Musicians

AMALIA HALL,
VIOLINIST

Concertmaster of Orchestra Wellington, Amalia has received widespread acclaim for her ability to move audiences with her “sumptuous and sweet tone”, inherent musicality and natural facility. At the age of 9 Amalia made her debut with the Auckland Philharmonia; by the end of her teens she had won all of the major national awards in New Zealand, and has further won multiple laureate prizes at important international competitions, including the Joseph Joachim Competition and Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians. On top of being a regular soloist for orchestras in New Zealand and abroad, her extensive performance experience includes concerti, recitals and chamber music throughout Europe, USA, Asia, South Africa, Mexico and NZ and recording chamber music for Bridge Records and Atoll Records. Amalia has held teaching positions at the University of Waikato and given masterclasses at universities and conservatories in Italy, England and Mexico. Born and raised in New Zealand, Amalia studied at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music with Pamela Frank and Joseph Silverstein, preceded by studies at the University of Auckland with Dimitri Atanassov. Amalia plays on the “Baron Knoop” Vincenzo Rugeri violin from c. 1700, generously on loan from a private benefactor.

ASHLEY BROWN,
CELLIST

Acclaimed as a musician of “unimpeachable artistry”, Ashley Brown is one of New Zealand’s leading soloists, collaborators, chamber musicians and recording artists. He is a founder of NZTrio and a passionate advocate for New Zealand music. His teachers have included Alexander Ivashkin, Aldo Parisot and William Pleeth helping him to success in auditions, competitions and awards, both local and international. His musical curiosity has led him from an Artist Diploma at Yale to a Doctorate of Musical Arts exploring the collaborative relationship between composer and performer, and onward to sharing the stage with composers and artists as diverse as Dame Gillian Whitehead, Moana Maniapoto, Michael Houstoun, Kristian Jaarvi and Neil Finn and he continues to enjoy a musical career that leaves no colour of the musical spectrum unexplored. Ashley plays the 1762 William Forster ‘Liberte’ cello.

SOMI KIM,
PIANIST

South Korean born New Zealand pianist, Somi Kim has established herself as one of today’s most highly regarded and versatile young pianists with a string of competition successes and an extensive concert experience. Somi is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music. She graduated with an Advanced Diploma in Performance and Master of Arts with Distinction, receiving the HRH Princess Alice the Duchess of Gloucester’s Prize, a DipRAM and the Christian Carpenter Prize for the Best Recital. Sought after as a chamber musician, song accompanist and répétiteur, Somi is a staff pianist at the International Holland Music Sessions, International Vocal Competition ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Gisborne International Music Competition and the New Zealand Opera School. In recital, Somi’s recent and future appearances include Het Concertgebouw, Slovak Philharmonic, Wigmore Hall, St. John’s Smith Square, Cadogan Hall and the Edinburgh Fringe and Oxford Lieder Festivals. Somi will make her debut with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in June, playing Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F.