About Us
The Dunedin Concerto Competition was launched in 2021 to provide the young Classical musicians of Otago and Southland with an opportunity to develop their performing skills.
The first Preliminary Round was held in Marama Hall, University of Otago, in March 2021 with almost 30 participants. Three finalists were chosen who performed in the Finalists Concert.
In a unique musical collaboration, the final concert was held in partnership with the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra (DSO) and the Dunedin Youth Orchestra (DYO). The DYO provided the first half of the concert, and in the second half, the Concerto finalists performed with the DSO and selected members of the DYO conducted by Peter Adams.
Our first competition was won by Rose Stevenson (violin) with Abhinath Berry (piano) in second place and Boudewijn Keenan (cello) in third. A total amount of $12 900 was awarded to category prize winners and the finalists.
Leading New Zealand musicians Diedre Irons, Bridget Douglas and Donald Maurice were the adjudicators.
The Dunedin Concerto Competition could not take place if it were not for the generous patronage of the HTowers Charitable Trust.
'For many years, we considered a concerto competition to be very important to allow young musicians to demonstrate their developing talent at the highest level.
We are very proud to support the establishment of the Dunedin Concerto Competition.'
Bruce and Rae Hodgson
Bill and Clare Hodgson
* The Dunedin Concerto Competition extend our condolences to Bill Hodgson and his family on the recent passing of Clare Hodgson
Adjudicators
Richard Mapp
Richard Mapp made his solo debut at the age of 12 with the Christchurch Civic Orchestra playing Mendelssohn’s Concerto No 1. He studied with Ernest Empson, a Godowsky pupil, and later at the University of Otago with Maurice Till. Richard then pursued postgraduate studies with Gordon Green at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he later held a teaching fellowship. He also received coaching from William Pleeth (cellist and teacher of Jacqueline du Pre) and the Beaux Arts Trio.
After a successful debut at the Wigmore Hall, Richard gave solo, duo and recital engagements in Europe, Scandinavia and North America. He recorded for the BBC and for radio in Canada, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Italy and Australia. Richard has recorded six CDs and his recordings are frequently heard on RNZ Concert.
After 16 years of performing and teaching overseas, Richard returned to New Zealand. He co-founded the Bay of Islands Arts Festival, has toured several times for Chamber Music NZ, and performed as soloist with the major orchestras here.
Richard was head of piano at the Massey Conservatorium for ten years, and has also taught at Canterbury University, Waikato University, the NZ School of Music and is currently teaching at Auckland University.
Photo credit : Debbie Rawson
Debbie Rawson
Formerly Head of Woodwind at the NZSM, Victoria University, Debbie studied clarinet at Canterbury University and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. She returned to New Zealand and became known as a soloist, chamber and orchestral player, university tutor, and founding member and leader of several ensembles -The Zelanian Ensemble, Saxcess, The Kugels, and others.
Orchestral activities have included principal clarinet of Orchestra Wellington and orchestral soloist with the NZSO, playing all members of the clarinet and saxophone family. She has performed as a soloist or chamber ensemble musician in the USA, Canada, Switzerland, Singapore, Belgium, the UK, Australia, and toured frequently in this country for Chamber Music NZ, AOTNZ, and most of the international festivals of our country.
She has premiered 2 concertos written for her, and commissioned numerous works for clarinet and saxophone by NZ composers. She is a featured artist on many CDs, sound tracks for the New Zealand music industry, and CDs with the NZSO. Recently a recipient of the Lilburn Citation Award for outstanding services to the music of Aotearoa, Deborah’s goal is to continue to commission and disseminate the great works of our New Zealand composers.
Donald Maurice
Donald Maurice MNZM is an Emeritus Professor of Music at Victoria University of Wellington. He has performed internationally for over four decades and has given world premieres and New Zealand premieres of many works.
He has presented at 20 International Viola Congresses. Donald has books published on Béla Bartók and Alfred Hill. “Bartók’s Viola Concerto - The Remarkable Story of his Swansong” (OUP) is recognized as an authoritative text.
The award-winning CD of his live 2008 performance of Boris Pigovat’s Holocaust Requiem received high international acclaim. He gave the German premiere of this work in Wuerzburg in 2011 and was producer of Lacrimosa, a documentary film about the composer and the Requiem.
He has recorded 18 CDs and is featured playing viola d’amore on a documentary film made in Poland about the baroque composer Christoph Graupner. Donald is the founder of Sinfonia for Hope, which has undertaken three projects, including Cello for Africa in 2019 featuring cellist, Heleen du Plessis.
Since retiring from university life Donald has devoted his energy to Taioro, a collaboration with Sharn Maree, a Māori spoken word poet, and other musicians, exploring aspects of the long history and current social issues of Aotearoa. They performed in North America in 2022 and will perform in SE Asia in 2023.