BY CUTCOMMON
We love to see young musicians smashing their goals. Don’t you?
That’s why we’re excited to announce the names of the three talented young finalists of the Queensland Youth Orchestras’ National Youth Concerto Competition.
The 43rd National Youth Concerto Competition is Australia’s leading competition for string soloists aged up to 17 years. The three finalists will perform popular and challenging concertos with the QYO.
All the applications were judged by Alan Smith, David Deacon, and Matthew Farrell. As fate has it, they’re all violinists – and spectacular ones, at that.
Congratulations to Alicia Poon, Andrew Wang, and Grace Wu!
Let’s meet the three finalists before they battle it out on the stage!
Alicia Poon, 14, Sydney
Performing: Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 2
Year 8 student Alicia (Sze Wing) Poon is on a full scholarship at Ravenswood School for Girls and studies with Professor Alice Waten. She’s also on a scholarship in the Rising Stars Program at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. At age 7, Alicia won first prize in the 64th Hong Kong School Music Festival. In 2015, she performed the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor with the Hunan Symphony Orchestra in China, and in 2016 won a Vivaldi prize in the International Piccolo Violino Magico violin competition in Italy. Last year, Alicia won the junior section of the NSW Secondary Schools Concerto Competition.
Andrew Wang, 16, Stanmore
Performing: Glazunov Violin Concerto
“At the age of 4, I commenced piano lessons with my older brother. However, after attending a violin concert, I fell in love and asked for a switch to the violin. My passion for the instrument survives today, where between practice sessions I would search for violin classics on YouTube and watch master classes. I study under Professor Alice Waten. Other than solo performances and concertos, I also enjoy an array of chamber music such as piano trios and string ensembles. I am the concertmaster at Newington College and greatly enjoy rehearsals and concerts. I seek to continue converting my passion for the violin into a successful career.”
Grace Wu, 14, Southbank
Performing: Mendelssohn Violin Concerto
Grace Wu was born in Brisbane in 2004 and began the violin when she was 6 years old. She studies with Dr Robin Wilson, who is head of violin at the Australian National Academy of Music. Grace won the 2017 Melbourne Recital Centre Bach Competition, and was a semifinalist in the 2017 HKIVS – Shlomo Mintz International Violin Competition. She received third prize as the youngest competitor in 3MBS Fine Music Melbourne’s live performance competition The Talent. Grace has performed as guest soloist in Elisabeth Murdoch Hall during the 2017 Great Romantics Competition, the 3MBS Bach Marathon 2018, and the Genius of J.S. Bach 2018. She was a member of the Australian Chamber Orchestra Academy in 2016 and 2017, and performs regularly at the Musical Society of Victoria.
The finals competition will take the form of a battle of the violins at 3pm September 23 in the Old Museum Building, Brisbane.
It’ll be led by concertmaster Leanne McGowan and conducted by John Curro. Competition recitalists will also join the Queensland Youth Symphony to support their colleagues. You’ll get to see Lili Stephens, 15; Chae Eun Oh, 16; and Jingyi Wang, 12 in concert. To book your tickets, visit the QYO website.
