RAY CHEN (Winner)
At the age of 15 Ray was accepted to the Curtis Institute of Music where he now works and studies with Aaron Rosand. He is privileged to count among his teachers David Cerone, Pamela Frank, Joseph Silverstein,  Maxim Vengerov and Antje Weithaas. In 2008, towards the end of his third year of study at the Curtis Institute, he won the Yehudi Menuhin Intenational Competiton for young violinists, verifying Professor Richter's assertion that he is one of our most talented and accomplished violinists.

Ray has performed in over 20 countries, including recent debuts  with the Marinsky Theatre Orchestra in St Petersburg and with the State Symphony Orchestra in Baku, Azerbaijan under the baton of Maxim Vengerov. Recently he won first prize at the 2008-09 Young Concert Artists International Auditions and has since signed a three and half year cotract with YCA which includes "The Macmillan" Stradivarius 1721 as part of his deal. YCA are also arranging a busy 2009-10 season for him, including recital debuts in New York (Carnegie Hall), Washington DC (Lincoln Center) and Boston (Gardner Museum).

JANET ANDERSON
Janet graduated in 2005 with 1st class Honours from Bachelor of Music in Advanced Performance at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music where she studied with Michele Walsh. Janet was a member of the Fyra String Quartet which competed in the finals of 2005 National Chamber Music Competition and featured on the 2004, 2005 and 2006 Australian Festival of Chamber Music tours with didgeridoo player William Barton, premiering works by Sculthorpe, Edwards and Hindson.

Following her award for the Best Performance of an Australian Work at the finals of the 2005 Kendall Violin Competition, Janet continued her studies in Munich, Germany at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater with Professor Gottfried Schneider. In 2006 Janet was awarded the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University Postgraduate Award.

Since 2007 Janet has been working full-time with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and is also playing with the Adelaide Chamber Players.She will play with the ACO as a casual player for their fourth 2009 Australian Subscription Tour. Her Adelaide-based string quartet, the Leonore String Quartet,will compete in July in the Asia-Pacific Chamber Music Competition in Melbourne, and she is an Australian Chamber Orchestra Emerging Artist for 2009
June 2009

JENNEN NGIAU-KENG
See 2006

XI MAY ZHEN
Born in Sydney in 1992, Xi May Zhen began to learn violin at the age of five. She passed LMusA with distinction in 2002, and 6th grade musicianship with honours the following year. In 2003 (aged 11) she was the youngest semi-finalist selected among 186 competitors from 29 countries to compete at the Menuhin International Violin Competition 2004 in London.

In 2005, at the age of 13, she was a finalist in the String Category of the ABC Young Performers Awards and the Kendall National Violin Competition. In the same year she won First Prize (Gold Medal) in the 2005 International Violin Competition in Germany and was a finalist in the Tchaikovsky International Competition. She was also a finalist in the National Youth Concerto competition (2004,05 & 06)

Xi May's solo performances include the NSW School Spectacular, the Premier's Gala Concert, NSW Public Schools Choral Concert, International Boat Show concert and Christmas Eve concerts at Olympic Park and Darling Harbour. In 2006 she was invited to Japan to perform Mozart's A major concerto in the concert celebrating Mozart's 250th anniversary. She has appeared as soloist with Udmurt Orchestra (Japan, 2006), Melbourne String Ensemble (2006), Queensland Youth symphony (2004, 2005 and 2006)Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (2005), SBS Youth Orchestra (2004), Sydney Concert Orchestra (2004), East West Philharmonic Orchestra (2001) and NSW State Schools' Orchestra (2001).
September 2006