was a recipient of the Alex Lindsay Award in 2014. Kate completed her undergraduate degree at the New Zealand School of Music, and was awarded the Patricia Pratt Scholarship in Musical Performance to complete her Masters at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she is currently studying with Professor Remus Azoitei. 

 

Ciaccona from Partita No.2 BWV1004 / J.S. Bach

Sonata for Solo Violin / Bartok

Bright Silence / Gillian Whitehead (NZ)

 

Jovan Pantelich – Cello, Age: 22 (Brisbane/Melbourne)

Jovan is currently studying cello at the Australian National Academy of Music, under Howard Penny. In 2008 Jovan commenced cello studies with Nelson Cooke, and was later that year a major prize winner in the Royal South Street Concerto Competition. In 2009 Jovan commenced studies at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School, where his piano trio won the VCASS Chamber Music Competition. Other chamber music prizes include the Musical Society of Victoria Chamber Competition awards. In 2012 Jovan was the recipient of the Peers Coetmore Fund Scholarship, and a CSA scholarship the following year. Orchestral and chamber music involvement in the last few years include the ANAM orchestra, string quartets and trios, Australian Youth Orchestra, AYO Camerata, AYO Chamber Players, and MCM Symphony Orchestra.

 

Sonata for Solo Cello Op.25 No.3 / Hindemith

Rococo Variations / Tchaikovsky

Cello Sonata / Debussy

 

Jimmy Park - Violin, Age: 16 (Canberra/Sydney)

Jimmy is currently studying with Professor Ole Bohn at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. It was after his family moved to Belgium that Jimmy, aged five, started receiving violin lessons from Oi Machiko and Koen Rens, undertaking the Suzuki Method. After moving to Canberra in 2008, Jimmy learned from Rowan Harvey-Martin and under her guidance obtained the Licentiate of Music with Distinction, received 3^rd Prize in the International Animato Violin Competition, and became a member of the Australian Youth Orchestra at age fourteen. Jimmy joined the Rising Stars program at the Sydney Conservatorium of music in August 2014. This year he was a finalist in the NSW Schools Concerto Competition, and is a finalist in the National Youth Concerto Competition. He has participated in master classes with Kyung Sun Lee in Seoul and with Stefan Jackiw in Sydney.

 

Andante and Allegro from Sonata No.2 BWV1003 / J.S. Bach

Caprice No.5 Op.1 / Paganini

Sonata No.3 Ballade / Ysaye

Sonata No.2 Op.94bis / Prokofiev

Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso / Saint-Saens