Sun said she was "quite interested" when she first began playing piano at the age of seven and was taught by her mother. But a love for piano and for music quickly blossomed.
"Initially when I was thinking about university all through high school I never thought I would be doing music, and then I thought, there's no way I can't," she said.
"I'm glad I did. It's opened my eyes up to how much more music can be and being around others who love music just as much as me has been really inspiring."
"You learn to love it...I love it."
"It's a gift. Once you reach a certain level you realise music is something you will always have in your adult life.
Showing a natural aptitude for learning and playing as a youngster, she enrolled at the Soundworks under the tutelage of Liz Locke and hasn't looked back.
"Mum started teaching me at first then I moved to Liz for proper lessons when I was seven," she said.
Meanwhile, the concert was organised by Soundworks Music School in Palmerston North along with the China Cultural Centre in Wellington, with the support of Maximum Dance Zone
It will feature top young music and ballet students from Palmerston North performing at the level of university performance music, joined by top students from the China Cultural Centre in Wellington playing traditional Chinese instruments and dancing traditional Chinese dance.
Advanced dancers from Maximum Dance Zone will dance with some of the items
Liz said the performances are a reflection of years of commitment that is required to attain excellence in the performing arts.
"This special concert has been organised to celebrate some of our highest local achievers in classical music and dance with the very generous support and involvement of the China Cultural Centre," she said.
"These young people have been role models and an inspiration to the children and parents to also make classical music or dance a part of their lives."
"Classical music and dance are universal languages that can cross all cultural differences by speaking directly to the heart and they bring people together in peace and unity."
The concert starts at 3pm.
PROGRAMME:
1. Nathan Pinkney (Violin): Playera and Zapateado – Sarasate
Accompanied by Marian Sun
2. Jacqueline McPherson (Flute): Fantaisie for Flute - Hüe
Accompanied by Ingrid Culliford Dancer: Mikah BatachEl
3. Yao Chen, Diya Yang, Jun Yuan, Yanshu Sun, Jessie Ling, Cici Kong (Chinese
musical instruments and dance): Oneness of Zen and Tea – Ye Qin
4. PNBHS Trio No Frets - Ciaran Carroll (piano), Ray Su (violin) and Paul Teo
(cello): Andante Con Moto from Op.100 - Schubert
Dancer: Briony Milne
5. Shirley Xu (Piano): The Lover and the Nightingale - Granados
6. Jessie Ling (Guzheng): High Mountain and Flowing Water – Xunzhi Wang
7. Melanie Pinkney (piano): Prelude in D major Op 23 No 4 – Rachmaninoff
Dancer - Emma Carey
8. Yanshu Sun (Bamboo Flute): Heading to Suzhou
INTERVAL 15 Minutes
9. Nina Peck (Soprano): The Gypsy and the Bird – Benedict
Accompanied by Debbie Donkin
10. Cici Kong, Yao Chen, Diya Yang, Guangying Zhao, An An, Jia Ling (Chinese
Pipa and Cheongsam Show): Night Breeze
11. Tehezib Lathiff (Tenor): Lamento di Frederico – Cilea and Tonerna – Sjöberg
12. Marian Sun (Piano): Dance of the Beautiful Maiden – Ginestera and Etude
Op 10. No 5 (The Black Key Study) – Chopin
Dancers – Malissa Sun & Sashini Punchihewa
13. Rerekē Trio - Amelia Isaac (piano) Enshean Lin (violin) and Benedict Van
Leuven (clarinet): 2nd and 3rd movements from Contrasts - Bartok
14. Combined performers' finale: Pokarekare Ana, Jasmine Flower and Radetzky March
