Young musician travelling to the top

Young musician travelling to the top

Two or three times a week Western Springs College student and talented flautist Zoe Stenhouse-Burgess (17) travels over ten kilometres from high school to the University of Auckland and back, to attend classes.

Zoe is enrolled in the Young Scholars Programme, which allows academically advanced students discretionary entry to attend the University while simultaneously completing Year 13 at secondary school.

This year there are 135 teenagers from 39 high schools taking part in the Young Scholars Programme but Zoe is the only one to gain entry to the School of Music.

The Grey Lynn resident is taking a stage one music paper and receiving individual flute tuition from acclaimed musician Professor Uwe Grodd.

Early next month Zoe will set out on a 2000 kilometre journey to Canberra to take part in the Australian Flute Festival where she has been shortlisted in the top four finalists for the Australian National Competition - Young Artist category. She is the only New Zealander to make the finals.

While there she will also attend a master class from top flautist Margaret Crawford who is the Artist in Resident at the Australian National Academy of Music, (Canberra) and have a private lesson with Visiting Guest Artist Lorna McGhee, who is principal flautist with the Pittsburg Symphony.

Undeterred by the constant travel, Zoe has already been a soloist in Matsomoto Japan, where she played Chaminade Concertino with Orchestra in 2013.

On top of all this Zoe also performs as a member of Magic Flutes NZ- the University of Auckland Flute Ensemble, and featured as a soloist in the recent ‘From Bali and Beyond’ concert in August.

In 2014 Zoe achieved Distinction in her DipABRSM exam in flute performance and has been a recipient for the last two years of a Pettman National Junior Academy Scholarship.

Even with a string of prizes already to her name, including being recently awarded a George Wilson Turner Music Scholarship to help cover her fees, Zoe is delighted to have made it through to the finals of the Australian National Competition.

She has her sights firmly set on a career as a musician and is planning to begin a Bachelor of Music (Classical Performance) degree next year at the University.

“Zoe is one of those rare students where natural talent meets discipline, hard work and a fascination for learning which is an ideal mix and a joy to teach. Already at a young age she is fully integrated into our flute class performing alongside senior and postgraduate students,” says Professor Uwe Grodd from the School of Music.

Over the coming weeks Zoe will be working on the set repertoire for the competition; Il Pastore Svizzero by Morlacchi and Melusina’s Dream for solo flute by Australiain Flautist and composer Christine Draegar before heading off across the Tasman.

The University of Auckland’s National Institute of Creative Arts and Industries comprises the Elam School of Fine Arts, School of Architecture and Planning, the Centre for Art Studies, the School of Music and the Dance Studies Programme.

ENDS

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