Hana Tani (2026)

Hana Tani is a third-year student at the University of Auckland, pursuing a degree in classical performance on piano under the tutelage of Stephen De Pledge.

 Her musical journey began at the age of six, and over the years, she has earned first place recognition in various competitions such as the North Shore, South and West Auckland Performing Arts Competitions as well as in the Institute of Registered Music Teachers (IRMTNZ) competition where she won the Margaret Doone Memorial Piano Sonata Scholarship and the D’D O’Connor Scholarship. Hana has also been a recipient of various University of Auckland Music Scholarships which supports her pursuit of excellence in music. 

A particularly memorable highlight was performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Auckland Philharmonia in the Auckland Town Hall as one of the finalists in the School of Music Concerto competition. Beyond the concert stage, Hana finds great joy in sharing music within the community. She has presented many solo recitals at retirement villages across Auckland, valuing the meaningful connections formed through live performance. Hana is committed to continuing her growth as an artist and performer, eager to explore new opportunities in the world of music. 

Dylan Tang (2025-2026)

Dylan Tang is a 20-year-old pianist in the final year of his Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Auckland, where he studies under Rae de Lisle and Stephen de Pledge. He began playing the piano at the age of six and has since won several competitions across New Zealand, including the North Shore Performing Arts Competitions (NSPACS), the Lewis Eady competitions, and the Institute of Registered Music Teachers (IRMT) competitions. In 2023, he was awarded both the Mary Nathan Memorial Scholarship and the Margaret Doone Memorial Scholarship. Dylan was also selected as a semifinalist in the prestigious Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition in 2024.

Dylan has performed in numerous recitals throughout Auckland and has participated in masterclasses with distinguished pianists including Benjamin Grosvenor and Michael Houstoun. He is passionate about exploring a wide range of repertoire and is committed to developing a refined pianistic playing. As both a soloist and collaborative musician, he strives to communicate deeply with audiences and continues to pursue opportunities for artistic growth and performance.

Matthew Seinafo (2026)

From Christchurch, Matthew began learning piano with Marnie Barrell in 2017 and by 2022 achieved his ATCL diploma with Distinction. In 2024, he began a Bachelor of Music at the University of Auckland, studying with Stephen De Pledge, Rae de Lisle and the late Katherine Austin; mentors he is incredibly grateful to learn from.

In 2025, Matthew was selected as an emerging artist for the At The World's Edge Chamber Music Festival, held in October. From that festival, he was awarded the 2026 Pettman Royal Overseas League Scholarship, enabling an extensive European performance and professional development tour. Matthew is also fortunate enough to be a 2026 scholar of the Auckland Philharmonia through the Haydn Staples Auckland Philharmonia Piano Scholarship.

Matthew won joint first place in the University of Auckland Concerto Competition, earning the opportunity to perform a concerto with the Auckland Philharmonia. He has participated in masterclasses with distinguished artists including Paul Lewis, Inon Barnatan, as well as leading New Zealand musicians.

A passionate chamber musician, Matthew has performed in numerous ensembles ranging from duos to piano quintets. During his high school years, he reached the regional finals of the NZCT Chamber Music Contest three times, performing piano quintets by Schumann, Brahms, and Elgar.

During his time at the University of Auckland, Matthew has frequently performed in a cello and piano duo, presenting works by Beethoven, Franck, Schubert, Shostakovich, and Britten. Matthew also plays viola and enjoys performing with the University of Auckland Orchestra.

Madeleine Xiao (2023 -2024 - 2025)

Madeleine Xiao is in her final year studying a Bachelor of Music Honours Degree at the University of Auckland. Currently under the tutelage of Rae de Lisle, Bryan Sayer and Katherine Austin, she has achieved numerous top awards and scholarships both nationally and internationally and has performed all around New Zealand, Australia, Italy, Germany and the U.K.

Madeleine has been a top prize winner in every major competition across New Zealand. In 2024, Madeleine won the National Young Performer of the Year Award, reached the semifinals of the international Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition and was awarded the best NZ Pianist Award. She was also a recipient of the 2024 Pettman Royal-Overseas-League Scholarship which enabled her for a career development tour around Europe. Madeleine has played with several orchestras and became the youngest ever winner of the University of Auckland Concerto Competition. She also won the Auckland Youth Orchestra Piano Concerto Competition and has worked with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, TIMM Orchestra, and Bach Musica. She looks forward to performing as soloist with the Auckland Philharmonia in 2025.

As a chamber musician, Madeleine has collaborated with highly acclaimed musicians from all across the world such as Ben Goldscheider, Julian Bliss, Zlatomir Fung, Ben Baker, Justine Cormack and several musicians from Auckland Philharmonia. She has been invited to perform in the At the World’s Edge (AWE) Festival twice, both as an emerging artist and AWE fellow, touring the Central Lakes Region. Madeleine is also a Haydn Staples Auckland Philharmonia Piano Scholar for 2023-2025 and her chamber group, Kaha Trio, is an Auckland Philharmonia Aspiring Musicians ensemble. Winning the 2024 University of Auckland Chamber Music Competition in association with Chamber Music New Zealand, they have been invited to perform across NZ, being regarded as one of the top up-and-coming young ensembles.

William Sun (2025)

Yixuan (William) Sun has started his master’s degree at the University of Auckland, studying classical performance on the piano and the trumpet.

William is a talented pianist, who studies under Rae de Lisle and Justin Bird. He began his musical journey at age 4 with his mother, a piano teacher. He has since achieved notable success, including winning two classes at the 2021 North Shore Performing Arts Competitions and receiving prizes in the 2023 Margaret Doone Memorial Piano Sonata Scholarship. He was also a student under Stephen de Pledge and Richard Mapp, meanwhile, he experienced masterclasses with Joyce Yang, Michael Tsalka, Daniel Lebhardt, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, etc. In 2024, he was selected as a semifinalist in the University of Auckland School of Music Concerto Competition and the Lewis Eady National Piano Competition.

In 2025, William has been selected to perform at the Whakatipu Music Festival which will be held by the World’s Edge Festival.

In addition to his piano study, he has been learning the trumpet with Huw Dann since the beginning of his brass journey. He is currently in the Tian Guo Marching Band, Auckland Youth Orchestra, and University of Auckland Symphony Orchestra.