NSW Secondary Schools Concerto Competition

Background to the Competition

One of Australia's most prestigious annual competitions for young musicians is the NSW Secondary School's Concerto Competition, organised by the Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra.

This Competition has provided a valuable stepping-stone to participants: the internationally acclaimed pianist Simon Tedeschi and violinist Natalie Chee among previous winners.

The Secondary Schools Concerto Competition provides our most talented young musicians with the rare and virtually priceless chance to perform publicly with a professional-standard orchestra, and each entrant benefits by receiving a written appraisal of their performance from the Competition adjudicators.

There are 3 stages to the Competition:

• Auditions: Entrants are required to perform a 6-minute passage from a movement from a Concerto, with piano accompaniment.
• Semi-finals: Semi-finalists perform their selected movement from a Concerto, with piano accompaniment.
• Finals: The finalists perform their selected movement from a Concerto in concert with the Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Ron Prussing.

KPO thanks Bayer Australia Limited, Ku-ring-gai Council, The Grange, Northside Youth Orchestra Bursary, Theme & Variations Piano Services and Friends of KPO for their sponsorship and support of prizes in the NSW Secondary Schools Concerto Competition. Theme & Variations Piano Services also provide the concert grand piano for the Semi-finals and for the Finals Concert.