Results 2009
2009 National Final results
Christchurch’s Wäldchen Trio have won the New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest for 2009.
The trio of Anita Huang (harp), William Frost (flute) and Kate Oswin (viola) continued Burnside High School’s dominance of the national chamber music contest, winning the competition with a performance of Israeli composer Lior Navok’s Veiled Echoes.
The New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest National Final was held in Christchurch as part of the Christchurch Arts Festival on Saturday 1 August. The contest, run by Chamber Music New Zealand, is the only nationwide chamber music competition for young musicians and composers and this year’s entries involved more than 2,000 students from throughout the country.
The eight finalist ensembles, four from Christchurch and two each from Auckland and Hamilton, were selected from district competitions and performed before adjudicators Stephen De Pledge, Ingrid Culliford and Martin Riseley and an enthusiastic audience.
The Wäldchen Trio’s three young musicians were ecstatic to have won. Last year the trio received a highly commended award at the regional competition, but this year was their first time in the finals. "It was a huge surprise," says William (16). "We knew we had to put on our best performance ever because the competition was so strong and we did. And we had fun."
Anita (17) confesses she didn’t even hear the trio’s name announced as the winners. "William nudged me and I realised it was us and then I started crying."
In preparing for the contest, the trio had the unusual opportunity to be able to discuss their performance with the composer of their selected work. "We contacted Lior Navok and talked to him on Skype. We were able to play segments of the piece to him and discuss ideas. That was fantastic."
Adjudicator Stephen De Pledge said the standard for this year’s contest was incredibly high. "We were absolutely bowled over by the quality and dedication to performance."
The Wäldchen Trio each received the James Wallace Arts Trust Prize of $1,000 and the Arthur Hilton Memorial Prize of a musical text.
Burnside High School’s head of music Hugh Stevenson was also honoured at the New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest National Final and was awarded the Marie Vandewart Memorial Award in recognition of outstanding service and commitment to fostering the love of chamber music.
Hugh has headed the school’s music department since 1997 and under his leadership, has entered 165 groups in the contest, with 38 of them making it through to the National Final.
"Hugh has instilled in his students a real sense of professionalism, yet never losing the importance of communicating the joy of playing some really great music in ensemble," says Chamber Music New Zealand chair June Clifford.
The seven other finalist groups in the National Final were, from Christchurch ‘From Belljung’ (two percussion and two piano), saxophone quartet ‘The Knight Quartet’ and last year’s national contest winner string quartet ‘The Bedrich Quartet’; from Auckland, piano trios ‘Apasionados’ and ‘Leidenschaft’; and two piano trios from Hamilton, ‘Psyrtos’ and ‘CHALYK’.
The winner of the composition section was Dunedin student Corwin Newall with his piece 57 Octaves Below which was performed at the National Final by Corwin on piano and adjudicators Martin Riseley (violin) and Ingrid Culliford (flute). Corwin received the SOUNZ prize of $500.
"This piece is youthful, lively and creative and, at the same time, sophisticated and matures in its technique," says composition adjudicator Anthony Ritchie. "It demonstrates a very good understanding of chamber music, with all three parts having meaningful and interesting roles to play."
The NZ Community Trust Chamber Music Contest is well-known for nurturing young musicians who go on to successful musical careers – iconic New Zealand pianist Michael Houstoun competed in the event when he was a school student, and more recently, acclaimed pianist John Chen was a past winner and went on to win the 2004 Sydney International Piano Competition and the 2003 Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition.
In presenting the 2009 New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest, Chamber Music New Zealand acknowledges major funding from the New Zealand Community Trust and Creative New Zealand, and support from the James Wallace Arts Trust and SOUNZ (centre for New Zealand Music).
2009 National Finalists
The following eight groups have been selected to compete at the National Final on 1 August, in Christchurch:
Apasionados (Westlake Girls' College - Auckland)
Bedrich Quartet (Burnside High School, Rangi Ruru Girls' School - Christchurch)
CHALYK (Hillcrest High School, Tauranga Girls' College - Hamilton/Tauranga)
From Belljung (Burnside High School - Christchurch)
Knight Quartet (Burnside High School - Christchurch)
Leidenschaft (St Cuthbert's College, Westlake Girls' College, Epsom Girls' Grammer - Auckland)
Psyrtos (Hillcrest High School - Hamilton)
Wäldchen Trio (Burnside High School - Christchurch)
The winner of the Original Composition section is Corwin Newall from Kaikorai Valley College in Dunedin for his piece 57 Octaves Below.
2009 District Contest Results
The winning group of each District Contest is awarded the Chamber Music New Zealand prize of $100 to each member.
Whangarei District Contest 8 June
Winning group - Farr Out
Ngaruaroha Martin (Violin) Home School
Jonathan Croucher (Cello) Whangarei Boys' High School
Tauroa Martin (piano) Home School
Performing Ahi - Gareth Farr
Highly Commended
Brioso 8 (Home School, Whangarei Boys' High School, Kamo High School, Pompallier College)
Adjudicators Award
Kent Consort (Whangarei Boys' High School)
Wanganui District Contest 9 June
Winning group - Deux Par Trois
Helen Kim (Violin) Wanganui Collegiate School
Heather Kim (Flute) Wangnaui High School
Liam Wooding (piano) Wangnaui High School
Performing Deux Interludes - Ibert
Highly Commended
Best of Brass (Wangnaui High School)
Das Heilege Trio (Nga Tawa School)
Three on One (Nga Tawa School)
Viano (Wanganui High School)
Adjudicators Award
Elleswood Trio (Nga Tawa School)
Palmerston North District Contest 10 June
Winning group - Dohnanyi String Trio
Daniel Pinkney (Violin) Home School
Benjamin Pinkney (Viola) Home School
Heather Lewis (Cello) Home School
Performing Serenade in C major Op 10, mvts 1, 2, & 5 - Dohnanyi
Highly Commended
Whammy McLows (Plamerston North Boys' High School)
Emanelles (Palmerston North Girls' High School)
Tripella (Palmerston North Girls' High School)
DAB Hands (Palmerston North Boys' High School, Home School)
Adjudicators Award
Alla Stretta (Ponatahi Christian School, Wairarapa College)
Invercargill District Contest 10 June
Winning group - Clockwork
Daniel Redmond (Cornet) James Hargest College
Megan Gooding (cornet) Verdon College
Ben Cuff (Euphonium) James Hargest College
Connor Ellison (Euphonium) James Hargest College
Performing Time Piece - Peter Graham
Highly Commended
Flutissimo (James Hargest College, Gore High School)
Divertimenti (James Hargest College)
The Haydn Trio (James Hargest College)
Corac (James Hargest College)
Adjudicators Award
Percussi Svegliato (James Hargest College)
New Plymouth District Contest 11 June
Winning group - Kristallnacht Quintet
James Fuller (percussion) New Plymouth Boys' High School
Jacob Randall (percussion) New Plymouth Boys' High School
Peter Molloy (flute) New Plymouth Boys' High School
Jong Woo Shin (piano) New Plymouth Boys' High School
Jake Church (guitar) New Plymouth Boys' High School
Performing Kristallnacht - David Hamilton
Highly Commended
Pleyel Trio (Spotswood College)
Three Sharp Minors (Home School, Waitara High School)
Kreutzer Trio (New Plymouth Boys' High School, Sacred Heart Girls' College )
Jakamon Trio (Inglewood High School)
Adjudicators Award
Water Girls (New Plymouth Girls' high School)
Auckland District Contest 10-14 June
Winning group - Leidenschaft
Esther Kim (Violin) St Cuthbert's College
Minji Kang (Cello) Westlake Girls' High School
Tina Kim (Piano) Epsom Girls Grammar
Performing Piano Trio in C minor Op 101, Mvt 1 - Brahms & Three Island Songs for Piano Trio, Mvt 3 - John Psathas
Highly Commended
Finger Sticks (Auckland Grammar School, St Kentigern College, Epsom Grammar)
Apasionados (Westlake Girls High School)
Macleans Trio (Macleans College)
Adjudicators Award
Obligation (St Mary's College, St Peters College)
Dunedin District Contest 12-14 June
Winning group - Trio Martinu
Joyce Tang (piano) Bayfield high School
Juno Pyun (violin) Otago Boys' high School
Nichakom Tuchinda (violin) Columba College
Performing sonate for two violins and piano - Martinu
Highly Commended
Balancing Act (Columba College, Otago Boys' High School)
Venice Ensemble (Columba College, John McGlashan College)
Wrench (Logan Park High School)
multi-instruMentals (Bayfield High School, Otago Boys High School, Logan Park High School, Otago Girls' High School)
Adjudicators Award
Masch (Logan Park High School)
Wellington District Contest 14 June
Winning group - Spectrum
Gabriel Garlick-Grice (violin) The Correspondence School
Lucy Gijsbers (cello) The Correspondence School
Sophia Tarrant-Matthews (piano) The Correspondence School
Performing Trio no 1 in D minor Op 49 - Mendelssohn
Highly Commended
Tibilisi (Newlands College, Onslow College, Scots College)
Flutissimo (Tawa College, Newlands College, Wellington Girls' College)
30 Fingers (Wellington East Girls' College)
Newlands Trio (Newlands College)
Adjudicators Award
The Trepak Troup (Queen Margart College, Wellington College, Samuel Marsden Collegiate, Wellington Girls' College, Newlands College)
Nelson District Contest 15 June
Winning group - BANG!
Natasha Ironside (piano) Nelson College for Girls
Georgia Thomson-Laing (cello) Nelson College for Girls
Alex Nott (clarinet) Nelson College for Girls
Performing Trio for Clarinet, Cello & Piano Op.38 - Beethoven
Highly commended
Saxettes (Nelson College for Girls)
The Doppler Effect (Nelson College for Girls)
Piacevole Quartet (Nelson College for Girls)
Adjudicators Award
Loirpac Quartet (Nayland College, Garin College, Nelson College for Girls)
Timaru District Contest 16 June
Winning group - Diminium
Thomas Scott (cello) Waitaki Boys' High School
Edan Bradfield (violin) Waitaki Boys' High School
Sisley Choi (piano) Waitaki Girls' High School
Performing Piano Trio No 1 - Turina
Highly Commended
South Canterbury Brass Quartet (Timaru Boys' High School, Timaru Girls' High School, Roncalli College)
Telemania (Craighead Diocesan School, Roncalli College)
Adjudicators Award
Classical Cafe (Waitaki Boys' High School)
Hamilton District Contest 17 June
Winning group - Psyrtos
Hilary Hayes (violin) Hillcrest High School
Yotam Levy (Cello) Hillcrest High School
Cherry Ngan (piano) Hillcrest High School
Performing Piano Trio in G minor mvt 1 - Smetana & Island Songs mvt 3 - John Psathas
Highly Commended
No.8 Wired (Hamilton Girls' High School, Hamilton Boys' High School, Hillcrest High School, Tauranga Girls College)
CHALYK (Hillcrest High School, Tauranga Girls' College)
Troika (Hillcrest High School, St Paul's Collegiate School)
Adjudicators Award
Brasskicass (Matamata College)
Tauranga District Contest 18 June
Winning group - CMS Trio
Meg Yen (violin) Tauranga Girls' College
Charlotte Ketel (cello) Tauranga Girls' College
Sara Jin (piano) Tauranga Girls' College
Performing Cafe Music - Paul Schoenfield
Highly Commended
Concussion Incorporated (Tauranga Girls' College)
Florentine (John Paul College)
Balkan String Quartet (Tauranga Girls' College, Bethlehem College)
Cui Cui (John Paul College)
Adjudicators Award
TMT Percussion Ensemble (Bethlehem College)
Gisborne District Contest 20 June
Winning group - Das Klasse Trio
Lauren Grout (flute) Gisborne Girls' High School
Anna Cooper (flute) Gisborne Girls' High School
Gordon Milne (cello) Gisborne Boys' High School
Performing Londoner Trio No 1 - Haydn
Highly Commended
Illusion (Gisborne Girls' High School)
Three Muskateers (Gisborne Girls' High School)
Team Cool (Gisborne Girls' High School, Lytton High School)
Adjudicators Award
El Dulce Mexicanas (Gisborne Girls' High School, Lytton High School)
Christchurch District Contest 18-21 June
Winning group - The Knight Quartet
Gemma Knight (soprano saxophone) Burnside High School
Nicky Soonthornjanakij (alto saxophone) Burnside High School
Sam Jones (baritone saxophone) Burnside High School
Bryn Roberts (tenor saxophone) Burnside High School
Performing Blow - Perry Goldstein
Highly Commended
From Belljung (Burnside High School)
Wäldchen Trio (Burnside High School)
Bedrich Quartet (Burnside High School, Rangi Ruru Girls' School)
Adjudicators Award
Hullabaloo of the Christchurch School of Music (Rangi Ruru Girls' School, Christ's College, St Andrew's College)
Hawkes Bay District Contest 19-21 June
Winning group - Con Brio
Olivia Campion (flute) Karamu High School
Alice McIvor (violin) Karamu High School
Stephen Clothier (piano) Karamu High School
Performing Duex Interludes - Ibert
Highly Commended
Rich Mix (Karamu High School)
Adjudicators Award
Das Karlsruhe Quartett (Lindisfarne College, Hastings Girls' High School)
