2020 NZ Harp Performance Competition - Conditions of Entry form and the Registration form Registrations open July 1st, but you are very welcome to get yourself sorted in advance. Closing 1st August 2020, 8pm. And the very kind and generous sponsors are:
*Initial/Grade One (3 mins) - prize $75 donated by The Matariki Practice *Grade Two/Three (3 mins) - prize $75 donated by Rhiannon Swift (winner 2019) *Grade Four/Five (3 mins) - prize $100 donated by Derek Neutze *Grade Six/Seven (2-5 mins) - prize $150 donated by Carter Harps Australia *Grade Eight (3-6 mins) - prize $200 donated by NZ Harp Society
First Timers $50 –Sponsored by Maria Oxnam. A spot prize for a harpist who is entering the competition for the first time in 2020.
The Fay Mills Award for Outstanding Achievement. To be awarded to a student who is re-entering the competition and shows significant improvement and musical maturity since their entry in 2019. Students of Carolyn Mills are not eligible. Cash prize and two skype lessons as awarded by Carolyn Mills.
We're very grateful to the sponsors who make this competition happen with their donations!
2020 Judges - Alex Rider, UK, (hear Alex here) and Rachel Hair, Scotland - woohoo!
The NZ Harp Performance Competition (since 2015) is open to NZ harpists from beginner to Grade 8. Each year the entry form, and updated rules are posted here ... harpists from all over NZ video their best performance and send it in to enter the competition. All entries are posted on our youtube channel, and some of the entries have also been selected as examples of exam pieces on the Morley Harps website. Prizes are generously sponsored by members of the NZ harp scene - harpists, harp makers and retailers alike - we are very lucky to have this sponsorship. Each year our judges are harp teachers from NZ, and overseas, and the task of selecting a winner is not an easy one! Winners 2015 Winners 2016 Winners 2017 Winners 2018 Winners for 2019 .... Thanks to our sponsors Kim Webby Harpmaker, Oceania Harp Studio, Harps of the South, The Oxnam Family, The NZ Harp Society, and to our judges Keziah Thomas (UK), Maeve Gilchrist (Scotland/USA), Helen Webby (Christchurch), Annemieke Harmonie (Nelson), Michelle Velvin (Wellington)
And for a bit of a blast from a past (and giggle) I'm compiling pairings of videos of the younger harpies who appeared in the first competition and the current one - look how far they have come!!!!
(we also have Bethany and Iona who first entered in 2015, but unfortunately we had a different admin system - it was a later thought to put the entries on YouTube, and at the time, not all entrants gave their permission, so we no longer have the videos for Iona and Bethany)