National Finals 2014
1 – 2 August Charles Luney Auditorium St Margaret’s College Christchurch
New Music Programme at UC The School of Music at the University of Canterbury now offers new courses in: Ņ 6RQJ :ULWLQJ Ņ 0XVLF 7HFKQRORJLHV Ņ $FRXVWLFV DQG 5HFRUGLQJ 7HFKQLTXHV Ņ 7KH 0XVLF ,QGXVWU\ Ņ 0XVLF (VVHQWLDOV Ņ &KRLU DQG 3DUW 6LQJLQJ Ņ &RQVRUWLD &KDPEHU &KRLU
MUSIC
Ņ 0XVLF LQ RXU &RPPXQLW\ Ņ 3HUIRUPDQFH (Major and Non-Major) Ņ 0XVLFV RI WKH :RUOG Ņ 3RSXODU 0XVLF LQ &RQWH[W Ņ &RPSRVLWLRQ Ņ &RQWHPSRUDU\ 0XVLF Ņ 0XVLF LQ $RWHDURD 1HZ =HDODQG Ņ (QVHPEOHV (small, large) Ņ 6LJKW UHDGLQJ DQG $FFRPSDQ\LQJ Ņ 0DNLQJ PXVLF ZLWK &RPSXWHUV Ņ 6WXGLR 3HGDJRJ\ Ņ &RQGXFWLQJ
www.arts.canterbury.ac.nz
Study music at New Zealand’s leading University*
Classical performance Composition Jazz Performance Musicology Popular Music
Find out more: www.creative.auckland.ac.nz Courses and Careers Day, Sat 30 Aug, 2014 0800 61 62 63 | studentinfo@auckland.ac.nz
Message from the Minister
Mike Knell
Euan Murdoch
Chief Executive, NZCT
Chief Executive, CMNZ
New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT) is delighted to once again be involved in this prestigious event which supports talented young secondary school students.
Welcome to the National Final of the 2014 New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest!
Hon Chris Finlayson Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage
The New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest has come a long way since it was founded in 1965 and will celebrate its Golden Jubilee next year. The number of young ensembles participating throughout the country over these 50 years has increased tenfold and the quality of their music-making is inspiring. It continues to be one of the significant events in the national musical calendar. As Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, I am heartened to see this level of expertise and enthusiasm for instrumental performance and composition. Chamber music is in good heart, as evidenced by the large number of talented students who continue to enter this Contest and the international success of our professional ensembles, notably NZTrio, New Zealand Chamber Soloists and the New Zealand String Quartet. Whether the contestants choose a career in music, or follow another vocation, participating in the National Finals of the NZCT Chamber Music Contest will remain a memorable event in their lives. Congratulations to all the finalists tonight, and to all the music teachers and families whose support has contributed to their success.
Young musicians in around 500 ensembles have competed in 15 different centres from Whangarei to Invercargill for a place in the finals – and this year the standard of competition and the participants’ musical ability has been both exciting and inspiring. The very format of this competition, with its strong regional focus to increase participation, is an excellent example of how gaming machine proceeds go back to the communities where they were raised, enhancing the lives and aspirations of local people. I was especially pleased to see the Regional Showcase in Wanganui getting such positive coverage. I’d also like to acknowledge everyone involved in organising the Chamber Music Contest. You do a fantastic job raising the event’s profile and keeping New Zealand chamber music alive and relevant in today’s increasingly busy world. NZCT is delighted to have played a part in supporting New Zealand’s top young musicians. Thank you for the opportunity and we wish all those participating in the National Finals weekend the very best of luck.
Many of our finest professional musicians such as Michael Houstoun, Wilma Smith, John Chen, NZTrio and composer John Psathas have journeyed through the Contest. All of them will be featured in our special celebrations next year as proud Contest Alumni. If you, like me, participated in the Contest, I encourage you to sign-up to our Alumni list and keep in touch. Chamber music is a team game and relies on everyone working together in the moment to achieve something they could not do on their own. We are grateful to the National Finals adjudicators – members of the Doric String Quartet (UK) – and all the participants, coaches, teachers, District Contest Organisers, local volunteers and supporters for their involvement and support. The District Contest adjudicators did a wonderful job in selecting our 12 finalists from such a varied and strong field nationwide. The quality and commitment of these adjudicators is one of the keys to the overall success of this event. A special thank you to New Zealand Community Trust, Wallace Arts Trust, ABRSM, KBB Music, SOUNZ and CANZ for their ongoing generous support of this flagship event. We also acknowledge Creative New Zealand as our valued funding partner. We are delighted you are here with us tonight. Now, sit back and enjoy this celebration of young musical talent.
1
Marie Vandewart Memorial Award
Shona Thomson
In recognition of outstanding service and commitment to fostering the love of chamber music
Shona Thomson has been involved with Chamber Music New Zealand Southland Branch for 37 years. She is a Life Member and is our current Branch Chair. In 2007 she was awarded the QSM for 30 years of service to Chamber Music, a recognition she treasures.
Recipient of the Marie Vandewart Memorial Award
for our chamber music contest family
Join the alumni The 50th anniversary of the NZCT Chamber Music Contest is approaching. The event reaches the milestone in 2015 and Chamber Music New Zealand will be celebrating with wonderful events, concerts and festivities! Have you ever been involved in the contest in any way? Sign up at: chambermusic.co.nz/contest-alumni
Donate and secure the Contest for the future Give a gift to our Foundation today and support aspiring young musicians. For more information, visit chambermusic.co.nz/support-us
Marie Vandewart arrived in Wellington, New Zealand as a refugee in 1939. She was a gifted cellist and studied at the Berlin Hochschule before leaving Germany. She was a foundation member of the Alex Lindsay Orchestra and the Francis Rosner Quartet. In 1961, Marie moved to Auckland to teach cello at Auckland University. Generations of music students benefited from her expert tuition and enthusiasm for chamber music. Marie and her husband Alfons Blaschke were made Life Members of CMNZ in 1993. She passed away in 2006, aged 94. Her family has established this memorial award in her honour.
Our Concert Manager Jennifer Sinclair says, “I have never met anyone with so much passion, drive and enthusiasm for Chamber Music. Shona’s pride in Chamber Music and the pleasure it brings so many with our Concert Seasons, as well as the wonderful chances the Contest offers young musicians could not be more evident, and those of us who work with her know just how lucky we are to have someone like her at the helm.” Her organisational skills and knowledge of the Contest are second to none and she coordinated this event as a volunteer in Invercargill for many years. Shona also has an ability to make everyone feel welcome and to include people as part of a larger event. These qualities have made her one of the most outstanding District Contest Organisers in the country and an excellent ambassador for Chamber Music in the Deep South. She reluctantly stepped down from the role last year in the interests of succession planning. As always, thinking of others and being mindful of the bigger picture.
National Final Adjudicators
Doric String Quartet Alex Redington Jonathan Stone Hélène Clément John Myerscough
violin violin viola cello
Following a ten centre tour throughout New Zealand the Doric String Quartet will adjudicate the National Finals in Christchurch on the 1st and 2nd August. The Doric String Quartet has established itself as one of Britain’s finest young ensembles, combining technical precision with deep musical insight. Formed in 1998 at The National School for Young Chamber Music Players, the Quartet joined the Parisbased ProQuartet Professional Training Program in 2002, then studied at the Music Academy in Basel. It was selected for representation by the Young Concert Artists Trust in 2006, and made its Edinburgh Festival debut that year. Two years later the Quartet won the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition in Japan, and was awarded second prize in the Premio Paolo Borciani in Italy.
Composition Adjudicator
Now a regular visitor to major festivals and venues in Europe, the Doric String Quartet made its first visit to Australia and New Zealand in 2010, and later that year made their debut in America, where they are now a regular visitor. Before this tour, the group has been performing at the West Cork Music Festival, and will return to Britain to record the string quartets of Janáček. The Quartet’s first CD, featuring works by Haydn, was released on the Wigmore Live label, and was Editor’s Choice in Gramophone Magazine in 2010. Since then, the group has issued recordings of Walton and Schumann (both of which were nominated for Gramophone Awards), as well as two featuring Korngold, and most recently Schubert.
Philip Norman has the distinction of being the first competitor in the New Zealand Secondary Schools Chamber Music Competition to have also become an adjudicator. This was in 1982, when first invited to adjudicate the original composition section. He has maintained regular contact with the competition since in a variety of capacities – composition contest adjudicator, tutor of groups, tutor of composers, composer of works especially for performance in the competition and parent of contestants. In his 36-year career as a freelance composer, writer and musician based in Christchurch, Dr Norman has composed a range of music: for ballets (Peter Pan) operas (A Christmas Carol), stage musicals (Footrot Flats, Love Off The Shelf, Dirty Weekends) orchestras, choirs (secular and sacred) as well as chamber groups. He holds a PhD in musicology and is the author of an award-winning biography on Douglas Lilburn. He is currently writing a general history of New Zealand composition and continuing to compose for a variety of orchestral, choral and theatrical groups.
3
National Semi-Final One, 11.30am–1.30pm Compère: Kate Mead (from Radio New Zealand Concert)
Lichnowsky (Hamilton) Trio No 3 in C minor Opus 1, Mvt 1 Beethoven Sophie Zheng Daniel Ng John Penyas
violin cello piano
Hillcrest High School Hamilton Boys’ High School St Paul’s Collegiate
Eklamoré (Christchurch) Trio in E flat major Opus 40 for Horn, Violin and Piano, Mvt 2 Brahms Geeny Moon Grace Leehan Amy Ga Hee Lee
french horn violin piano
Rangi Ruru Girls’ School Rangi Ruru Girls’ School Rangi Ruru Girls’ School
Suk Trio (Auckland) Piano Trio in C minor Opus 2, Mvts 1 & 3 Josef Suk Tina Zhang Hyein Kim Sean Yang
violin cello piano
Kristin School Rangitoto College Westlake Boys High School
Vaha (Christchurch) Out of Gravitation, Mvts 1, 2, 4 & 5 Julia Gomelskaya Hattie Hopkins James Kim Gabriel Khor
voice flute/alto flute piano
Burnside High School Burnside High School Burnside High School
The Elegiac Trio (Wellington) Piano Trio No 1 in G minor, ‘Elegiac’ Rachmaninov Andrew Kelly Josiah Pinkney Claudia Tarrant-Matthews
violin cello piano
Scots College Home Schooled The Correspondence School
L’arc en ciel (Auckland) Piano Trio in A minor, Mvts 1 & 2 Ravel April Ju Francis Yoon Delvan Lin
violin cello piano
The 2014 Chamber Music Contest was made possible with generous funding from:
NZ COMMUNITY TRUST
4
Burnside High School Macleans College King’s College
National Semi-Final Two, 4.30–6.30pm Compère: Kate Mead (from Radio New Zealand Concert)
Kalim (Christchurch) Crossroads Songs Evan Chambers Ryan Hall Robert Petch Muse Ye
alto saxophone percussion piano
Burnside High School Burnside High School Burnside High School
Womendelssohn Trio (Whangarei) Piano Trio No 2 in C minor, Mvt 1 & 3 Mendelssohn Maia-Dean Martin Xena Martin Michelle Yao
violin cello piano
Home schooled Home schooled ACG Parnell College
Katalyze Quintet (Auckland) Piano Quintet in C minor, Opus 1 Mvt 1 Dohnányi Cindy (Yun-Chen) Lin Neha Kasture Anna Elisara Hayon Lee Serena Li
violin violin viola cello piano
St. Cuthbert’s College St. Cuthbert’s College St. Cuthbert’s College St. Cuthbert’s College St. Cuthbert’s College
Schmitten (Auckland) Pour presque tous les temps Florent Schmitt Jessica (Jisu) Yun Seoyoung Lee Hyein Kim Rebecca Wan
flute violin cello piano
Rangitoto College Rangitoto College Rangitoto College Rangitoto College
Exaudio (Auckland) Piano Trio No 1 in B flat major, Mvt 1 Schubert Robert Moon Seri Ahn Hannah Kang
violin cello piano
Rosehill College Epsom Girls Grammar School Diocesan School for Girls
Trio Emporté (Christchurch) Piano Trio No 2 in E minor, Opus 92, Mvt 1 Saint-Saëns Grace Leehan Jenny Park Siyu Sun
violin cello piano
Rangi Ruru Girls’ School Rangi Ruru Girls’ School Rangi Ruru Girls’ School
The six finalists will be announced at 7pm
Radio New Zealand Concert will record the Semi-Finals for broadcast on Sunday 10 and 17 August at 3pm
Pianos kindly tuned by Hoekstra Pianos
5
Proud to play our part in supporting musicians for 125 years
All’Aperto National Winner of the 2012 KBB Music Award
SALES đ RENTALS đ REPAIRS & SERVICING Epsom I Albany I Takapuna I Botany I Hamilton I Wellington I Nelson I Christchurch
www.kbbmusic.co.nz
New Zealand Music Awards – in association with SOUNZ (the Centre for New Zealand Music) and CANZ (the Composers’ Association of New Zealand). SOUNZ is a music information centre that provides, fosters and promotes the music of New Zealand composers. CANZ is the association for all amateur and professional composers in New Zealand, as well as individuals and institutions supportive of New Zealand music. National Award for the Best Performance of a New Zealand Work The 2014 Award for the Best Performance of a New Zealand work will be presented to the Appalachian Octet from Diocesan School for Girls in Auckland. They are performing Kiwi in Appalachia by Ryan Youens (inspired by Aaron Copland), which was commissioned especially for the NZCT Chamber Music Contest. Shelagh Thomson, Performing Arts Director at Diocesan School, writes, “It is very exciting for our students to be the recipient of this award for a second consecutive year and the judges commented on the energy and excitement captured in this new work.” The composer of this piece, Ryan Youens, teaches composition at the school and so he was able to discuss ideas for the composition with the students as part of the on-going process. From these discussions the idea of creating a Part 1 and Part 2 was formulated: Part 1 being the original 30 minute chamber version condensed into 6 minutes, and Part 2 being Ryan’s original work which became Kiwi in Appalachia. “What we ended up with was an entire through-composed work linked by both theme and composer,” says Shelagh. “A great piece and a fantastic opportunity for our students to perform parts of the original iconic work followed by NZ composer Ryan Youens very quirky and delightful composition Kiwi in Appalachia.”
Composer Award
Junior Section winner
Both sections of the Composer Award are open to all secondary school students. Entrants in the senior section are required to write works of between four and fifteen minutes for three to eight instruments, while junior section entrants must write between one and four minutes for two to four instruments.
Lyndon Alford (Auckland)
Senior Section winner Isaac Shatford (Christchurch) Frost and Fire for string quartet Isaac Shatford is an 18-year-old violinist, pianist, and year 13 student at St Andrew’s College, Christchurch. Isaac says about his piece: “Based on an episode from the hit television show ‘Adventure Time’, Frost and Fire is a String Quartet telling the heart-breaking story of two lovers destined to remain apart. The work journeys through a range of emotional highs and lows as it harmonically progresses, before ending in an unrelated key and fading to nothing, as if everything has changed and cannot be reversed.” Composition adjudicator, Philip Norman, comments on the work saying, “Your writing is beautifully paced, each section exerting its presence for an impeccably judged duration. There is an unusually clear sense of direction in the writing for a young composer. This is a creatively interesting and performable composition and thoroughly deserving of the winner’s ribbon.” This is Isaac’s first piece of chamber music and he is delighted at its success.
Small Furry Creatures for two flutes and violin Composition Adjudicator, Philip Norman, sums this piece up perfectly with the opening comment of his report: “Congratulations on a delightful composition, full of sparkling runs, wit and rhythmic vitality. Having been custodian of a number of small furry creatures over the years (mainly rats and mice but also guinea pigs and rabbits) I can say with confidence that your writing admirably evokes the energy and motion of small furry creatures.” Lyndon Alford is a 16-year-old, year 13 student at Henderson High School, Auckland, who submitted not one, but two composition pieces in this year’s contest (Junior and Senior Composition sections). Lyndon says of his piece: “Small Furry Creatures is the third part of a suite I wrote for NZQA scholarship music last year, called Scenes from Above the Mountain, which depicts a range of experiences an adventurer might find were they to poke around a fictional mountain. This movement depicts exactly what the title says: little creatures gambolling around on the sides of the mountain.” A flute player himself, Lyndon wrote the piece so that it would show off the three instruments, without requiring a virtuoso trio to be able to play the piece. “The piece started as an experiment into counterpoint and structure, but evolved into a kind of poem – the name ‘Small Furry Creatures’ just seemed to suit it so well,” he says. Lyndon is still busy working on several pieces for concert bands and orchestras, amongst completing his school work.
7
NZSM ol of Music ho the Sc Zealand w for Ne
z n . c a . zsm n . w w w
~ Music Studies ~ Composition & Sonic Arts ~ Classical Performance ~ Jazz ~ Music Therapy ~
e: music@nzsm.ac.nz
p: +64 4 463 5369
Study Music at Waikato
Audition applications for classical performance are now open First round auditions are taking place on Saturday 20 September 2014. Audition applications are due Monday 8 September 2014. The Music Programme offers: » World-class tuition with dedicated nationally and internationally renowned musicians » Specialist facilities including the acclaimed Concert Chamber in the University’s Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts building » Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarships are available to support outstanding students » Frequent opportunities to perform throughout the North Island » An environment tuned to excellence; evident in student achievement in national and international performance competitions. For more information phone +64 7 838 4380, email musi-fass@waikato.ac.nz or visit waikato.ac.nz/music
0800 WAIKATO | waikato.ac.nz
Winners of the 2014 Chamber Music New Zealand Award Whangarei Winning Group – Womendelssohn Trio Maia-Dean Martin, violin Xena Martin, cello Michelle Yao, piano
New Plymouth Winning Group – High Voltage Dominic Jacquemard, marimba Rachel Dohig, flute Jiawei Huang, piano
Christchurch Winning Group – Kalim Ryan Hall, alto saxophone Robert Petch, percussion Muse Ye, piano
Auckland Winning Group – L’arc en ciel April Ju, violin Francis Yoon, cello Delvan Lin, piano
Palmerston North Winning Group – Sisters of Mercy Eden Vaatstra, voice Sylvia Neild, violin Ida Vaatstra, violin Joanna Dann, cello
Timaru Winning Group – Montagna Vista Trio Katherine Vincent, flute Elijah Denman, violin Dallin McLaughlin, piano
Tauranga Winning Group – Dumkey Trio Anna Lee, violin Michael Pillar, cello Phoebe Cho, piano Hamilton Winning Group – Lichnowsky Sophie Zheng, violin Daniel Ng, cello John Penyas, piano Gisborne Winning Group – JAC Trio Jinal Mehta, flute Annia James, flute Cecilia Kok, piano Hawkes Bay Winning Group – Courtin’ Norton Rachael Mannering, violin Ellen Murfitt, violin Ella Sparrow, piano
Wanganui Winning Group – Trio Exotique Jamie Gillespie, saxophone Fumiko Koshikawa, violin Max Munneke, piano Wellington Winning Group – The Elegiac Trio Andrew Kelly, violin Josiah Pinkney, cello Claudia Tarrant-Matthews, piano Nelson Winning Group Waimea College Brass Ensemble Oliver Armstrong, trumpet Jamie McCliskie, trumpet Alex Paxton, trumpet Jess Rogers, flugel horn Ben Wotherspoon, tenor horn Phoebe King, trombone Alex Fanning, tuba Liam Golding, percussion
Dunedin Winning Group – Zero to Hero Elliot Tay, clarinet Jacinda Kumar, violin Paddy Ou, piano Invercargill Winning Group – Retrograde Rebekah Elder, flute William Swan, clarinet Michael Zhang, piano Special mention to Dunedin’s Our Teacher Chose Our Name for winning the Facebook “favourite ensemble name” poll.
Left to right: Ilana Goosens, Lucy Matehaere and Carina Donegan (absent: Jenny Kim)
National Semi-Finals and Final Awards Wallace Arts Trust Prize This is awarded to each member of the winning group at the National Final. Each winning group member receives a minimum of $1,000 cash prize. NZ Music Awards (in association with SOUNZ and CANZ) National Award for the Best Performance of a New Zealand Work Presented at the National Finals. As part of the award the group will be invited to
perform at the National Finals either as a demonstration or if selected, as a finalist. It is presented with the assistance of the estate of the Auckland composer Keith Statham. Composer Award Awarded to the winners of the Original Composition Senior and Junior sections of the contest. KBB Music Awards These awards are presented to groups at the National Final. Groups eligible for these
awards must contain wind and/or brass and/or percussion instrument(s). The awards are in the form of KBB Music vouchers which are awarded to each member of the group. Certificates and Concert Tickets All participants at the National Semi-finals and Final will receive a certificate of participation and a Flexi Pass subscription to Chamber Music New Zealand’s 2015 Concert Season in the centre of their choice.
9
www.abrsm.org facebook.com/abrsm @abrsm ABRSM YouTube
Natalie Lin and Bryony Gibson-Cornish fielding questions from eager participants and performing together during the mentoring session at the Regional Showcase, Wanganui
Proud sponsors of the NZCT Chamber Music Contest regional coaching programme. The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Coaching Programme is celebrated by all those who receive it and it has become an integral part of this Contest. By 2015, with the continued support of ABRSM, the regional coaching programme will have reached over 500 youth chamber ensembles around New Zealand and worked with music teachers in more than 20 centres from Whangarei in the north to Invercargill in the south.
Contest Alumni Bryony Gibson-Cornish and Natalie Lin, as well as being given the opportunity to perform again in a well-received public concert.
This year also saw a very successful Central Regional Showcase held in Wanganui. This was run as a non-competitive pilot to what will be a competitive extra tier to the Contest in 2015. As part of the day, 34 students from 11 ensembles were treated to a mentoring session with
“A thousand thank yous! It was such an exciting session and I am amazed at what we achieved in just one session. Our coach was such a fabulous mix of utterly positive and encouraging but with a whole new level of excellence expected of them. Truly a highlight of the year!”
2015 is an exciting year for the Contest – it will turn 50! ABRSM’s investment in our musical future will continue to pay dividends for many years to come.