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We would like to thank our sponsors Craigs Investment Partners for their ongoing support of the Hill Family Foundation for Arts and Music and the opportunities that this provides to emerging and early career musicians.
This support helped to make possible the 2024 National String Competition.
👏 CONGRATULATIONS once again to First Prize Winner Hayden Chiu!
Image credit Phil Brooks
Dec 18

2024 NATIONAL STRING COMPETITION WINNERS 🏆
Congratulations to violinist HAYDEN CHIU – First Prize winner of the 2024 National String Competition!
Hayden wins $5000, generously donated by the Becroft Foundation, along with a recital at Lewis Eady Steinway Showroom and a performance opportunity with the Auckland Philharmonia.
Our other prize winner are:
Sarah Lee
2nd Prize | $3000
Ryan Yeh
3rd Prize | $1000
Donated by Trinity College London.
Hyun Jae Lee
Best Performance of a Classical Sonata | $1,000
Donated by the Auckland Branch of Institute of Registered Music Teachers.
Hayden Chiu
Best Performance of a New Zealand Work | $500
Donated by SOUNZ
The results of the Lewis Eady National Piano Competition are:
Alex Bai
WINNER - 1st Prize | $5,000
Donated by Murray Jacobs
+ Recital at Lewis Eady Steinway Showroom
+ Performance opportunity with the Auckland Philharmonia
Henry Meng
2nd Prize | $3,000
Donated by Sally Evennett in memory of her late husband Derek Evennett
Madeleine Xiao
3rd Prize | $1,000
Donated by Trinity College London
Madeleine Xiao
Best Performance of a Classical Sonata | $1000
Donated by Auckland Branch of Institute of Registered Music Teachers
Lifeng (Steven) Song
Best Performance of a New Zealand Work | $500
Donated by SOUNZ
Dec 16

Congratulations to all of our National String Competition semi-finalists who gave stunning performances over the past two days.
The three players who have been chosen to compete in tomorrow’s Grand Final at the Westlake Girls College Event Centre are (in performance order):
Ryan Yeh, cello, age 13
Sarah Lee, violin, age 20
Hayden Chiu, violin, age 14
They will be joined but the three grand finalists of the Lewis Eady National Piano Competition (also in performance order):
Alex Bai
Henry Meng
Madeleine Xiao
Good luck to six Grand Finalists!
They are vying for a prize purse worth $20,000 and performance opportunities with Lewis Eady and the Auckland Philharmonia.
Secure your tickets via the link in our bio.
Dec 15

Day two of the National String Competition semi-finals is underway with so many spectacular performances by our competitors and their wonderful collaborative pianists so far.
Check back at 7:30pm when we will announce the competitors for tomorrow’s Grand Final at Westlake Girls College Event Centre.
Tickets available at via the link in our bio.
Dec 14

Thank you to Giltrap Auckland for hosting the National String Competition draw, where the order was announced for the semi-finals taking place at Auckland University this weekend.
Check our website for the Saturday and Sunday schedule - see our link in bio.
A big thank you to Nockie’s Palette for supplying the fine wines to accompany this auspicious evening. SCHEDULE (Saturday & Sunday)
9:30 - 9:50am: Tal Amoore
9:55 - 10:15am: Ingrid Kosaka
10:20 - 10:40am: Angel Tao
10:45 - 11:05am: Enshean (Sheena) Lin
11:10 - 11:30am: Amy Chen
11:30am
break - 30 mins
12:00 - 12:20pm: Damon Herlihy-O`Brien
12:25 - 12:45pm: Ryan Yeh
12:50 - 1:10pm: Kimberley Yuan
1:15 - 1:35pm: Mana Waiariki
1:40 - 2:00pm: Boudewijn Keenan
2:00pm
break - 30 mins
2:30 - 2:50pm: Rose Light
2:55 - 3:15pm: Lorna Zhang
3:20 - 3:40pm: Sarah Lee
3:45 - 4:05pm: Hyun Jae Lee
4:10 - 4:30pm: Hayden Chiu
Dec 13

Introducing Rose Light – National String Competition semi-finalist.
Rose Light is a violinist based in Graz, Austria who will compete in the semi-finals which take place at Auckland University School of Music on the 14th and 15th of December. She will be vying for a place in the Grand Final at Westlake Girls High School on December 16.
Secure your tickets via the link in our bio.
Rose began her tertiary studies at Victoria University under Helene Pohl and Martin Riseley and now studies in Austria at the Kunstuniversität Graz, under Prof Vesna Stankovich for violin and Prof Alexander Pavlovksy for chamber music.
She plays on a Riccardo Bergonzi Violin ‘Vivace’ c.2005, made available through a generous loan by the Hill Family Foundation’s Instrument Bank.
In 2024, Rose was accepted for the Stefan Milenkovic Music Institut (Serbia), the Domaine Forget Academy (Quebec) and invited to join Sinfonia Smith Square (London orchestra) on tour in Italy. Rose has played in orchestras under numerous international conductors including Daniel Barenboim, Riccardo Muti, James Judd and Ariel Zuckermann.
Her accolades include winning first place in the International Note-Able Instrumental Competition in 2022 and second place in the Wellington Youth Concerto Competition (2023). Rose’s piano trio won the 2021 NZCT Chamber Music Contest Silver Award and her string quartet won the Queensland International Chamber Music Competition 2019 (Under 18s). Rose was also selected as one of six Violin Fellows for the Michael Hill International Violin Competition (2023). She was awarded her Licentiate of Music Diploma with Distinction in 2020. #violin #hffam Piano: Aimo Pagin
Dec 13

Introducing Mana Waiariki – National String Competition semi-finalist.
Mana Waiariki (Te Whānau-ā-Apanui) is a violinist from Te Whanganui a Tara, Wellington who will compete in the semi-finals which take place at Auckland University School of Music on the 14th and 15th of December. She will be vying for a place in the Grand Final at Westlake Girls High School on December 16.
Secure your tickets via the link in our bio.
Mana is a freelance musician and is currently working full time at the New Zealand String Quartet Trust as a Toi Māori Aotearoa, Māori Arts Intern (MAI).
She completed her Bachelor of Music last year, majoring in Classical Violin Performance under the tutelage of Helene Pohl of the NZSQ at Victoria University, Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music. Mana was generously supported by the Deane Endowment Trust throughout her studies.
As a violinist, Mana has played in art festivals such as the Fringe Festival, Cuba Dupa, and Classical on Cuba and with various orchestras across Aotearoa including the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Dunedin Symphony Orchestra, Hawke’s Bay Orchestra and the Nelson Symphony Orchestra. Mana is currently trialling with Orchestra Wellington for a position as a core first violinist. She also teaches at Arohanui Strings and privately and plays a violin on loan to her through the Hill Family Foundation’s Instrument Bank.
#hffam #violin
Dec 12

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