AWE Emerging Artist Mentorship Pathway

Advocating for those that aspire, more than just a stage for local and international talent, At the World’s Edge Festival is the nurturing of chamber music in our communities and in our future generations.

Delivered through a multi-year programme tailored to each individual, the AWE Emerging Artist Mentoring Pathway aims to grow exceptional young New Zealand musicians through their early careers, guiding and supporting these talented individuals to become the compelling artists they aspire to be.

Through side-by-side rehearsals, performance opportunities and coaching from Festival Artists during each October AWE Festival, the pathway supports our finest young musicians to develop their artistry and craft in a whole new realm.

Performing a varied repertoire of works from the AWE Festival programme, each year the Emerging Artists also premiere the AWE Emerging Composer composition.

Not only performing within the festival programmes, our Emerging Artists will play for over 2,000 school students throughout the Queenstown Lakes district with AWE+ in Schools.

2024 Emerging Artists

Sarah Lee

Violin
NZ

Sarah is currently in the second year of her Bachelor of Music degree at The University of Auckland, studying with Stephen Larsen. Her passion for music has led to various achievements, such as receiving second place at the PACANZ National Competition in 2022, the Chiron Lewis Eady Foundation Scholarship in 2022, and a Gold award at the NZCT Chamber Music Competition in 2021. She has also performed as a first violinist in the NZSO National Youth Orchestra in 2022. 

Tal Amoore

Viola
NZ

Wellington based violist Tal joins AWE in 2024 as a ‘Returning Emerging Artist’, having joined the Mentoring Pathway in 2022. A charismatic young violist, now in his final year of study at Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music with Gillian Ansell, he is looking to head overseas for further studies in 2025.

  • Tal is a rostered artist for the Afflatus Ensemble and the Dame Malvina Major Foundation, as well as being founder and violist of the Eden Quartet. He performs with Orchestra Wellington following earlier playing within the NZSO National Youth Orchestra, the Wellington Youth Orchestra, Auckland Youth Orchestra and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra as an Aspiring Musician.

Christine Jeon

Cello
NZ

Christchurch cellist Christine Jeon currently studies at The University of Auckland under the tutelage of James Tennant. As part of the piano trio, Vich Perfect, she won the Judith Clark National First Place award at the 2021 NZCT chamber contest. In 2022, she was named the National Finalist of the National String Competition, gaining the 3rd prize and the People’s Choice Award. Subsequently, she gained the First Prize in the International Melbourne Strings Festival Competition.

  • In 2023, Christine received the Second Prize at the American Virtuoso International Music Competition and made her first orchestral debut as a concerto soloist playing the Elgar cello concerto with the NZSO. Additionally, Christine gained the First Prize at the National Young Performer Awards. Currently, she is playing on the Hewitt cello through a generous loan from the Michael Hill Foundation for Art and Music.

Henry Meng

Piano
NZ

Henry Meng is a pianist and composer studying at the University of Auckland under the tutelage of Rae de Lisle and Stephen de Pledge. As a pianist, he has performed with the Auckland Philharmonia and Christchurch Symphony Orchestra; with the latter, winning second place in the 2023 National Concerto Competition.

  • As a composer, his works have been performed by the Auckland Philharmonia and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra; he was the winner of the orchestra’s 2023 TODD Young Composer’s Award. Fanfare is featured in the NZSO’s 2024 concert season.

2024 Emerging
Composer
Mentorship

With New Zealand music woven into the very seams of the AWE Festival, each year one young composer is selected through a nationwide competition to receive personalised mentoring for the AWE Festival. During this time, our Emerging Composer will create a new work for premiere within the festival.

Over five months, AWE 2024 Emerging Composer Estella Wallace will receive personalised composition mentoring from Eve de Castro-Robinson, this year’s Composer in Residence, to write a short chamber work for premiere within the AWE Festival. This composition will also be performed at school performances throughout the Central Lakes region.

Estella will take up residence at AWE during the festival weeks, attending performances, working with the musicians performing her new piece, and personally introducing the work within the performances.

2024 Emerging Composer

Estella Wallace

Emerging Composer, AWE 2024
NZ (Kāi Tahu)

Estella is in her second year studying composition at the New Zealand School of Music Te Kōkī. Originally from Christchurch with Kāi Tahu descent, her passion for composition started at fourteen, thanks to her high school music teachers. Since then, she has written for choirs, chamber groups and even a graduation march for her high school’s orchestra.

  • One of Estella’s biggest achievements was winning the 2022 NZCF-SOUNZ Te Reo Māori Choral Composition Competition with her piece Ka Mate Te Reo I Te Reaka Kotahi. This has since been recorded by Tudor Consort and sung by the Christchurch Youth Choir. Estelle enjoys using music to explore her whakapapa, Māori culture, Aotearoa’s landscapes, and relevant issues such as climate change. Estelle plays the clarinet in addition to her composing, having played with numerous groups. She has also written many pieces for solo clarinet, one of which premiered at the Pyramid Club in April 2024. Estella is thrilled to have been selected as the AWE Emerging Composer, and can’t wait to share her music and see what this opportunity will bring at the AWE Festival 2024.

Thank you to SOUNZ Centre for NZ Music for their competition administration support.