Youth Concerto Competition
Compere: Phillip Sametz
Darebin Arts Centre is at 401 Bell St, Preston.
The Preston Symphony Orchestra Youth Concerto Competition is one of the few opportunities for talented young musicians to perform a concerto work with a full symphony orchestra. The competition has been running since 1988 and 2024 will be the 35th occasion.
This year the awards will be made by the Mayor of Darebin, Susanne Newton.
Tickets
Tickets can be purchased online and at the door – full details available shortly.
The Contestants & Music
Charlie Wu
Piano
Mendelssohn, Piano concerto no1, Mvts 1&2
Derek Chen Ao Wei
Double bass
Koussevitsky, Concerto for Double bass, Mvts 1&2
Maggie Wang
Cello
Tchaikovsky, Variations on a Rococo Theme, Theme & variations (1, 2, 3, 7)
Interval
Ethan Chiao
Cello
Shostakovich, Cello concerto no1, Mvt 1
Ethan Borg
Bassoon
Weber, Andante and Rondo for Bassoon
David Chon
Violin
Tchaikovsky, Violin concerto Mvt 3
Charlie Wu
Charlie Wu, who is 11 years old, studies piano with renowned Melbourne pedagogue Glenn Riddle. He is currently a Year 6 student at Caulfield Grammar and is also a keen competitive tennis player, swimmer, and chess player. Charlie was invited by Artistic Director and concert pianist Denis Matsuev to be Australia’s representative in the Grand Piano Festival held in June in Moscow. Charlie presented a 30-minute recital in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory and made his concerto debut performing Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No 1 with the Moscow State Philharmonic Orchestra.
Charlie performed Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with the Cloud Orchestra in June together with violinist Claire Huang and cellist Maggie Wang. Other recent successes for Charlie include winning the 2023 National PolMusicA Polish Music Competition as well as being the youngest ever finalist in the Musical Society of Victoria’s Hephzibah Menuhin Award for pianists 25 and under. Charlie has also won prizes at the Ballarat, Ringwood and Latrobe Valley Eisteddfods and recently made his recital debut at St Paul’s Cathedral in their Lunchtime Concert Series. Charlie is currently preparing for his LMusA piano exam. He also studies violin.
Derek Wei
Derek Wei is a 14-year-old music scholar at Camberwell Grammar School. He began his musical studies on piano at the age of 5 and began learning the double bass five years later under the tutelage of Dr Emma Sullivan. Derek is highly accomplished on both instruments, being awarded LMusA for both piano and Double Bass in 2023.
Derek has been the recipient of prizes in local and international competitions. He was invited to perform Mozart’s “Turkish March” in Carnegie Hall in 2017 at the age of 8, and been awarded prizes in the Monash Youth Music Festival String and Piano Festival competitions, and the Ringwood Eisteddfod. In 2023 he was selected to perform at the Ringwood Eisteddfod Gala Concert, as the overall winner of the String Competition. In 2024, he was the first prize winner for Ringwood Eisteddfod 16 years-and-under piano solo. He has performed double bass live on 3MBS radio’s The Talent in April 2024. Derek is a committed ensemble musician and has participated in a number of programs, including the ARCO Young Mannheim Symphonists and ACO Academy. In addition to music, Derek is a sports lover, playing soccer, tennis and table tennis.
Maggie Wang
Maggie Wang is fifteen years old and began learning the cello at the age of eight. She is currently learning under the guidance of Howard Penny (ANAM). Maggie has been actively involved in the Australian Youth Orchestra programs and the Australian Chamber Orchestra Academy in both 2022 and 2023, collaborating with young musicians from across the country. Additionally, she has been a member of the Melbourne Youth Orchestra since 2022.
In September 2022, Maggie performed at Northcote Town Hall as a finalist in the Preston Symphony Orchestra’s Youth Concerto Competition, and she is thrilled to return as a finalist this year. Additionally, she had the honour of winning first place and receiving the Outstanding String Player award in the 21-and-under category at the Monash Youth Music Festival in August 2023. Maggie’s recent performances include the Elgar Cello Concerto under the baton of conductor Brett Kelly, participating in Steinway’s 170th-anniversary concert, as well as with the Australian Youth Orchestra’s flagship ensembles during their Autumn and Winter seasons in 2024. Today, Maggie aspires to further develop her playing abilities in a diverse range of music-related events.
Ethan Chiao
Ethan Chiao is a 16-year-old cellist and student at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School where he is learning from Josephine Vains. Ethan has also been a part of many prestigious masterclasses, being taught by cellists such as Ramon Jaffe and Edith Salzmann.
Ethan has also won many international competitions such as Valsesia Musica, receiving 1st prize in both the Solo and the Chamber Music, as well as having a recital at Carnegie Hall. Ethan has also had a solo recital and two chamber music recitals on 3MBS radio. Ethan Chiao has won 1st prize in Boroondara Eisteddfod for both 18 years-and-under as well as the open-age competition. He is also currently in a piano trio and a string sextet, which have won numerous awards such as the open-age Boroondara Eisteddfod competition.
Ethan Borg
Ethan Borg is 15 years old. He has achieved Grade 8 in Bassoon and is currently studying AMusA under the teaching of Christopher Haycroft, Elise Millman and Leesa Dean. Ethan is currently a Year 9 student at Westbourne Grammar School.
Having played the bassoon for 5 years, Ethan has been involved in a variety of orchestras including the Percy Grainger Youth Orchestra (where he is a current member), State Music Camp, Combined School’s Orchestra, and has also been accepted into the Australian Honours Program in Queensland. Most recently, he was awarded the Westbourne Grammar School’s Performer of the Year 2024 competition (instrumental), leading to the performance of his concerto at the Melbourne Recital centre in August. Ethan looks forward to being part of a variety of orchestras and ensembles to further develop his bassoon abilities in the future.
David Chon
David Chon is a 13-year-old violinist currently studying with Christine Johnson. David started to learn the violin at the age of 6 years with Ms. Jiwon Kim. He started to love the sound of the violin and made rapid progress in his skills, winning many prizes in Eisteddfods such as Ringwood Eisteddfod, Boroondara Eisteddfod and Monash Youth Eisteddfod.
In 2021, David won second place in the Music Society Victoria 12 years-and-under section, and he recently won first place in the 15 years-and-under section. In 2022, David was offered a music scholarship to study at Camberwell Grammar School. He is supported by his teachers at Camberwell Grammar, particularly Ms. Lisa Grosman and Ms. Rachel Atkinson. David has also attended masterclasses from many acclaimed performers and teachers such as Sophie Rowell, Curt Thompson and Danny Gu. In 2023, he received his AMusA diploma. His favourite violinists are Augustin Hadelich and Itzhak Perlman. Outside of music, David enjoys sports such as soccer and table tennis.