2005 Finalists

Janet Anderson

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 she has been full-time member of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and in 2008 her quartet, the Leonore String Quartet participated in the International Musicians’ Seminar – Prussia Cove, Cornwall UK, studying with Peter Cropper.
July 2008

Ray Chen

RAY CHEN
Towards the end of his third year of study at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Ray verified Professor Richter's assertion that he is one of our most talented and accomplished current young violinists by winning the 2008 Menuhin Competition, the world's leading international competition for young violinists.

At the end of June he made his Russian debut in St Petersburg playing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Marinsky (Kirov) Orchestra under the baton of famous violinist, Maxim Vengerov. He returned to be involved in the Aspen Music Festival.
June 2008

Jennen Ngiau-Keng

JENNEN NGIAU-KENG
See 2006

Xi May Zhen

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