Classical pianist Noelle Dannenbring says she is excited to perform at Lakeside after watching the concert for several years.
"It's a great opportunity to be able to play in it this time."
She was quite shocked when she was asked to perform.
"This concert was always a gigantic thing. Now I've been given the opportunity it's amazing."
Noelle has been playing the piano for about 17 years.
She says her father is a music professor so she grew up with music and he inspired her to take on piano.
She grew up in Rotorua, having moved to New Zealand from Taiwan when she was 4-years-old.
She had piano lessons with Beth Williams for the whole time in Rotorua until going to Waikato University, where she studied piano performance with tutor, Katherine Austin.
"It's quite nice to be able to share my passion with the city I grew up in.
"I've only been back for about a month. I finished my recital in December. It's nice to be involved in the community here."
She says she would like to continue further study overseas, but is taking a year off and has an engagement with the Trust Waikato Symphony Orchestra.
Noelle says what she enjoys about performing is getting out there and playing for others, as well as expressing herself through the music.
She will be performing a four minute solo and will be accompanying a singer too.
It is a great concert for the community to get behind because it showcases local talent, she says.
"Why not come along if it's free? And out on the lakefront it's a nice space."
She is looking forward to seeing the outcome of the visual imagery being prepared for concert.
