Music contest announces National Finalists

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Music contest announces National Finalists

Eight groups have been selected to compete in the National Final of the 2007 New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest. The groups are from Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin.

In alphabetical order they are: Angel Ghosts (Westlake High School), Contrastz (St Cuthbert's, St Kentigern Colleges and Auckland Grammar), Eschaton ( St Cuthbert's College and Botany Downs College) from Auckland, Pronto (Burnside High Schools), The Felix Octet (Burnside High School and Rangi Ruru Girls' School ), The Knight Quartet (Burnside High School) and The Young Trio ( Burnside High School) from Christchurch and Zwikau Quintet ( John McGlashan and Columba Colleges and Logan Park High) from Dunedin.

"Once again the majority of groups selected are from Auckland and Christchurch, however as has been the trend in recent years one group from outside these two main music centres has been selected to compete. The inclusion of the group from Dunedin sends a fantastic signal to the other centres that it is possible to be selected if they get everything just right on the night," said Megan Mannering Organiser of the New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest.

This year's National Final will be held at held in Christchurch on Friday 27 July in the James Hay Theatre. This concert is part of the Christchurch Arts Festival and will be adjudicated by Diedre Irons, Justine Cormack and Peter Scholes.

Each member of the winning group will receive the James Wallace Arts Trust prize of $1000 each. In addition to this they will also receive the Arthur Hilton Memorial prize of a relevant musical text valued at $100. (Arthur Hilton is a former president of CMNZ who started the contest in 1965).

Nationwide District Contests were held in 14 centres during June with a total of 522 chamber music groups made up of 2,088 students. competing for a place in the final. The District Contests were adjudicated by a selection of top New Zealand musicians including Emma Sayers, Gregory Hamilton, Bryan Sayer , Gretchen Dunsmore Elizabeth Holowell OAM and Deborah Rawson.

NZCT CMC Organiser Megan Mannering said, "The adjudicators agreed that the future of New Zealand chamber music is in very good hands. Students have performed very challenging and diverse repertoire to an extremely high level."

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. The competition includes an Original Composition section which allows young people to enter an original work suitable for a chamber music ensemble.

The 2007 winner of the Original Composition section is Corwin Newall from Kaikorai Valley College in Dunedin. Corwin will be awarded the SOUNZ (Centre for New Zealand Music) prize of $500 when his composition is performed alongside competing groups at the National Final in Christchurch. Michael Williams, lecturer in composition at the University of Waikato, adjudicated the entries and judged Corwin's piece The Budgie, to be the most outstanding work in the competition.

"There is a wonderful humour to this piece, but it is portrayed with real musical skill:. said Williams.

In presenting the New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest, Chamber Music New Zealand acknowledge funding from the New Zealand Community Trust, Creative New Zealand, The James Wallace Trust and SOUNZ.

NEW ZEALAND COMMUNITY TRUST CHAMBER MUSIC CONTEST -

Friday 27 July 7pm James Hay Theatre. Christchurch

Background information

The New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest fosters the musical stars of the future. It is New Zealand's longest running music contest of its kind for secondary school students, and is organised by Chamber Music New Zealand.

There are two sections in the contest. The Instrumental Performance Section encourages secondary school students to form a group of 3-8 players and perform together. The Original Composition Section requires students to compose a work of their own, which must also be performed at the District Contests.

Past winners of the National Final have gone on to become professional musicians, including top New Zealand concert pianist Michael Houstoun and former NZSO concertmaster Wilma Smith (both of whom are touring for CMNZ in 2007)

In 2004, CMNZ welcomed the New Zealand Community Trust on board as the new funder of the contest. The New Zealand Community Trust is a non-profit organisation established in 1998. The Trust distributes an excess of $40 million each year to cultural, sporting, educational, health and community groups throughout New Zealand.

ENDS

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