2025 Whakatipu Music Festival
Introducing our Young Artists: Otis Prescott-Mason and Yixuan (William) Sun
In the lead up to our 2025 Whakatipu Music Festival we will be introducing you to each of our selected young and emerging artists who will take the stage alongside five internationally renowned classical musicians this Easter.
Otis Prescott-Mason:
Otis Prescott-Mason is a Wellington-born pianist who began his piano studies with Erin Taylor at the age of five. He is currently studying classical performance piano at Victoria University of Wellington’s New Zealand School of Music with Dr Jian Liu.
Otis has seen numerous successes in national competitions: in 2022 he was awarded first prize, Best Performance of a Classical Sonata, and the Audience Choice Award at the Lewis Eady National Piano Competition; the same year he was awarded first prize at the PACANZ National Piano Competition; and in 2020 was awarded first prize at the New Zealand Junior Piano Competition.
Otis also enjoys chamber music and has played in many ensembles – one of which won a silver award at the 2020 NZCT Chamber Contest, and in 2021 he attended the Adam Summer School for Chamber Music in Nelson.
Otis is a grateful recipient of generous support from Professor Jack Richards, The Adam Foundation, and the Royal Over-Seas League which enabled him to perform and study in Europe and the United States of America.
Yixuan (William) Sun:
Yixuan (William) Sun has just started his postgraduate at the University of Auckland, studying classical performance on the piano and the trumpet.
William is a talented pianist, who studies under Rae de Lisle and Justin Bird. He beganhis musical journey at age 4 with his mother, a piano teacher. He has since achieved notable success, including winning two classes at the 2021 Nor
th Shore Performing Arts Competitions and receiving prizes in the 2023 Margaret Doone Memorial Piano Sonata Scholarship. He was also a student under Stephen de Pledge and Richard Mapp, meanwhile, he experienced masterclasses with Joyce Yang, Michael Tsalka, Daniel Lebhardt, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, etc. In 2024, he was selected as a semifinalist in the University of Auckland School of Music Concerto Competition and the Lewis Eady National Piano Competition. Also, he is honoured to receive the Haydn Staples Auckland Philharmonia Piano Scholarship Programme in 2025.
In addition to his piano study, he has been learning the trumpet with Huw Dann since the beginning of his brass journey. He is currently in the Tian Guo Marching Band, Auckland Youth Orchestra, and University of Auckland Symphony Orchestra.
“I am looking forward to working with my colleagues and experiencing different genres of classical music during the festival. I am also very excited to play Schubert Wanderer Fantasy in my solo recital.” – William.
See William perform at Next Gen 1 and Musical Smorgasbord
Next Gen 1 starting at 3pm on Saturday April 19 gives some of our Young Artists the chance to shine in a showcase of their exceptional talents. In this programme, William will accompany cellist Damon Herlihy-O’Brien’s Prokofiev cello sonata and Otis will accompany violist Tal Amoore’s seven movements from Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet Suite. The last work of the concert features Young Artist Marlon Brandon, alongside our seasoned Festival Artists in a sparkling quartet for clarinet, violin, cello and piano. This is an afternoon not to miss!
Otis shares “through Prokofiev’s imaginative score a huge emotional spectrum is explored: youthful innocence, the burning ecstasy of being in love, and the tragedy of that ends the work. It is a privilege to guide audiences through this masterpiece by Prokofiev.”
Ioana Cristina Goicea, Violin
Tal Amoore, Viola
Damon Herlihy-O’Brien, Cello
Julian Smiles, Cello
Marlon Sullivan, Clarinet
William Sun, Otis Prescott-Mason and Stephen De Pledge, Piano
Students from Turn Up The Music
Prokofiev (1891 – 1953): Cello Sonata in C Major, Op 119
Andante Grave
Bach (1685 – 1750): Cello Suite No 4 in E-Flat Major, BWV 1010
iii Courante
iv Sarabande
Mark Summer (b. 1958): Cello-Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming
Martin Lodge (1954 – 2024) Epitaph, in memoriam Douglas Lilburn
Prokofiev (1891-1953): Romeo and Juliet, Op 64
1. Introduction
2. The Street Comes Alive
3. Juliet as a Young Girl
4. Dance of the Knights (Montagues and Capulets)
5. Balcony Scene
6. Death of Mercutio
7. Death of Juliet
Rabl (1873-1940): Quartet for Piano, Violin, Clarinet and Cello, Op 1
III. Andantino, un poco mosso
I. Allegro Moderato
