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.
MATTHIAS BALZAT,
CELLIST
Matthias’ musician journey began at the age of three, and has since taken him around the globe. Completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Waikato at just seventeen, he also holds a prestigious Konzertexamen and Master’s degree from the Robert Schumann Hochschule under Pieter Wispelwey in Düsseldorf. A seasoned performer, Matthias has graced stages across Europe, United Kingdom, Australia and Aotearoa, as a soloist, chamber musician and with the Ares Trio.
His appearances as a soloist include the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonietta Köln, St. Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra, Auckland Chamber Orchestra, Robert Schumann Hochschule Orchestra and Opus Orchestra. He has also performed at major festivals such as Aspen Music Festival, Classiche Forme, and Edinburgh Fringe.
Over the course of his career to date, Matthias has worked with many renowned musicians, including Daniel Müller-Schott, Johannes Moser, and Wolfgang Schmidt, and has collaborated with notable conductors including Guy Noble, Benjamin Northey, and Rüdiger Bohn. He has won numerous prestigious competitions including the Accordi Musicali International Cello Competition, 69th ROSL Annual Music Competition, Sieghardt-Rometsch Concerto Competition, and the New Zealand National Concerto Competition, twice.
Matthias performs with a Reiner Beilharz 2014 Cello, accompanied by a Klaus Grünke bow.
Matthias is joining NZTrio as guest cellist for Magnifique, Four Last Songs and Hypnotique in 2025, before joining permanently in February 2026
SOMI KIM,
PIANIST
Hailed for her “breath-taking range of colour, tone and inflection” (The Times), South
Korean born New Zealand pianist Somi Kim has established herself as one of today's most
versatile young pianists. Somi is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in London,
where she graduated with an Advanced Diploma in Performance and Master of Arts with
Distinction, a DipRAM, and the HRH Princess Alice the Duchess of Gloucester’s Prize. A
winner of the Royal Over-Seas League Accompanist Prize and the Gerald Moore Award for
Accompanists, Somi is sought after as a chamber musician, song accompanist and
répétiteur. She is the official pianist of NZTrio, a piano trio recognised as a ‘national
treasure’ and as ‘New Zealand’s most indispensable ensemble’ (NZ Herald). Somi is an
official pianist and coach at the International Holland Music Sessions, International Vocal
Competition ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Gisborne International Music Competition and the New
Zealand Opera School. Somi made her debut with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in 2021 performing the Gershwin Piano Concerto, and her future appearances include Het
Concertgebouw, Slovak Philharmonic and Wigmore Hall.
