The winners of the NZCT Chamber Music Contest, Vich Perfect, "left everything on stage" this weekend.
Grace Lawrence (violin), Christine Jeon (cello), and Samuel Jeon (piano), discuss the highs and lows of their finale in New Zealand's most celebrated and longest running chamber music competition.
In a story with a Hollywood-like arch, the students' from St Andrew's College overcame dramatic odds to take out the top prize.
Vich Perfect Photo: Chamber Music New Zealand
Moments before they were due on stage Christine's cello tumbled from the case, the impact snapping its neck.
"I was running through the hallway asking for help," she tells Clarissa Dunn, contest compère and host of RNZ's Music Alive.
She was handed a cello, a guest performer's, and spent the next 20 minutes figuring out how to play it.
"Everything was different. Literally. The size, the shape, the shifting."
In a display of true musicianship, Virtuoso Strings Quintet traded their place in the final line-up, allowing Christine time to practice.
Perhaps it was the adrenaline and the drama, but when Vich Perfect did make it on stage their rendition of Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH: Piano Trio No 2 catapulted them into first place.
"It was such an insane piece," says violinist Grace. "I come off stage and almost fall over, because it's just so intense."
Despite that, she was still speechless when they were announced the winners.
Pianist Samuel, who is in his final year of school, echoes the sentiment.
"We were just absolutely shocked. We really did this for fun and for our school. We had high ambitions of course, but never thought this day would come."
The Chamber Music Contest is bursting with talented young musicians, another of whom is Vadim Fong.
Clarissa also caught up with the 15-year old from Whangarei Boys' High School and winner of the Original Composition.
Vadim's composition Seven Scenes for String Octet is "meant to make an image in your head. Like a movie."
The piece was performed by members of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, including Donald Armstrong, the very first composition winner at the contest.
In fact, Clarissa learns that half of the guest performers are contest alumni.
Listen as she talks to Upbeat host David Morriss about the wealth of talent displayed at the weekend, the competition's strong pun tradition, and why the contest is so important in New Zealand's chamber music scene.
Catch the entire contest and Clarissa Dunn, our compère without compare, in full Shosta-flow-vich in Music Alive at 8:00pm this Friday, 13 August on RNZ Concert.
