WYO is proud to announce that Peter Gjelsten is the 2021 Concerto Competition winner. He will play the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in the WYO’s Showcase concerts on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 October. The concerts will go ahead if Wellington is in Level 1.

Former WYO and WYS violinist Gemma New has been named the Solti Fellow 2021. This is the biggest grant given to US conductors. Gemma has been based in the US since she went there to study conducting at the Peabody Institute, after graduating from Canterbury in music and mathematics. She was back in New Zealand late in 2020 to conduct the NZSO: https://www.nzso.co.nz/new-zealands-orchestra/news-and-media/gemma-new-conducts-the-nzso-again-with-four-streamed-performances-this-month/

The full story of the award is here: https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU2103/S00087/new-zealand-born-conductor-gemma-new-recipient-of-2021-solti-fellow.htm

The programme for the 2021 season is here. Auditions are now open – audition form under the Auditions tab. Project 1, Transatlantic, includes Barber’s Violin Concerto, Britten’s Sinfonia da Requiem, and Gershwin’s An American in Paris. Concert Saturday 15 May.

Lex French is bringing his quartet from Canada, Code Quartet, to headline the Jazz Festival.  Top of the bill is the great Herbie Hancock. Code Quartet is just a little further down… Lex is the guy on the far left(trumpet not visible).

https://www.jazzfestival.nz/events/code-quartet/

Our famous alumna Gemma New, MD of Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra in Ontario, Canada, has recently appeared on the front cover of MUSICIAN, the American Federation of Musicians magazine. Here’s the cover: