Musicians To Compete For Top Musical Honours

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MEDIA RELEASE: Love, loss, danger & tragedy: musicians prepare to compete for top musical honours

For immediate release / 22 July 2005 / 625 words

Secondary school students are preparing to compete in the National Final of the 2005 New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest. Eight groups comprising twenty nine students from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch have been selected to compete in the National Final, held in Auckland on Saturday 6 August. The contest is presented annually by Chamber Music New Zealand.

Australian composer Brett Dean will be part of the adjudication team for the National Final and said the one tip he would give the students is that they should always be aware of inspiration that they can utilise in their performances. "Always be on the lookout for ideas, people and situations that inspire you, yet at the same time challenge you and your ideas", said Brett.

Auckland group Czechpoint have been spending the school holidays preparing for the National Final, and have kept in mind some words of advice from a musician who started his career in the contest, pianist John Chen. "John told us that life's experience helps musicians put meaning into their performance", said Zoë Butters, member of Czechpoint. "So we decided that to prepare for the National Final our group should spend our two weeks school holidays going out and trying to find our own major life experiences like maybe love, loss, danger or tragedy. We've made a start by spending an evening together watching the movie The Pianist and eating pizza. 13 more days to find true love, become heartbroken and jump off a cliff before school starts again."

Wellington group Melodikus are looking forward to meeting the other competing groups. "We are really excited about going to the National Final and we can't wait to meet and hear the other groups", said Lauren Simpkins, member of Melodikus. "We want to make sure our performance is full of energy and excitement. This is such an amazing opportunity and we want to make the most of it!"

Christchurch ensemble Scena Mere are the only group to feature voice and recorder in this year's final. All three members of Scena Mere will be travelling to Palmerston North to perform in the Big Sing Finale just a week after the National Final.

A special highlight of the National Final is the performance of the winning Original Composition by Wellington student Karlo Margetic. This is the second year in a row that Karlo has won the composition prize. Karlo will perform his composition, titled Chamber Concertino with The Senza Misura Ensemble. The SOUNZ prize of $500 will be awarded to Karlo for his winning composition.

The National Final will be held in the Auckland Town Hall on Saturday 6 August, and will be adjudicated by touring chamber music ensemble Dean-Emmerson-Dean (who are touring for CMNZ 25 July ­ 4 August).

The National Finalists are Arnó (King's College & Northcote College), Sur Le Pont (St Cuthbert's College), Czechpoint (Auckland Grammar School, King's College & St Cuthbert's College), 4 Strauss (Westlake Girls' High School) and Steinway & Strings (Rangitoto College and Westlake Girls' High School), all from Auckland; Melodikus (Queen Margaret College, Rathkeale College, Wellington Girls' College) from Wellington and Over Time Trio (Christ's College) and Scena Mere (Burnside High School), both from Christchurch.

The eight groups are in to win prizes and musical accolades. Each member of the winning group will receive the Arthur Hilton Memorial prize of $400, plus a relevant musical text valued at $100. (Arthur Hilton is a former president of CMNZ who started the contest in 1965.)

In presenting the New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest, Chamber Music New Zealand acknowledges funding from the New Zealand Community Trust and Creative New Zealand and support from SOUNZ (Centre for New Zealand Music).

For more information visit www.chambermusic.co.nz, email info@chambermusic.co.nz or phone 0800 CONCERT (266 2378).

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2005 NEW ZEALAND COMMUNITY TRUST CHAMBER MUSIC CONTEST: NATIONAL FINAL

The best young musicians battle it out at the National Final of New Zealand's longest running music contest, the New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest. National Finalists are in to win cash and music prizes. The National Final will also feature a performance of the winning Original Composition.

AUCKLAND
Saturday 6 August, Auckland Town Hall, 7pm
Book at Ticketek, ph (09) 307 5000 (service fees apply)

PERFORMING ORDER:

1. 4 Strauss
(Auckland)

2. Sur le pont
(Auckland)

3. Scena Mere
(Christchurch)

4. Arnó
(Auckland)

Interval

5. Melodikus
(Wellington)

6. Steinway & Strings
(Auckland)

7. Over Time Trio
(Christchurch)

8. Czechpoint
(Auckland)

9. The Senza Misura Ensemble*
(Wellington)
*The Senza Misura Ensemble is not a competing group. They will perform Karlo Margetic's winning Original Composition, Chamber Concertino.

About the New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest

The New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest is the longest running youth music competition in New Zealand and is the only national chamber music competition for young musicians and composers in the country.

A record number of groups entered this year's New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest, attracting 562 entries from Whangarei to Southland, involving 2115 students. District Contests were held in fourteen centres nationwide throughout June, adjudicated by musicians Gretchen Dunsmore, Kenneth Young, Iaan and Sarah Wilson and Catherine McKay.

About Chamber Music New Zealand

Chamber Music New Zealand presents local and international chamber music ensembles throughout New Zealand. Its annual Celebrity Season showcases premier international artists, while the Associate Societies programme focuses on New Zealand performers. The New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, fosters the musical stars of the future.

For more information

New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest: http://www.chambermusic.co.nz/music-contest
Dean-Emmerson-Dean:
http://chambermusic.co.nz/artists/81

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