Young performers show their skills
Hundreds of young performers from around New Zealand will flock to town for the 66th Te Awamutu Performing Arts Festival next weekend.
The festival, from Saturday, September 29 to Thursday, October 4, features a range of sections, including instrumental, vocal, pianoforte, dance, speech and drama. Instrumental
More than 100 participants will perform solos, ensembles, duets and trios on woodwind, brass, strings, guitar and percussion in the instrumental section.
Adjudicator Andrew Buchanan-Smart is accomplished in trumpet, violin and piano, has a Master of Music in composition and is an experienced conductor.
The instrumental section is in the Te Awamutu Baptist Church from September 29 to October 1. The Monday night session is in the Waipa¯ District Council chambers.
Vocal
The vocal section, in the St John’s Anglican Church, welcomes 54 competitors judged by Judy Bellingham.
Judy has worked at the University of Otago since 1994 where she currently holds the position of William Evans Associate Professor of Voice.
She has had an active career as a singer, both in New Zealand and internationally, but has now retired from the concert stage.
However, her work as teacher and clinician continues.
In 2016 she was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to classical singing.
Pianoforte
The pianoforte section is in the Waipa¯ District Council chambers from September 29 to October 1.
The adjudicator is Italianborn Flavio Villani, who in 2012 completed his Master’s in Piano Performance with first-class honours at the University of Auckland.
He was the pianist in the documentary Crossing Rachmaninoff in 2015. As the founder and member of the Villani Piano Quartet, he toured throughout New Zealand in 2016 and is currently director of the St Heliers Music Centre in Auckland.
Dance
Tap dancing, modern/jazz and ballet is held in the Te Awamutu College hall from September 29 to October 4. The showcase troupe/group entertainment evening is in the Te Awamutu College hall on September 30 at 6.30pm and is a gold coin donation entry for spectators.
The highland and national dancing section is at Pekerau Primary School on September 29 and is judged by adjudicator Geraldine Bromley.
Speech and drama
The speech and drama section, held in the Methodist Church on Bank St, welcomes adjudicator Julie Taylor from Auckland.
Adjudicators in modern dance, highland and national dance, speech and drama, acoustic instrument and dance troupes/groups will be selecting participants from the festival to compete in the National Young Performer Awards 2019.
Four categories are chosen each year and the Te Awamutu Competitions Society is proud to promote the youth awards and sponsor nominees in each section.
Programmes for the festival can be purchased from the Te Awamutu i-Site or Te Awamutu Paper Plus.