Staff

Dimitri Atanassov (Violin – week 2) was born in Bulgaria, giving his first public performance at the age of six. After many years studying with his father, the renowned Bulgarian violinist Joachim Atanassov, and later with professor Anna Ivanova. Dimitri studied at the Prague Academy of Arts under the guidance of professor Vaclav Snitil, completing his masters degree in 1994. Having participated in masterclasses with violinists Alberto Lysy and Victor Liberman, Dimitri was selected as leader of the RIAS Youth Orchestra in Berlin from 1992 until 1994. As soloist and chamber-musician, he performed in Austria, Germany, Greece, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Italy, Yugoslavia, Russia, Holland and Israel, before arriving in New Zealand in 1995 to take up the position of sub-principal second violins with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. In New Zealand he performs regularly as a chamber musician and soloist. In 1996 he became a member of the Ogen trio, and in 1999 took up the position of violin tutor at the University of Waikato. In early 2003 he also became a violin tutor at the University of Auckland. His students have participated with great success in many National and International competitions. Dimitri is the co-founder and artistic director of the Rotorua Chamber Music Festival. He is currently the Concertmaster of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, a role to which he was appointed in 2005.

Lara Hall (Violin – week 1) is Lecturer in Violin and Viola at the University of Waikato, Artistic Director of Accelerando, the University of Waikato Junior Music Academy, and a member of the New Zealand Chamber Soloists. Study included a summer in the Dorothy Delay Studio and a Doctorate at the University of Michigan with Paul Kantor and Yehonatan Berick. She returns periodically to the USA to perform on both modern and baroque violin. Lara’s 2009 tour included performances in the UK, Europe and South America and she also gave master classes at institutions including the Royal Academy of Music in Dublin and Interlochen Arts Academy in the US.

Professor Yair Kless (Violin) was born in Israel where he studied at the Tel Aviv Academy of Music with Israel Amidan and Andre Gertler, the Brussels Conservatory and Queen Elisabeth’s Musical Chapel. His activity as a soloist as well as a chamber musician spans the world. One of the best-known teachers in the world, Yair Kless has taught many students who have won international competitions and hold key positions in the musical field in Israel and around the world. He headed the Strings Department at the Rubin Academy of Music for many years, and was head of the Academy during 1989-93. He participates in festivals and leads workshops in Europe, USA, Israel, Japan and Australia. Since 1995, Yair Kless has divided his time between Israel and Europe, where he is professor of violin at Graz University, Austria, and also teaches at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England..

Vesa-Matti Leppänen (Violin – week 2) is Concertmaster of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and also teaches violin at the New Zealand School of Music in Wellington. Originally from Finland, he moved to New Zealand in June 2000. He studied at the Turku Conservatorium, in Turku, Finland, and then went on to study at the Sibelius Academy of Music in Helsinki. Further studies with Professor Yair Kless (Israel), Simo Vuoristo (Finland), and masterclasses with world-class soloists Ilya Kaler (USA) and Anatoli Melnikov (Russia) strongly influenced his playing. He is also active in the New Zealand chamber music scene as a member of 'Felix the Quartet' and the contemporary music group STROMA.

Feng Ning (Violin) was born in Chengdu, China, where he began violin studies at age four. He studied at the Sichuan Music Conservatory, and in 1998, was invited as a full scholarship student to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London. There he participated in a masterclass with the late Lord Yehudi Menuhin, who invited him to perform in Germany. He later became the first student ever to be given a perfect score for his final recital in the nearly 200 years of Royal Academy of Music history, and was subsequently elected as an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM). Since winning 1st Prize in the Michael Hill International Violin Competition in 2005 and the 51st Paganini International Violin Competition in 2006, he has concertised widely throughout the world. In 2007 he appeared by invitation in Boston, New York, Tokyo, Beijing, Rome, Moscow and Berlin, as well as other cities in Germany, Netherlands, Italy, France, China, Canada and New Zealand. Feng Ning is based in Berlin, where he has recently completed his studies with Antje Weithaas at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler".

Kristina Zelinska (Violin – Week 1) born in Ukraine, began her violin study at the Kiev Special Music School and later continued studies at Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Kiev. She played with the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine and the National Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra touring Europe and Asia. She immigrated to New Zealand in 1999 and continued her study at the University of Canterbury with Jan Tawroszewicz – completing her BMusHons degree. In 2001 she took the position of third chair first violin with Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and in 2005 moved to Wellington to join the first violin section in the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. As well as playing in the NZSO Kristina enjoys playing chamber music and is involved in many chamber music projects throughout New Zealand.

Kim Uhe (Feldenkrais®) teaches The Feldenkrais^®Method on the Hibiscus Coast north of Auckland. She has been involved in music for many years and presently sings in a small choir.

Sarah Watkins (Piano) is a founding member of NZTrio. She has been an official pianist for the Michael Hill International Violin Competition since its inception in 2001, and performs as a freelance player in both the NZSO and APO. After graduating from the University of Canterbury, Sarah earned both MM and DMA degrees in collaborative piano from the Juilliard School, New York. A US resident for fourteen years, Sarah was a staff pianist at Juilliard and Yale University, was coordinator of the collaborative piano program at the Music Academy of the West, and taught at (SUNY) Purchase College, New York.

Kirsten Simpson (Piano) graduated from the University of Canterbury with a MMus, studying with Diedre Irons. She studied at the Royal College of Music in London with Gordon Fergus-Thompson, John Blakely and Roger Vignoles, and graduated with a PGDip adv., sponsored by the Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Dame Malvina Major and Solti Foundations. Kirsten has performed with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Hayley Westenra, Dame Malvina Major, Sir Howard Morrison, Anna Leese, Natalia Lemeiko and Yuri Zhislin. Every year she accompanies on the Solti Te Kanawa Accademia Di Bel Canto in Italy. Kirsten has recently been awarded AMP and Adastra scholarships for further study.

Tom McGrath (Piano) studied with Diedre Irons and in Munich with Yasuko Matsuda and Donald Sulzen. He participated in courses by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Graham Johnson and was a finalist at the International Schubert and Music of Modernity Competition in Graz. He has given concerts in Europe, Japan and New Zealand and recorded with Genuin, Ode Records, Bavarian Radio, Austrian Radio and Radio New Zealand. Since returning to New Zealand in 2003, he has performed throughout the country including solo appearances with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and Southern Sinfonia. He lives in Dunedin where he is on the faculty of the Music Department at Otago University.

All information is accurate at the time of publication. Management reserves the right to make changes as necessary without prior notice.