Semi-finalists Selection Panel
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 Miranda Adams
Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra Assistant Concertmaster |
 Dmitri Atanassov Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra Concertmaster University of Auckland University of Waikato |
 Justine Cormack New Zealand Trio University of Auckland |
 Kevin Lefohn University of Otago Marama Strings Project |
 Vesa-Matti Leppänen
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster New Zealand School of Music |
 Jan van den Berg
Christchurch Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster |
Miranda Adams
Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra Assistant Concertmaster
Miranda Adams is one of New Zealand's leading performers. She was born in Dunedin and studied violin with Pamela Bryce, Elsa Jensen, and Charmian Gadd. She is currently Assistant Concertmaster with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and has performed concertos with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and many Regional orchestras. Miranda has vast chamber music experience within New Zealand, leading the Nelson String Quartet, Blue Quartet, Manifesto Trio, Tasman Trio, Bravura with Jonathan Besser, and the successful Vivo with Tatiana Lanchtchikova. Miranda has commissioned several New Zealand compositions including works by Eve de Castro, John Elmsly, Nigel Keay, and Jonathan Besser.
Miranda enjoys innovating with the violin, whether through improvising or premiering new music. She is dedicated to the advancement of live performance in New Zealand.
Link: Visit http://www.aucklandphil.co.nz/ for more information.
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Dmitri Atanassov
Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra Concertmaster
University of Auckland
University of Waikato
Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra Concertmaster
University of Auckland
University of Waikato
Born in 1970, Bulgarian violinist Dimitri Atanassov gave his first public performance at the age of six. After many years studying with his father, the renowned Bulgarian violinist Joachim Atanassov and later with professor Anna Ivanova, Dimitri excelled in his studies at the Prague Academy of Arts under the guidance of professor Vaclav Snitil, completing his masters degree (graduating with honours) in 1994.
Having participated in master classes with violinists Alberto Lysy and Victor Liberman, Dimitri was selected as leader of the RIAS Youth Orchestra in Berlin from 1992 until 1994. As soloist and chamber-musician, he performed in Austria, Germany, Greece, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Italy, Yugoslavia, Russia, Holland and Israel. He was appointed Concertmaster of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in November 2005.
In New Zealand he performs regularly as a chamber musician and soloist. He is a member of the Ogen Trio and is a violin tutor at University of Auckland and Waikato University. His students have participated with great success in many National and International Competitions (Gisborne International Competition, Rotorua Concerto Competition, Young Musicians Competition, Kloster Schontal in Germany, Junior Tchaikovski Competition in Japan).
Link: Visit http://www.aucklandphil.co.nz/ for more information.
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Justine Cormack
New Zealand Trio
University of Auckland
New Zealand Trio
University of Auckland
Justine Cormack is the violinist with the New Zealand Trio – Ensemble in Residence at The University of Auckland and she appears regularly around New Zealand as a recitalist, chamber musician, adjudicator and concerto soloist. She is the former Concertmaster of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, has been a member of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and New Zealand Chamber Orchestra and was Concertmaster of the National Youth Orchestra.
A graduate of the University of Canterbury, studying with Jan Tawroszevicz, Cormack went on to complete a Master of Music degree at the San Francisco Conservatory with Isadore Tinkleman and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the State University of New York at Stony Brook under Joyce Robbins and Mitchell Stern. Cormack has taught violin at Wellington’s University of Victoria and she now balances her role as performing artist with that of teacher at The University of Auckland.
Cormack has been singled out for many awards, including a TVNZ Young Achievers Award, two QEII Arts Council Grants, a Fulbright Scholarship, and an NZSO Alex Lindsay Memorial Award and was runner up in the 1990 TVNZ Young Musicians’ competition.
Link: Visit http://www.nztrio.com/ for more information.
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Kevin Lefohn
University of Otago
Marama Strings Project
University of Otago
Marama Strings Project
He is a National Recording Artist for Radio New Zealand Concert FM. At the invitation of Maestro Shlomo Mintz, he was a member of the esteemed Jury of the 2005 Sion Valais International Violin Competition in Sion, Switzerland. Much sought after as a teacher, he is dedicated to the technical and musical training of talented young string players.
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Vesa-Matti Leppänen
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster
New Zealand School of Music
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster
New Zealand School of Music
NZSO Concertmaster, Vesa-Matti Leppänen was born and raised in Turku, Finland. He began violin lessons at the age of five and went on to study at the Sibelius Academy of Music in Helsinki before joining the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, one of the oldest symphony orchestras in Europe. Appointed to the orchestra at the age of 19, Leppanen held a number of positions within a ten year period including Principal Second Violin, Third Concertmaster and Co-Concertmaster. Before that, at only 16 years of age, Leppänen won the National Violin Competition for young violinists of Finland and in the same year he joined the successful Concordo String Quartet, which went on to win a special prize at the 1989 Tulindberg International String Quartet Competition. These successes helped him to develop an active stage career as both soloist and chamber musician.
Leppanen has been in New Zealand since 2000, working first as assistant concertmaster and appointed in late 2003 as NZSO Concertmaster. Since his arrival, Leppanen has been active in the chamber music scene, with 'Felix the Quartet' (which he started together with the former concertmaster Wilma Smith) and the contemporary music group 'Stroma'. He also teaches at the New Zealand School of Music and at the Queenstown Violin Summer School.
In 2005 he was soloist in the NZSO Sibelius concert and enchanted the sold-out Town Hall with his clear and lyrical style. During the same year Leppanen also led the orchestra on its European/Japan Tour, including an unforgettable performance at the BBC Proms and a solo performance of Takemitsu's 'Nostalghia' in Japan.
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Jan van den Berg
Christchurch Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster
Christchurch Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster
Jan van den Berg has been Concertmaster with Christchurch Symphony since 1992 where he has been instrumental in the growth and the artistic development of the Symphony in recent years.Educated in the Netherlands, Jan gained his Soloist Diploma at the Amsterdam Conservatoire where he studied with Jo Juda, Flesch student and Concert Master of the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. Further studies and master classes with Dick de Reus, Steven Staryk, Christian Ferras, and Shlomo Mintz.
Jan’s international experience includes leading positions with orchestras in Europe: Rotterdam Philharmonic; South Africa: Cape Town Opera and SABC Radio; Asia; Australasia: Adelaide, Perth and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, and the New Zealand Symphony and Chamber Orchestra.
As a soloist, Jan has performed the Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Mozart D & A maj, Bach Double, E major & A minor, Bach Double Violin & Oboe, Vivaldi Concerti, Philip Norman’s Concerto for Piano and Violin, and will premier Ted Carr’s violin concerto in 2007 with Christchurch Symphony.
Jan has worked extensively with many distinguished conductors and soloists over the years, such as: Antal Dorati, Sir Charles McKerras, James Judd, Barry Tuckwell, David Tidboald, Richard Bonynge, David Atherton, David Zinman, Franz Paul Decker, Hiroyuki Iwaki, Poliansky, Vladimir Verbitsky, Vlado Kamirsky, Pierre Boulez, Pinchas Zukermann, Arvo Volmer, Sir Malcolm Sargeant, & many others including NZ conductors Sir William Southgate, Ken Young and Marc Taddei.
He has also worked with many great soloists such as Alfred Brendel, Jorge Bolet, Campoli, Henryk Szerynk, Grumiaux, Christian Ferras, Igor Oistrach, Rucciero Ricci, Michael Houstoun, Joan Sutherland, Pavarotti, and pop icon Elton John.
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