Music students compete for $5000 prize at Graduation Concert

Music students compete for $5000 prize at Graduation Concert

Three virtuoso musicians from the University of Auckland’s School of Music will take to the stage next month to compete for a $5,000 prize and the opportunity to progress an illustrious solo career, at the annual Graduation Gala Concerto Competition, held at the Auckland Town Hall.

This year the finalists – Siyu Sun (piano), Anna Cooper (flute), and Lauren Bennett (violin) – will compete for the grand prize, accompanied by the University of Auckland Symphony Orchestra, conducted by internationally acclaimed musician and School of Music Professor Uwe Grodd.

The free popular concert, now in its tenth year, marks the culmination of the University’s Autumn Graduation Week.

The Graduation Gala will open with a welcome fanfare by the Auckland Chamber Choir, directed by Dr Karen Grylls. Next the University of Auckland Massed Choir will perform Dies Irae from Mozart’s Requiem, accompanied by the University Symphony Orchestra.

Each of the three finalists will then perform a concerto for judging by Dr Davinia Caddy, School of Music Senior Lecturer in Musicology; Ronan Tighe, Director of Artistic Planning at the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, and Dr Peter Walls, CEO of Chamber Music New Zealand.

The top performer will receive $5,000 with $3,000 for second place and $1,000 for third.

"The Graduation Gala Concerto Competition is a wonderful opportunity for the Auckland community to experience the exceptional talent of all our performers,” says Associate Professor Martin Rummel, Head of the School of Music. “The standard of musicianship is a tribute to the students’ many hours of hard work as well as the dedication and input of their performance teachers,” he says.

The University of Auckland Graduation Gala Concerto Competition will be held on Thursday 12 May at the Auckland Town Hall (Queen Street) at 7.30pm. Admission is free; patrons are strongly advised to arrive early to be assured of admission.
Visit the Graduation Gala website: www.creative.auckland.ac.nz/gradgala

Bios:
Lauren Bennett, 20 from the North Shore, is currently studying Performance Violin with Dimitri Atanassov at the University of Auckland. She has performed as a soloist with orchestras including the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Bach Musica and the NZ Pops Orchestra. Lauren is also a casual violinist with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. She has had much success in the field of chamber music. In 2011 and 2012, she won the NZCT Chamber Music Contest, and also the Pettman/ROSL Arts Chamber Music Scholarship in 2015. Lauren was a prizewinner at the Kloster Schöntal International Violin Competition, and also had success at the Carl Flesch Akademie Masterclasses.

Lauren Bennett will perform the following movements from Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47 by Jean Sibelius:
II. Adagio di moldo
III. Allegro ma non tanto.

Anna Cooper, originally from Gisborne and now based in Greenlane, started learning flute at age 12 and gained her ATCL Diploma with Distinction at age 16. She is currently a Bachelor of Music (Honours) student at the University of Auckland studying with Luca Manghi and has also recently completed a Bachelor of Arts in Politics. Anna has played for the World Peace Orchestra in New York, National Youth Orchestra, Auckland Symphony Orchestra and Auckland Youth Orchestra. Since commencing study, Anna has performed with the University of Auckland Symphony Orchestra, Wind and Flute Ensembles and co-established the student-run University Concert Band. During 2015, Anna studied in Italy for six months and attended the Croatian Flute Academy (working with Jasmine Choi). She was the first semi-finalist from Gisborne at the Gisborne International Music Competition in 20 years.

Anna Cooper will perform the following movements from Flute Concerto in D major, Op. 283 by Carl Reine

Siyu Sun, 19, was born in China before moving to Christchurch as a child. Now resident in Central Auckland, she is studying for a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance with Dr Rae de Lisle at the University of Auckland. Before coming to Auckland, she won the Ruby Hay Pianoforte Scholarship and the Irene Lassen Exhibition in Christchurch. She gained third place in the PACANZ Young Performer of the Year Award and was a finalist in the Wallace Junior National Piano Competition and the NZCT Chamber Music Contest. Last year, she won the Lions Club of Te Awamutu Scholarship and competed in the 2015 Wallace National Piano Competition. She currently holds a DipABRSM. In her spare time, Siyu enjoys playing the French Horn as a second instrument. She was also a member of the NZSO National Youth Orchestra in 2014.

Siyu Sun will perform the following movements from Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 by Sergei Rachmaninoff:
I. Moderato
II. Adagio sostenuto
ENDS

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