Despite the icy weather, all the contestants and their Kiwi host families were given the warmest of welcomes at Sir Michael Hill’s Arrowtown home. They’ve flown to Queenstown from as far away as Russia, Lativa, Germany, South Korea and the USA. A traditional Maori pōwhiri (welcome) was led by tangata whenua with impressive performances from Arrowtown Primary School kapa haka group. The contestants responded to the welcome by singing the waiata ‘Te Aroha’ and greeting their hosts with…

Something else which makes our Competition different from others is that we don’t just create an opportunity for young international violinists to compete on the world stage, but we offer a number career development opportunities, right here in Aotearoa. In order for us best foster the next generation of violin talent, we have developed a thriving programme of development, education and community outreach activities, including masterclasses, workshops and our popular Classroom Conversations series. Masterclasses are intimate with limited…

Our Ad Libitum section continued on Sat 1 June, for the remaining eight Quarter-finalists. Ad Libitum means “according to pleasure” and, as such, the competitor chooses a work which resonates with them. Each is required to introduce their chosen piece and its (or their) significance to the judging panel and audience. It’s not just a test of skill and artistry, but of presentation skills and creativity. Australian Victoria Wong (at left) chose Ernst’s Der Erlkönig, expressing its importance…