Review: Young Musician of the Year

Olivia Wilding claimed the Young Musician of the Year award. Photo / Warren Buckland

Six young Hawke's Bay musicians - cellist Olivia Wilding, pianists Rhys Siu Fung Wu and Grace Irwin, clarinettist Laurence de Burgh, tenor Antonio Della Barker and counter tenor Cameron Ferrick - each presented a varied 20-minute programme for visiting adjudicator Timothy Noon from Auckland. All displayed a remarkable range of skills and musicianship in performances that easily captivated the attention and admiration of an appreciative audience. Excellent support for the soloists was provided by accompanists Freya Hodgson, Margaret Cooper, Teresa de Vries and Elizabeth Curtis.

"I see a great future for some of these fine young musicians," Noon said.

"There was a high level of musical competence on display and an ability to communicate with the audience - the result of the encouragement from parents and the excellent teaching available in Hawke's Bay."

First place was awarded to Wilding for her accomplished playing of Elegie by Faure, Gigue from Suite No 3 by Bach and the first movement from Concerto in C by Haydn, winning the Forsyth Barr/Esam Cushing prize of $1500, the Plus 4 Insurance Solutions top instrumentalist prize of $400, and the Williams Cup.

Second place was awarded to Siu Fung Wu for his sensitive performance of works by Faure, Soler, Beethoven and Brahms, winning a prize of $750 plus the Walter and Beryl Gollner Memorial Cup.

Third place with a prize of $350, a $50 music voucher from Musicworks and the top singer anonymous prize of $400, was awarded to Ferrick for his very expressive singing of music by Handel, Bach, Warlock, Bononcini and Wolf. A complete contrast was provided by the performance of an entertaining selection of items by the guest artists, the Havelock North High School Stage Band, directed by Robbie Cargill.

Glenys Kempshall from the Institute of Registered Music Teachers, Hawke's Bay, which organised and supported the competition, thanked the sponsors for their generosity in supporting talented local young musicians