Musicians show off technical ability and feeling for music at Rotorua music scholarships

Intermediate Scholarship (from left) adjudicator Brenda Oakley, joint runner-up Tara Isaacs, first place Eirwen Robinson, joint runner-up Ishan Nath. Photo / Supplied

Music students put their best performances forward at the weekend, receiving compliments from the adjudicator.

The Rotorua Branch IRMTNZ Junior and Intermediate Music Scholarships were held on Saturday.

Adjudicator Brenda Oakley complimented all 70 students who performed at the Eisteddfod on their technical abilities and feeling for the music.

The students ranged in age from "little ones" to adults, and beginners to diploma level.

Brenda says the most important aspect was enjoyment, both for the performers and the audience, and little slips did not matter.

Junior NZ Composer (from left) adjudicator Brenda Oakley, first place Solal Mourot, third place Amelia Moree, second place Ihita Nath, ANZCA representative Jenny Brown. Photo / Supplied

It was how the performer recovered from a slip that was important and she was impressed everyone did just that.

Rotorua Branch IRMTNZ publicity officer Annamarie Harris says St Chads was full with almost 200 people throughout the day who were either performers, family members, teachers or general public.

Junior Scholarship (from left) adjudicator Brenda Oakley, first place Solal Mourot, joint runner-up Nadia Wu. Photo / Supplied

She says they were treated to a great variety of music by well-known composers such as Mozart, Chopin and Beethoven, more modern composers like Milne, Mier and Yiruma, and New Zealand composers Sands, Bibby, Norton, Speak and Utting.

The performances were mainly on piano but there were also vocal items and one on saxophone.

Results from competition classes (Names of teachers in brackets)
- Nell Trail Intermediate Scholarship winner, Eirwen Robinson (K Lauder)
- Runners-up, Ishan Nath (C Mason) and Tara Isaacs (K Lauder)
- Best solo, Hannah Seo on Alto Saxophone (P Sanders)
- Nell Trail Junior Scholarship, Winner Solal Mourot (L Frisken)
- Runners-up, Chloe Slater (K Lauder) and Nadia Wu (K Lauder)
- Best solo, Kevin Wu (K Lauder)
- NZ Composer Senior: first, Felice Jiang (J Hood)
- NZ Composer Intermediate: First: Eirwen Robinson (K Lauder), Second: Sara Smith (H Hausman), Third: Julia Zhou (J Hood)
- NZ Composer Junior: First: Solal Mourot (L Frisken), Second: Ihita Nath (C Mason), Third: Amelia Moree (C Mason)

Intermediate NZ Composer (from left) adjudicator Brenda Oakley, second place Sara Smith, first place Eirwen Robinson. Photo / Supplied

Julia Zhou, third place Intermediate NZ Composer. Photo / Supplied

Chloe Slater, joint runner-up, Junior Scholarship. Photo / Supplied