Eleven to compete for Young Musician of the Year 2020 title

Brother and sister, Ivan and Ivy Wu who are taking part in the Young Musician of the Year award. Ivan is competing on piano while Ivy is a violinist. Photo / Supplied

Eleven young musicians have entered this year's Hawke's Bay Young Musician of the Year Award and will perform two concerts this month at Iona College's Blyth Performing Art Centre inHavelock North.

YMY 2020 is organised by the Hawke' s Bay branch of the Institute of Registered Music Teachers (IRMTNZ) to encourage advanced music students to perform solo in front of an audience and gain performance skills and confidence.

"We are thrilled to have so many talented music students taking part in this competition in what has been a very stressful, unusual year and they will delight audiences at the concerts," Mary McHattie, chairman of the Hawke's Bay Branch of IRMTNZ, said.

This is the 37th year of the annual event, which is open to singers, pianists and instrumentalists. The winner will receive the Freemason's Charity Young Musician of the Year 2020 scholarship prize.

They will perform in the first public concert this Saturday at the Blyth Centre, where Andrew Buchanan-Smart from Hamilton will adjudicate. Buchanan-Smart originally studied at the Purcell School of Music in London before coming to New Zealand in 1977 where he taught and operated music businesses.

He is on the Council of the Institute of Registered Music Teachers, where he is developing a teaching qualification for instrumental music teachers, and he is also on the board of the NZ Music Examinations Board.

Six finalists will be chosen to perform at the final concert on Friday, September 11 when adjudicator Susan Smith of Auckland will decide the Freemason's Districts and Charity Young Musician of the Year 2020.

At the current level 2, YMY audience numbers will be restricted to meet Government requirements for a maximum of 100 at the venue, and social distancing will be required.

Entry to the preliminary is by koha at the door. Tickets for the final concert are available online through Eventfinda and as cash only at Wardini Books in Napier and Havelock North.

The entrants are:
Virginia Baird, 17, piano, Havelock North, student of Frances Te Weehi
Aiko Chiba, 16, violin, Havelock North, student of Susan Melville
Miharo Jones, 18, piano, Hastings, student of Dermot Horne
Quinn Le Lievre, 16, piano, Napier, student of Jan Beck
Savannah Lomas, 18, piano, Napier, student of Jan Beck
Julia Spurgeon, 16, piano, Hastings, student of Wendy Hunt
Man Lok Tsang,16, flute, Havelock North, student of Sarah Delany
Charlie Williams,18, piano, Napier, student of Dermot Horne
Ivan Wu,18, Napier, piano, student of Frances Te Weehi
Ivy Wu,17, violin, Napier, student of Marian Stronach
Katie Zhuang, 17, piano, Napier, student of Suzanne Bradley.