- Tuesday 2 Dec 2025, 5pm to 9.30pm
- Wednesday 3 Dec 2025, 9am to 9.30pm
- Thursday 4 Dec 2025, 9am to 1pm
- Thursday 4 Dec 2025, 7pm to 10pm
2 December 2025
National Concerto Competition Preliminaries and Semi-Final
The 2025/2026 National Concerto Competition is a musical competition for young people aged 25 years and under. This year is instrumental with 62 contestants.
Our renowned National Concerto Competition is an amazing opportunity for a group of New Zealand’s best young instrumentalists, and it takes place every year in Christchurch. This year we have 62 contestants (a record number) competing for the 6 semi-finalists places and then ultimately to become one of the 3 finalists in March 2026.
Works performed in the preliminaries include well-known violin concertos by Mendelssohn, Sibelius and Bruch and cello favourites by Dvorak, Elgar and Tchaikovsky. This will be intermingled with woodwind and brass concertos featuring flute, bassoon, oboe, clarinet trumpet and marimba.
The Adjudicators for the competition are:
- Mark Walton, Virtuoso Clarinettist & Saxophonist
- Wilma Smith, Former Concertmaster of NZSO and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
- Donald Maurice, Emeritus Professor of Victoria University, Wellington
- Come along and support these talented young musicians - you won't be disappointed!
Our renowned National Concerto Competition is an amazing opportunity for a group of New Zealand’s best young instrumentalists, and it takes place every year in Christchurch. This year we have 62 contestants (a record number) competing for the 6 semi-finalists places and then ultimately to become one of the 3 finalists in March 2026.
Works performed in the preliminaries include well-known violin concertos by Mendelssohn, Sibelius and Bruch and cello favourites by Dvorak, Elgar and Tchaikovsky. This will be intermingled with woodwind and brass concertos featuring flute, bassoon, oboe, clarinet trumpet and marimba.
The Adjudicators for the competition are:
- Mark Walton, Virtuoso Clarinettist & Saxophonist
- Wilma Smith, Former Concertmaster of NZSO and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
- Donald Maurice, Emeritus Professor of Victoria University, Wellington
- Come along and support these talented young musicians - you won't be disappointed!
Location
The Piano, 156 Armagh Street, Christchurch Central
The Piano, 156 Armagh Street, Christchurch Central
Event contact
Carmel Brown
027 605 8099
secretary@musiccanterbury.co.nz
nationalconcertocompetition.co.nz/
www.facebook.com/National-Concerto-Competition-138524480058612/
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