The Michael Hill International Violin Competition Fellows will perform a programme of stunning classical works, from Mozart and Paganini to Prokofiev and Bach, and share the stories behind the music. This is your chance to hear future international soloists up close, in an intimate setting you won't find anywhere else.

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Whether you're a budding musician, a music lover, or just curious about what it takes to make it on the world stage, stick around after the performance for a Q&A with the Fellows. Find out how they got started, what drives them, how they handle nerves, and what life really looks like as a young professional musician in New Zealand and beyond. Free entry, all welcome.

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PROGRAMME

The Fellows will alternate introducing and contextualising each piece, giving the audience insight into the music, the composers, and their own journeys as young musicians.

• Mozart - Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major
• Paganini - Caprice No. 23
• Bach - Grave and Fuga from Sonata for Solo Violin No. 2 in A minor
• Fauré - Violin Sonata in A Major, Movement 1
• Prokofiev - Violin Sonata in D Major
• Bacewicz - Violin Quartet Selections

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THE 2026 MICHAEL HILL FELLOWS

Six hand-picked young New Zealand musicians performing as part of the Michael Hill International Violin Competition's 25th anniversary Fellowship Programme. The group includes concertmasters of the Auckland Youth Orchestra and National Youth Orchestra, a touring Chamber Music NZ artist, and the National Young Performer of the Year.

• Archie Lamont-Bowden - violin, Auckland
• Esther Oh - violin, Auckland
• Mana Waiariki - violin, East Coast/Wellington
• Indiana Williamson - violin, Hamilton
• Lorna Zhang - violin, Auckland
• Madeleine Xiao - collaborative piano, Auckland

Read more about the fellows by clicking here.

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THE COMPETITION — COME ALONG!

The Michael Hill International Violin Competition quarter-finals run at the Queenstown Memorial Centre from 29 May to 1 June — eight sessions across four days over King's Birthday weekend.

Each session is about three hours of live performance from 16 of the world's finest young violinists. Worth getting a group together and taking advantage of our offer of 20% discount when you buy 3 or more session tickets.

Full programme: www.violincompetition.co.nz 

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Reserve your free spot at the Community Recital event at the link below.