Marianna Kang (2019 & 2020)

Marianna Kang is currently in her third year of studying at the University of Auckland, with Stephen De Pledge and Dr. Rae De Lisle. Originally from Hamilton, Marianna began learning the piano at the age of six years old. Ever since, her love for music has grown and she has actively performed at concerts and participated in competitions. She has won awards and scholarships at various competitions, such as the National Young Performer Awards (PACANZ) held in Palmerston North, and the Wallace National Piano Competition- in 2019 Marianna received the SOUNZ award for the best performed piece by a New Zealand composer. She was also selected as a semifinalist at the 2019 Christchurch National Concerto Competition. Marianna also finds great joy in chamber music and has attended the Adam Summer School for Chamber Music held in Nelson. There she received coaching from the New Zealand String Quartet, Diedre Irons and Jian Liu. As a Haydn Staples Piano scholar of both 2019 and 2020, Marianna looks forward to developing her knowledge and skills throughout her lifelong journey as a musician.

Soomin Kim (2019 & 2020)

Soomin Kim is in her final year studying towards a BMus/ BCom conjoint degree at the University of Auckland where she is majoring in Classical Performance on piano and Accounting. Born in Korea, she began learning the instrument at the age of six and attended a conservatoire in Year 8. After a two-year break, she resumed her piano education when she moved to New Zealand in Year 11.

Her achievements include IRMT Margaret Doone Sonata Scholarship 2018 and Piano Trader 21st Century Scholarship 2017 in Auckland, first prize in Piano Programme class at Tauranga Performing Arts Competitions 2017, first in both Concerto and Composition classes at Rising Stars Competitions 2015, and her LTCL Recital in 2015. Since her entry to the University in 2017, she has been exposed to other areas of music such as Collaborative Piano and Conducting, and her particular interest in Early Keyboard led to her award of Anthony Jennings Memorial Prize in 2019 and the Anna Nathan Early Keyboard Prizes in 2018 at the University.

Modi Deng (2018 & 2020)

Modi Deng is a pianist from Dunedin, New Zealand. She is currently on a full Marsden research scholarship studying a Master of Music with Rae de Lisle and Stephen De Pledge at Auckland University, having earlier completed a Bachelor of English. In March 2018, she received first prize in the National Concerto Competition, performing Rachmaninov’s Concerto No. 3 with Benjamin Northey and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.

Modi has performed concerti by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Rachmaninov and Clara Schumann with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Dunedin Symphony Orchestra, and collegiate orchestras. She has participated in masterclasses and lessons with artists such as Michael Houstoun, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Kathryn Stott, Stephen Hough, and Ian Jones. Her playing has been recorded for Radio NZ Concert and SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music.

An avid chamber musician, Modi’s trio toured the U.K. in July 2018 as the winner of the Pettman/ROSL Arts Chamber Music Arts scholarship. They performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and at St Martin-in-the-Fields. Her trio also received the Auckland Chamber Music Society Prize last year.

Modi has recently accepted a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in London. She has also received the Patricia Pratt Scholarship to support her in her studies in London.

Frank Chen

Frank Chen was born in Auckland, New Zealand and started playing the piano from the age of eight, developing a love for the instrument from an early age.

Frank has recently completed his Masters Degree in classical performance at the University of Auckland. During his time at University, Frank has studied piano with Richard Liu, Stephen de Pledge and is now currently working with Rae de Lisle. Some of Frank’s musical highlights include competing in many competitions such as, the 50th & 51st Christchurch concerto competitions, Margaret Donne sonata competition, the NSPAS competitions and the National Wallace competition. Over time, Frank has developed interest in Chamber music and performing as an accompanist, which is something he is looking to pursue in future.

His musical goals are based around performing.  He is now teaching music, to share his passion for music and help others.

Sara Lee

Sara began her piano studies at the age of six in South Korea and studied for several years with Soo Jung Shin, winning several regional competitions including Dong-A Piano Competition and the Jung ang il bo competition. She moved to Moscow to study piano with Sergei Dorensky and Mikhail Voskresensky at the Tchaikovsky Music School in Moscow and won many awards from the school including its Outstanding Performance Award.

She has since been a prize winner in international and national competitions including the USA Cincinnati World Piano Competition, grand prize (2003); Citta di Barletta in Italy, first prize (2005); Austria International Chopin Piano Competition, second prize and best performance prize (2010); Moscow Young Pianist Competition (2012), and the Lyon International Piano Competition (2012). She won the University of Auckland Graduation Gala Concerto Competition in 2017 and has played concerts in world renowned halls such as Carnegie Hall (USA), the Rachmaninoff Hall of Moscow Conservatory, the Wiener Saal of Mozarteum (Austria), Konzertsal Handel Karee Haus (Germany), and Lyon Conservatory Hall (France). She has participated in masterclass with acclaimed pianists such as Dimitri Bashkirov, Andrej Jasinski, Pavel Gililov, Boris Giltburg. Currently she is studying at the University of Auckland with Rae de Lisle and Stephen de Pledge.

Siyu Sun

Twenty-three year old Siyu Sun began piano studies at the age of four, and is currently studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Ronan O'Hora and Carole Presland. She previously studied in New Zealand under the tutelage of Associate Professor Rae de Lisle.

Siyu has appeared as soloist with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and Wellington Chamber Orchestra. She made her debut in the Royal Albert Hall in 2019 performing Gershwin’s Three Preludes for Piano and Saxophone in the Champions Tennis. She was awarded first prize in the National Concerto 50th Anniversary Competition performing Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Siyu was the second prize winner in the 2019 Wallace National Piano Competition and fourth prize winner of the 2017 Lev Vlassenko International Piano Competition in Brisbane, where she won the Chuang Foundation Award for Best New Zealand Pianist as well as the Graeme Russell Virtuoso Prize. 

Siyu was awarded the Anne Bellam Scholarship, Kathleen Marydon Travelling Scholarship, Jack McGill Music Scholarship, Patricia Pratt Scholarship, Kiwi Music Scholarship and Inspire Foundation Award. She received the 2018 Blues Award for Most Meritorious Performance in the Arts and Culture, and was a 2018 Haydn Staples APO Piano Scholar. 

Also a passionate chamber musician, Siyu’s piano quartet was the first prize winner of the Auckland Chamber Music Society Prize, and a finalist in the Pettmann/Royal Over-Seas League Chamber Music Scholarship last year. Siyu has performed in the NZSO National Youth Orchestra on both French horn and orchestral piano.