Latest news with #DunedinConcertoCompetition
Otago Daily Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
‘Rising Stars' give extraordinary concert
Dunedin Concerto Competition "Rising Stars" Finalists' Concert Friday, May 16 Dunedin Town Hall The extraordinary talent of Otago and Southland's young classical musicians was to the fore in Friday's joyful and impressive Dunedin Concerto Competition "Rising Stars" finalists' concert. Featuring a top-notch showcase by the Dunedin Youth Orchestra (DYO) in the first half, followed by the brilliance of the three teenage concerto competition finalists performing as soloists with a combined DYO and Dunedin Symphony Orchestra (DSO), the concert was a wonderful celebration. Conducted by David Burchell, the DYO showed great composure and spirit in their thoroughly enjoyable performance of popular classics, including Offenbach's Overture to La belle Helene, Bizet's L'Arlesienne Suite No. 2 (arranged by Guiraud), Arnold's Little Suite no. 2, Prokofiev's Montagues & Capulets from the Romeo & Juliet Suite, and Coates' Knightsbridge March. Each of these works contain complex and tricky passages, with the DYO rising to the challenge under Burchell's firm and steady direction, and bringing the musicality and emotion of each piece to the fore. It was a joy to see these young musicians perform so well. The numbers of musicians on stage swelled in the concert's second half, as the DSO and DYO players came together to provide sterling and sensitive support to the three concerto competition soloists under the baton of principal guest conductor James Judd. Ozan Biner-McGrath, 16, was first to take the stage for a nimble and accurate performance of the first movement of Mozart's sparkling Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor. Tackling the work's many technical demands with aplomb, Biner-McGrath brought the tension to the fore, and impressed with a fabulous cadenza written by Beethoven. Next up was Roy Zhang, 18, with a nicely balanced performance of the first two movements of Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major. Zhang showed great patience and control, allowing the second movement's contemplative nature to shine. Last to take the stage was cellist Portia Bell, 18, with a remarkable performance of the first movement of Dvorak's fiendishly difficult Cello Concerto in B minor. Filled with virtuosic moments, the piece offered many beautiful melodies, Bell making the most of every opportunity. There was a short prizegiving for preliminary section winners while the expert adjudicators — violinist Monique Lapins, pianist Jian Liu and horn player Samuel Jacobs — tackled the difficult task of choosing the winner. The final places were Biner-McGrath in first, Bell in second, and Zhang in third, each receiving generous prizes sponsored by the HTowers Charitable Trust. In the end, music was definitely the winner on the night. Congratulations to all involved in this successful event.
Otago Daily Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Conductor keen for finalists' concert
Dunedin Symphony Orchestra principal guest conductor James Judd is delighted to be working with the city's top young musicians ahead of Friday's "Rising Stars" Dunedin Concerto Competition concert. The concert will feature the three finalists in the concerto competition — cellist Portia Bell, 18, and pianists Ozan Biner-McGrath, 16, and Roy Zhang, 18, in performance, accompanied by a combined Dunedin Symphony Orchestra and Dunedin Youth Orchestra. Zhang has chosen to play the first two movements of Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major , Bell has chosen to play the first movement of Dvorak's Cello Concerto and Biner-McGrath has chosen to play the first movement of Mozart's Piano Concerto in D Minor . This week, Judd has spent time with each of the young soloists, working through their performances and offering tips and support. "It has been marvellous working with them, because they are all so prepared and confident," he said. "It is very special and so important to encourage and celebrate such talented young musicians." Over the course of his long international career, Judd has worked with many young players and regards it as a privilege and a responsibility. "These sessions I have with them give me a chance to find out who they are, and encourage them to be courageous and free. "It is a real achievement to reach the final, so I'm hoping they will really enjoy the experience." The other aspect of the performance, combining the Dunedin Youth Orchestra with the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra, will be a new experience for him and is one he is looking forward to. "It is quite a different skill to provide accompaniment for a soloist, so I will be encouraging everyone to listen very closely to each other," he said. Judd has confidence in the skills of Dunedin Youth Orchestra director and conductor David Burchell to have the young players well prepared. "I am so impressed by all the work that music teachers and leaders of music organisations do to nurture the talent of our young people," he said. "It is something the Dunedin community can be very proud of and should celebrate." The Dunedin Youth Orchestra will feature during the concert's first half, conducted by Burchell, performing a selection of popular classics, including Offenbach's Overture to La Belle Helene , Arnold's Little Suite No. 2 , Prokofiev's Montagues and Capulets from the Romeo & Juliet Suite , and Coates' Knightsbridge March . Dunedin Concerto Competition Charitable Trust chairman Pieter du Plessis said the two-yearly event aimed provide exceptional performance opportunities for young classical musicians from across Otago and Southland. The competition was made possible through the long-term support of its patrons, led by Bruce Hodgson, the Towers 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. Community support had been strong for the event, with good attendance at the preliminary rounds in March, and organisers were hoping for another full house for next week's finalists' concert, 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," he said.
Otago Daily Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
New categories for region's business excellence awards
Dunedin Symphony Orchestra principal guest conductor James Judd is delighted to be working with the city's top young musicians ahead of Friday's "Rising Stars" Dunedin Concerto Competition concert. The concert will feature the three finalists in the concerto competition — cellist Portia Bell, 18, and pianists Ozan Biner-McGrath, 16, and Roy Zhang, 18, in performance, accompanied by a combined Dunedin Symphony Orchestra and Dunedin Youth Orchestra. Zhang has chosen to play the first two movements of Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major , Bell has chosen to play the first movement of Dvorak's Cello Concerto and Biner-McGrath has chosen to play the first movement of Mozart's Piano Concerto in D Minor . This week, Judd has spent time with each of the young soloists, working through their performances and offering tips and support. "It has been marvellous working with them, because they are all so prepared and confident," he said. "It is very special and so important to encourage and celebrate such talented young musicians." Over the course of his long international career, Judd has worked with many young players and regards it as a privilege and a responsibility. "These sessions I have with them give me a chance to find out who they are, and encourage them to be courageous and free. "It is a real achievement to reach the final, so I'm hoping they will really enjoy the experience." The other aspect of the performance, combining the Dunedin Youth Orchestra with the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra, will be a new experience for him and is one he is looking forward to. "It is quite a different skill to provide accompaniment for a soloist, so I will be encouraging everyone to listen very closely to each other," he said. Judd has confidence in the skills of Dunedin Youth Orchestra director and conductor David Burchell to have the young players well prepared. "I am so impressed by all the work that music teachers and leaders of music organisations do to nurture the talent of our young people," he said. "It is something the Dunedin community can be very proud of and should celebrate." The Dunedin Youth Orchestra will feature during the concert's first half, conducted by Burchell, performing a selection of popular classics, including Offenbach's Overture to La Belle Helene , Arnold's Little Suite No. 2 , Prokofiev's Montagues and Capulets from the Romeo & Juliet Suite , and Coates' Knightsbridge March . Dunedin Concerto Competition Charitable Trust chairman Pieter du Plessis said the two-yearly event aimed provide exceptional performance opportunities for young classical musicians from across Otago and Southland. The competition was made possible through the long-term support of its patrons, led by Bruce Hodgson, the Towers 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. Community support had been strong for the event, with good attendance at the preliminary rounds in March, and organisers were hoping for another full house for next week's finalists' concert, 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," he said.
Otago Daily Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Spotlight on emerging stars
Three young Dunedin musicians will this weekend compete for the title of Dunedin Concerto Competition winner at the Dunedin Town Hall. Rebecca Fox talks to the finalists. Cellist Portia Bell, 18 and pianists Roy Zhang, 19, and Ozan Biner-McGrath, 16, will get the rare chance to perform concertos with the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra. Conducted by principal guest conductor James Judd, the three musicians will perform their chosen pieces solo alongside the symphony and Dunedin Youth orchestras. They will be assessed on their performance by judges Samuel Jacobs, principal horn, Sydney Symphony Orchestra; Monique Lapins, former second violinist, New Zealand String Quartet and lecturer, New Zealand School of Music — Te Kōkī; and Dr Jian Liu, deputy head of school, head of piano studies, associate professor, New Zealand School of Music. Up for grabs is a share of $15,000 in prize money, generously donated by the HTowers Charitable Trust. TO SEE: Dunedin Concerto Competition Finalists' Concert — Rising Stars, May 16 at 7.30pm in the Dunedin Town Hall. Portia Bell, cellist After getting a taste of what it is like to play with the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra last year, an opportunity to play a concerto with it was too great to resist for Portia Bell. Having just moved to Dunedin from Christchurch to study, she also thought the Dunedin Concert Competition was a great way to introduce herself to the Dunedin music community. Studying music at the University of Otago with Dr Heleen du Plessis, who is also the DSO's principal cellist, Bell was confident du Plessis could help her prepare for the opportunity. "She invests a lot in her students. She was the teacher I thought would be the best for me as well, just to improve my technique so I could perform with an orchestra," Bell says of her choice to come south. It is important as it is qutie a different experience playing with lots of musicians behind you, than just by yourself, she says. "You've got to learn a new way of playing." Bell started playing cello when she was 10, moving to it from the piano, but she and her identical twin wanted to learn an orchestral instrument like their older sister who played in an orchestra. "So I decided on the cello because obviously I couldn't learn the violin because my older sister learnt the violin. But I still liked the sound of string instruments. And the cello I thought was a cool instrument at the time and I liked the sound it made." Her sister took up the flute and is studying at Wellington's School of Music. Having studied through Burnside High School's music programme, Bell has found studying cello performance at the University of Otago less daunting than she thought. Living at St Margaret's College she is enjoying having use of its music room to rehearse and practise in. "It's nicely heated and it's big and it has like a mirror and things. And so that's kind of what you need for a practice room which is great." The practice paid off for the competition heats and she enjoyed working with the accompanist. "I think one of the adjudicators said how she loved the ensemble between us. And that's actually really hard to find with an accompanist because you've only played with them a few days leading up to the performance." She selected to play Dvorak's Cello Concerto in G minor as she has played most other cello concertos before. "It's the most famous cello concerto and the hardest one so I thought I would challenge myself with it." Also her previous teacher had thought it was too tough for her to do in the time she had. "But then I learnt it in a week and sent a video to her. So I was quite determined to play it." Having a new teacher, she also thought it would be good to start with a new piece in which she had not developed any bad habits. "It's technically challenging but I think I've learnt a lot from the piece as well. I thought if I'm doing this competition, I may as well get the most out of it." She has spent months taking the piece apart from start to finish to help her memorise it and learn to create the sounds she wants from her instrument. It has also been a lesson in taking things easy, as she has a tendency to over-practise at something she is focused on, to also ensure she does not injure herself in the process and learn to sustain herself throughout the performance. "Because it's, for a cellist, it's quite a long piece and you have to have a lot of energy. Like, every note has to be really resonant as well. With the cello, you've already got six cellists behind you, plus all the strings, which, because they're higher instruments they carry more. And the cello's range is a bit lower than that. So it's easy to disappear. " Bell really enjoyed the opportunity to perform in the DSO last year and liked the collegiality of the orchestra as well as the social side of it. "And so it is kind of nice that the people I am friends with are accompanying me [for the competition]." Roy Zhang, pianist Roy Zhang gave up playing for a year to concentrate on his university studies, but has not been able to stay away from the piano. Zhang has played the piano since the age of 4. "I had an auntie who was learning violin at the time. And my mum noticed I would pick up on the music and play it on the keyboard so she started giving me lessons." Last year the former Burnside High School pupil moved to Dunedin to study health sciences and found himself too busy to play. "I only got to play a little bit at the halls as they had pianos there." Over the years he has played in competitions such as New Zealand Junior Piano Competition and attained his LTCL piano diploma. He has also learned the violin. As part of a chamber group, he won the American Virtuoso International Music Competition chamber section and an invitation to play at Carnegie Hall in New York but the group were unable to take up the opportunity. He enjoys the performance aspect of being a pianist, describing himself as an introvert off stage. "I get to express myself on stage." So he found himself really missing playing and decided to make time for it this year now he has moved on to study genetics. The concerto competition was a great way to get back into playing, he decided. He selected a piece, Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major , that he had already learnt. "So I picked it up again. It's a bit different to how I would normally practice. I have to go through the orchestral score, and I have to practise with another piano, so they can play the orchestra part. So it's not just learning my part, I have to learn the accompaniment as well. " The piece is fun to play and not too serious with the second movement more intimate and emotional than the first, he says. "I think it is one of the most beautiful second movements out there." Getting back on stage for heats of the competition was a bit nerve-racking he found but he soon got into the zone. "It's just before and after, that's the most scary." He is enjoying the break playing gives him from study and work in laboratories which comes with it. Ozan Biner-McGrath, pianist Mozart's Piano Concerto No 20 is dark and grim — a major attraction for young pianist Ozan Biner-McGrath. So it was an easy choice for him to play in the Dunedin Concerto Competition. "It's a great piece. It's got some beef behind it. For a classical concerto, it's heavily orchestrated. It's got timpani, it's got trumpets. It's got a cadenza written by Beethoven. Which is cool." Biner-McGrath, who attends Logan Park High School, is no stranger to the competition having competed twice before but puts his success at reaching the finals this year down to being a bit older and having more experience. Both parents are musicians and his father, Tom McGrath, is a piano and chamber music tutor at the University of Otago School of Performing Arts. So learning piano was a done deal, he says. He began learning from his father, then John Colwell for five years, before returning to learn from his father. "It was always the piano. I was always tinkling away I've been told." While he does get nervous, it has not stopped him from performing. He performed Haydn's sunny Piano Concerto in D Major with the Collegiate Orchestra at Hanover Hall two years ago and has taken part in Dunedin Performing Arts Competitions Society events for many years. He was also a finalist in the 2023 Lewis Eady National Junior Piano Competition. "I try and stay calm and think about the music and not think about how well I did." His piece for the concerto competition has required numerous hours spent practising. "It's very exposed, which means you hear everything. So it needs to be crisp and clean. I also practise solo pieces quite a lot. I try. It's quite hard. It's a balancing act with doing school. To find time to practise. I try to practise as much as I can. So that's at least two hours a day."
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.'' @
