Rotorua's Shamus Baker has taken home three top awards at the region's Senior Music Scholarship competition - not bad for someone who was asked to compete at the last minute.
The Rotorua Branch of the Institute of Registered Music Teachers of New Zealand held its 29th annual Senior Music Scholarship concert yesterday.
Eight young pianists, ranging in age from 13 to 17, performed this year doing their best to impress the event's adjudicator, world-class musician and teacher, Richard Liu.
Concert reviewer Margaret Stokes said the young musicians demonstrated outstanding musicality and mature interpretation in the polished performances they gave during the course of the evening at the Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre.
"Shamus showed superb musicianship in his virtuoso playing of Sposolizio by Liszt and Les Collines d'Anacapri by Debussy and was awarded first prize of $1000 in addition to winning the ANZCA Best 20th/21st Century Solo with $120 and the Best Presentation Cup," she said.