Latest news with #2025DunedinConcertoCompetition
Otago Daily Times
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Well-paced, exciting final drew large audience
DSO and DYO Concerto Competition Rising Stars Finalists Dunedin Town Hall Friday May 16 The 2025 Dunedin Concerto Competition final, in which three young musicians performed with a full orchestra, attracted a large audience to the Dunedin Town Hall on Friday night. The first half of the programme featured the Dunedin Youth Orchestra, a strong 60-member orchestra with big sound and enthusiasm. DYO (conductor David Burchell) began with Offenbach's overture La Belle Helene, featuring contrasting flowing waltz passages and robust sections. They continued with varied movements from three substantial suites — L'arlesienne Suite No.2 by Bizet, Little Suite No.2 by Malcolm Arnold and Montagues and Capulets from Romeo and Juliet Suite No.2 by Prokofiev. The well-known Eric Coates' Knightsbridge March completed their contribution. All were well-paced and exciting and the conductor for the second half, James Judd, commented he was "knocked out by the quality of the first half". He conducted the DSO which included a number of DYO instrumentalists gaining experience with a professional orchestra. The Concerto Competition attracted 25 applicants, three aged under 14. I attended preliminary performances and can vouch for the high standard of performance and the difficulty the judges (Monique Lapins, Jian Liu and Samuel Jacobs) faced in naming just three for the final. First place ($7000) went to pianist Ozan Biner-McGrath (year 12 Logan Park High School), who chose the allegro movement of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor for a strong, confident, stylistic delivery with impressive scalic cadenza. Second place ($5000) went to first-year University of Otago student Portia Bell (cello) for the allegro movement of Dvorak's Cello Concerto Op. 104. Taking third place ($3000) was Otago University first-year student Roy Zhang (piano), who played with two movements of Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major. A rather "showy" allegramente displayed the movement's jazz elements, followed by adagio, which developed stunningly with woodwind lyricism and obligato. Review by Elizabeth Bouman
Otago Daily Times
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Young ‘rising stars' set to compete in final
A trio of talented young southern musicians will take centre stage next week as the 2025 Dunedin Concerto Competition reaches its thrilling conclusion. The ''Rising Stars'' finalists concert, to be held next Friday, May 16, from 7.30pm at Dunedin Town Hall, will feature cellist Portia Bell, 16, and pianists Ozan Biner-McGrath and Roy Zhang, both 18, the youngest finalists in the competition thus far. In the concert's second half each player will perform one movement of the concerto of their choice, accompanied by a combined Dunedin Symphony Orchestra and Dunedin Youth Orchestra, under the baton of DSO principal guest conductor James Judd. This year's combined orchestra will include about 40% Dunedin Youth Orchestra players, giving these emerging musicians the invaluable experience of performing alongside Dunedin Symphony Orchestra professionals on the town hall stage. The winner of the concerto competition will be announced in a short prizegiving ceremony following the finalists' performances. The concert's first half will feature the Dunedin Youth Orchestra conducted by David Burchell. Dunedin Concerto Competition Charitable Trust chairman Pieter du Plessis said, since it began in 2021, the Dunedin Concerto Competition has grown into a much-anticipated feature in Dunedin's arts calendar. Held every second year, its mission is to provide exceptional performance opportunities for young classical musicians from across Otago and Southland. The competition is made possible through the long-term support of its patrons, led by Bruce Hodgson, the HTowers Charitable Trust, the Bill and Clare Hodgson Bequest, and funding from the Dunedin City Council Arts Grants, Creative Communities, Otago Community Trust, and the Dunedin Casino Charitable Trust. Mr du Plessis said community support had been strong for the event, with good attendance at the preliminary rounds in March, and organisers are hoping for another full house for next week's finalists' concert. ''This is more than a concert. It's a statement of belief in the future of classical music in the deep South,'' Mr du Plessis said. ''By attending, you're not just supporting three finalists — you're backing the whole stage of young 'rising stars' who represent the next generation of musicians, educators and cultural leaders.'' @
