Young Wellington Musicians Tune Up for Chamber Music Contest

Young Wellington Musicians Tune Up for Chamber Music Contest

Wellington’s young chamber music ensemble The Elegiac Trio have been named one of the 12 groups to compete in the New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest National Finals in Christchurch in August.

The piano trio – violinist Andrew Kelly (Scots College), cellist Josiah Pinkney (home-schooled) and pianist Claudia Tarrant-Matthews won the Wellington regional contest earlier this month.

This week the contest adjudicators met to decide on the 12 finalist groups including The Elegiac Trio, as well as five Christchurch ensembles, four groups from Auckland and a trio each from Hamilton and Whangarei.

The Elegiac Trio is also one of nine ensembles performing in the Central Districts Regional Showcase in Wanganui on Saturday as part of the contest.

The showcase concert at Wanganui Collegiate School features the winning ensembles from the Wanganui, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Hawke’s Bay and Wellington regional contests along with four highly commended ensembles from New Plymouth, Hawke’s Bay, Wanganui and Wellington.

The Regional Showcase concert is new in 2014 and Chamber Music New Zealand plans to extend the Regional Showcase concerts nationwide from 2015.

Almost 2000 young musicians from around New Zealand have taken part in 15 district contests in the annual New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest. The top 12 ensembles will compete in the National Finals in Christchurch in August.

The New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest has been running for 49 years and is the longest running youth music competition in New Zealand and is the only nationwide chamber music competition for young musicians and composers. As well as organising the contest, Chamber Music New Zealand also arranges coaching and open workshops for ensembles.

The Central Districts Regional Showcase concert takes place at the Prince Edward Auditorium at Wanganui Collegiate School on Saturday 21 June at 2pm. Tickets are $10 on the door. For more information, please visit www.chambermusic.co.nz

In presenting the New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest, Chamber Music New Zealand acknowledges the generous support of The New Zealand Community Trust, ABRSM, SOUNZ (Centre for NZ Music), The Wallace Arts Trust, KBB Music and various regional funders who support events at District Contests.

CENTRAL DISTRICTS REGIONAL SHOWCASE: Saturday 21 June 2pm | Prince Edward Auditorium, Wanganui Collegiate School, WANGANUI

NATIONAL FINALS: Friday 1 and Saturday 2 August | Charles Luney Auditorium, St Margaret’s College, CHRISTCHURCH

ENDS

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