Christine Jeon was born in Christchurch and started learning the cello at age 6. She has received tutelage from James Tennant since January 2019. She passed both her piano and cello (ABRSM) grade 8 exams with distinction in the same year and received the Noel Newson Award in the High-Scorers’ Concert in 2017. In 2019, she passed her dipABRSM Performance Piano exam. In both 2016 and 2017, she was awarded the most promising female in the IRMT Music competitions.

Christine was awarded the Soroptimist Music Scholarship for the SMP (Specialist Music Programme) during her years at Westburn School. In 2020, Christine made it to the national final of the NZCT Chamber contest, performing the Ravel Piano Trio in A minor. In 2020, she passed her LTCL examination. Christine has been given a music scholarship to St Andrew’s College for both intermediate and high school, and plays on a Hewitt cello made available through a generous loan by the Hill Foundation for Art and Music. 

Semi-Final Round 1
Chopin
Sonata for Cello and Piano in G Minor, Op. 65
Allegro Moderato

Martin Lodge
Epitaph, in memoriam Douglas Lilburn

Popper
Polonaise de Concert in D Minor, Op. 14

Semi-Final Round 2
Beethoven
Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 5 in D Major, Op. 102 No. 2
Allegro con brio

Chopin
Sonata for Cello and Piano in G Minor, Op. 65
Scherzo – Allegro con brio

Martinů
Variations on a Theme by Rossini

Final Round
Bach
Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009
Prelude

Schumann
Fantasiestücke, Op. 73
Zart und mit Ausdruck
Lebhaft, leicht
Rasch und mit Feuer

Cassadó
Requiebros

Hyein Kim was born in 1999 in Seoul, South Korea and moved to Christchurch in 2007. Hyein started his musical adventure at the age of 6 with lessons on the piano. At the age of 8, he switched to studying the cello and he has since moved to Hamilton in 2016 where he continued his studies with James Tennant and has been accepted into the Soloist Stream Specialization programme at the University of Waikato. 

At 13, he was awarded 1st prize at the International Padova Competition in Italy. In 2016, Hyein had a very successful year, winning the New Zealand Secondary Chamber Music Competition with his Yerevan Trio from Hillcrest High School as well as being selected as 2nd prize in the 50th National Concerto Competition. After that, he was awarded 2nd prize in PACANZ in 2018 and in 2020, he was awarded 1st prize in the Gisborne International Music Competition.

Semi-Final Round 1
Beethoven
Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 3 in A Major, Op. 69
Allegro ma non tanto

Ginastera
Pampeana No 2, Rhapsody for Cello and Piano

Semi-Final Round 2
Bruch
Kol Nidrei, Op. 47

Gareth Farr
Shadow of the Hawk

Final Round
Bach
Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009
Prelude

Schumann
Adagio and Allegro, Op. 70

Paganini
Variations on a theme from Moses in Egypt

Anne Kyoungeun Lee is studying for a Bachelor’s degree of music at the University of Auckland with violinist and concertmaster of the APO, Andrew Beer. She received a Young Scholarship Program enabling her to begin her tertiary studies early and has subsequently received scholarships, such as the Sagar-Vandewart Prize for String Players, also earning top placings for her performance courses.

In previous years and as a young soloist competition winner, Anne has performed at many venues such as the Auckland Town Hall, Palace of Versailles, and other concert halls where she toured with an orchestra as a soloist in France.

Anne is a member of the APO Young Achievers Program and was awarded Gold at the National Round of the NZCT Chamber Contest.

Semi-Final Round 1
Beethoven
Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24, ‘Spring’
Adagio molto espressivo

Bach
Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004

Semi-Final Round 2
Douglas Lilburn
Sonata for Violin in E Flat Major
Rondo

Wieniawski
Scherzo – Tarantella

Franck
Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major
Allegretto poco mosso

Final Round
Beethoven
Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1 in D Major, Op. 12 No. 1
Allegro con brio

C Schumann
Three Romances, Op. 22
Andante molto

Franck
Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major
Allegro

KiHei Lee, a recent first-class honours graduate from the University of Auckland, has been learning under Stephen Larsen for the past 5 years. KiHei is part of a violin duo, Felice Duet, who are the recipients of the 2019 Royal Overseas League Scholarship. The duet could also be found as players in the 2020/21 Adam Troubadour Quartet being the highlight of the Summer School and performed in the 2021 Adam Summer Celebration. Further in 2020, KiHei won the Holdsworth Family Bach prize at the Gisborne International Music Competition. 

KiHei continues to play with her family for the community church and her goal as a musician is to bring the best of her abilities to give herself and others a great experience in music. KiHei plays on a violin made available through a generous loan by the Hill Family Foundation for Art and Music.

Semi-Final Round 1
Mozart
Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 24 in F Major, K. 376
Allegro
Andante

Schumann
Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 105
Lebhaft

Szymanowski
La Fontaine d’Aréthuse, from Mythes, Op. 30

Semi-Final Round 2
Bach
Sonata No. 2 in A Minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1003
Andante
Allegro

Gillian Whitehead
Tōrua

Zarzycki
Mazurka in G Major, Op. 26 No. 1

Final Round
Debussy
Sonata for Violin and Piano in G Minor
Allegro vivo
Intermède (fantasque et léger)
Finale (Très animé)

Lutoslawski
Subito for Violin and Piano

Harris Leung is a recent graduate of the University of Waikato and was an Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra Fellow in 2019. He has played in numerous orchestras throughout the North Island and enjoys reading music in a chamber setting. Any remaining time he spends daydreaming about buildings. Harris is currently studying under Lara Hall at the University of Waikato and is supervised by Jeroen Schillewaert at the University of Auckland.

Semi-Final Round 1
Mozart
Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 32 in B Flat Major, K. 454
Largo-allegro

Jack Body
Caravan

Janáček
Sonata for Violin and Piano
Ballada

Semi-Final Round 2
Ravel
Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2 in G Major
Allegretto

Saint-Saëns
Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28

Final Round
Fauré
Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1 in A Major, Op. 13
Allegro molto

Waxman
Carmen Fantasy for Violin and Piano

A passion and curiosity for the arts have led violist Cecile McNeill to pursue a career in music. She is an avid chamber musician and has played with the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra and Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra where she is a current APO young achiever. Cecile has gone from thrice reaching the national rounds of the NZCT Chamber Contest, to winning the 2020 Auckland Chamber Music Society Prize. 

A student of Mark Bennett at the University of Auckland, Cecile has had the privilege of learning from David Samuel as well as receiving lessons from renowned violists including Yura Lee, Misha Amory, Toby Appel, and Samuel Rhodes, and masterclasses from Silvia Marcovici and Elizabeth Kufferath. 

Solo successes include achieving the top marks for classical performance at the University of Auckland in both 2019 and 2020. Other prizes that were awarded to her include the Wilhelm Penseler Prize in Music, the Winifred Stiles Viola Prize, the Spring Prize for String Players, and the Adam Scholarship for Performance Excellence and Achievement.

Semi-Final Round 1
Schubert
Arpeggione Sonata, D. 821
Allegro Moderato

Chris Artley
An Anzac Reflection

Vieuxtemps
Capriccio ‘Hommage à Paganini’ for Solo Viola

Semi-Final Round 2
Penderecki
Cadenza for Solo Viola

Tchaikovsky
Souvenir d’un lieu cher, Op. 42 No. 3
Mélodie

Enescu
Concertstück

Final Round
Bach
Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009
Prelude

Hindemith
Sonata for Solo Viola, Op. 11 No. 5
Leibhaft, aber nicht geeilt

Brahms
Sonata for Viola and Piano in E Flat Major, Op. 120 No. 2
Allegro amabile

Having been accepted into university at the age of fifteen, Kimberley is
currently under the tutelage of James Tennant and is studying a Bachelor
of Music and Commerce at the University of Auckland.

Kimberley started learning the cello at the age of eight and has since
attained many awards. At the age of fourteen, she received First Prize in the Golden Classical International Music Awards Competition, the Brussels Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition and First Equal in the Pacific International Music Competition. Kimberley has also performed in renowned venues, namely Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House, and was invited to perform in the Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels.

Semi-Final Round 1
Beethoven
Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 4 in C Major, Op. 102 No. 1
Andante – Allegro vivace

Martin Lodge
Epitaph, in memoriam Douglas Lilburn

Chopin
Sonata for Cello and Piano in G Minor, Op. 65
Finale: Allegro

Semi-Final Round 2
Bright Sheng
Seven Tunes Heard in China
Seasons (Qinghai)
The Little Cabbage (Hebei)
Diu Diu Dong (Taiwan)

Rachmaninov
Sonata for Cello and Piano in G Minor, Op. 19
Andante

Cassadó
Requiebros

Final Round
Chopin
Sonata for Cello and Piano in G Minor, Op. 65
Allegro moderato

Bloch
Prayer

Ginastera
Sonata for Cello, Op. 49
Allegro con fuoco

Lorna’s passion for violin started at a young age. She is currently a year 13 student at Macleans College and has participated in various musical groups. Over the years she has been rewarded with many school cultural awards, and has also won multiple awards in the South Auckland Performing Arts Society and Te Awamutu competitions. Lorna has been a scholarship holder of the Chiron Charitable Trust since 2019. In 2020, she entered the NZCT chamber contest as part of Trio Achilles and won the Runner-up Helen Young Diamond Award.

Semi-Final Round 1
Bach
Sonata No. 1 in G Minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1001
Adagio
Fugue (Allegro)

Bartók
Rhapsody for Violin and Piano No. 1

Semi-Final Round 2
Beethoven
Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 8 in G Major, Op. 30 No. 3
Allegro assai

Anthony Ritchie
Rhapsody, Op. 83

Kreisler
Tambourin Chinois

Final Round
Brahms
Scherzo from F-A-E Sonata for Violin and Piano

Sarasate
Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25