Celebrating 40 years of Young Musician of the Year competition

The Hawke's Bay Young Musician of the Year preliminary competition will be held at the Blyth Performing Arts Centre, Iona College, Havelock North, on September 2.

The Hawke’s Bay Young Musician of the Year competition celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

Audiences for this year’s competition at the Blyth Performing Arts Centre in Havelock North will enjoy a superb variety of classical music recitals from singers, a guitarist, a violinist, a flautist and pianists, who are 15 to 18 years old.

The Hawke’s Bay Young Musician of the Year (YMY) competition is organised by the Hawke’s Bay branch of the Institute of Registered Music Teachers for their advanced students to compete in piano, instrument and singing. The event has been held since 1984 and is the only music competition of its kind in the country where musicians playing different instruments or singing compete against each other.

The students compete for the title of Freemasons Hawke’s Bay Young Musician of the Year 2023. The winner receives a $1500 prize sponsored by Freemasons Hawke’s Bay Districts, plus the Peter and Valerie Williams Cup.

The preliminary competition starts at 11am on Saturday. September 2 and will be adjudicated by Guy Donaldson, from Palmerston North, a leading pianist, music coach and choral director who will select six finalists from the nine entrants:

• Aimee Clements, flautist, Havelock North.
• Joseph Clinton, singer (baritone), Clive.
• Jua Kim, pianist, Havelock North.
• Joanne Li, pianist, Napier.
• Ruby Lo, pianist, Taradale.
• Josef Oosthuizen, violinist, Havelock North.
• Hunter Piercy, guitarist, Taradale.
• Tilda Sheenan, singer (soprano), Havelock North.
• Ruth Stevens, singer (soprano), Havelock North.

The final concert - at the Blyth PAC on Friday, September 8, from 7pm - will be adjudicated by Justin Bird, a leading pianist from Auckland.

District grandmaster Kevin Jackson says Freemasons NZ has proudly supported the Young Musician of the Year awards since 2020.

“We hope to be an integral part of this high-level music competition until at least 2025, in line with our community support for young people and encouraging endeavour,” Jackson said.

“The quality of these performances has always been remarkably high given the musicians’ ages, and this year we lowered the age group to allow younger talented musicians to experience performing at this level,” Mary McHattie, chair of the Hawke’s Bay branch of IRMTNZ said.

“Audiences will really enjoy the performances of a variety of classical and contemporary music from these talented youngsters. The final night’s concert will be a celebration of this year’s winner, plus the 40th anniversary of this event, which is quite an achievement for Hawke’s Bay registered music teachers and their students to keep up the high standard over the years.”

The IRMTNZ Hawke’s Bay branch is also offering a public piano masterclass on Saturday, September 9, from 9.30am to 2pm at St Paul’s Church in Napier. Justin Bird will tutor young pianists, helping them to refine their technique and musical expression in their selected pieces.

This class is open to the public, and is a good opportunity for other musicians, parents of piano students and music teachers to observe and learn.

• Details of the concerts including the musicians are on the YMY website youngmusicianshb.wordpress.com and tickets are on sale now through Eventfinda, Wardinis, Music Works Hastings.