Young Central Hawke’s Bay saxophone musician returns from Los Angeles a winner

A young Central Hawke’s Bay saxophone player has returned to New Zealand a winner after performing on the world stage at the 27th Annual World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA).

Before he left on June 26, Gabriel Rodrigues told Hawke’s Bay Today he wanted to come back a winner and that is exactly what he did.

Gabriel was awarded a gold medal for the open music category in the 13- to 15-year-olds.

The New Zealand team, called Black Star, travelled to the Performing Arts Championship in Los Angeles, US, with dancers, singers, actors models and musicians from over 60 countries invited to compete at the two-week event.

The young dedicated musician practices every day and can play a range of genres through the ages.

Gabriel Rodrigues proudly displays his gold medal. Photo / Warren Buckland

He and his family had fundraised for the trip and Gabriel had busked on streets around New Zealand, from Wellington to Hawke’s Bay, to contribute.

He had a minute to showcase his skills to Hollywood’s top entertainment industry professionals, along with the opportunity to win scholarships to music schools worldwide.

His skills playing the saxophone carried him into selection for the semifinals and ultimately the finals, and placed him in the top four in the 13- to 15-year-old category.

He said winning the medal meant a lot to him.

“The first time in the auditions I was pretty nervous but then after that, I felt pretty good.”

The 13-year-old said he never had any doubts with his performances and felt like he did “pretty well”.

Mum Natascha said she was extremely proud and said “it was awesome to see a little country boy out on the big stage”.

“He did his audition pieces and got the crowd going, which was awesome to be a part of.”

Despite not winning the the overall junior musician category, Gabriel said he would work towards it the next time he takes part.

“He did his country, his family and community real proud, played so well.”

Gabriel is set to perform at Christmas at the Park in Hawke’s Bay this year in front of a crowd of 15,000 people.

Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings and Central Hawke’s Bay newsrooms. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and has a love for sharing stories about farming and rural communities.