Festival – 2021 Season

Days

Hours

Minutes

Seconds

31/7 | Napier

The New Zealand Concert Bands Association is excited to be offering NZCBA Festival 2021 – Napier!

We are thrilled that hosts Napier Technical Memorial Band and Michelle Dunstall are on board for 2021 after last year’s cancellation, the first cancellation of Festival since 1988.

Performance opportunities include Band, Solo, and Small Ensemble Performances. We are also in the midst of organising a number of educational sessions during the course of Festival.

The full schedule can be found here.
Rules and Guidelines for Festival 2021 can be found here.

Band performances

This years Festival and Band Performances are centred around the Napier Municipal Theatre. Bands are invited to present a 20-minute programme in a 30-minute time slot. Take this opportunity to provide an exhilarating programme!

The Schedule of Bands can be found here.

Each band that performs at Festival will receive a certificate in either Gold, Silver, or Bronze, as determined by the adjudicators. One band from each group will also receive an Adjudicators Commendation Award. This decision is made at the adjudication panels’ discretion.

The Style Awards available to Bands at Festival 2021 are;

Excellent Performance of an Original Concert Band Work
Excellent Performance of a Work Arranged for Concert Band
Excellent Performance of an Entertaining Work
Most Engaging Soloist – Band Performance

The Major Awards available to Bands at Festival 2021 are;

The Robert Lutt Trophy
for Best Performance of a Piece by a Band.
The Robert Lutt Annual Concert Band Award
for Outstanding Festival Band.
Royal New Zealand Navy Band Award
for Outstanding Performance by a Band.
The David Chaulk Memorial Award
for Best Performance of a New Zealand Work.

Spirit of Festival Award
for a band that has been in existence for two years or less as a concert band and/or Performs a programme consisting only of music at or below Grade Two Wind Ensemble and demonstrates excellent on-stage etiquette, follows their musical director, has excellent posture and playing positions, and are well prepared.

Small Ensembles

This years Small Ensemble Performances are being held at St Pauls Presbyterian Church. Small Ensembles are invited to perform within a 10-minute time slot.

Small Ensembles at Festival are groups of no more than 10 musicians. Use this as the place to develop your musicianship and confidence!

Each performance done by a Small Ensemble will be awarded a certificate in either Gold, Silver, or Bronze.

The Major Awards available to Small Ensembles at Festival 2021 is;

The Royal New Zealand Air Force Band Adjudicators Award
for Outstanding Performance by a Small Ensemble
Bernard Watson Ensemble Award
for a Small Ensemble that does not win the RNAFB Adjudicators Award that was a joy for the adjudication panel to hear.

Solos

This years Solo Performances are being held at St Pauls Presbyterian Church. Soloists are invited to perform within a 10-minute time slot. Soloists are also invited to perform in one of three categories; School, Tertiary, Open.

Soloists may elect to perform with or without an accompanist. A piano will be provided, but soloists are responsible for bringing their own accompanists. Use this as an opportunity to extend your playing just beyond where you thought you were comfortable.

Each performance done by a Small Ensemble will be awarded a certificate in either Gold, Silver, or Bronze. In addition to this there will be three awards for Best Performance, one in each category.

The Major Awards available to Soloists at Festival 2021 is;

The R&J Massey Adjudicators Award
for Outstanding Performance by a Soloist
The Chris Johnson Solo Award
for a Soloist in the Open category who has not won an award prior that was a joy for the adjudication panel to hear.

Our Adjudication panel

Bands

Vincent Hardaker

Vincent Hardaker is one of New Zealand's most promising up-and-coming conductors and is currently the New Zealand Assistant Conductor in Residence. In June 2020 he graduated from the Soloist Class in Orchestral Conducting from the Royal Danish Academy of Music (DKDM). In the past year he has worked with the Auckland Philharmonia, Christchurch Symphony and Dunedin Symphony along with leading a DKDM production of “Postcard from Morocco” from Pulitzer-Prize winning composer Dominick Argento. He was the NZSO Conducting Fellow in 2015,He was the NZSO Conducting Fellow in 2015, through which he assisted for the NZSO National Youth Orchestra, and received mentorship from such conductors as Vasily Petrenko, Jose Luis Gomez and Simone Young.

Click here to learn more about them

Jono Palmer

Jono Palmer is a dynamic and enterprising conductor from Auckland, New Zealand. His choirs have won national and international acclaim, including two Gold Medals at the 2015 Grand Prix of Nations in Magdeburg, Germany, and many awards at regional and national festivals of the NZCF Big Sing festival. As a conductor, Jono has been selected for various masterclasses and competitions. In 2018, he was a finalist in the inaugural London International Choral Conducting Competition. He has a particular research interest in choral works inspired by te ao Māori, especially in the influence of colonialization and cultural appropriation on New Zealand choral music, which is the topic of his doctoral dissertation. Jono earned a MM in Choral Conducting from Indiana University, a BMus(hons) in Performance Voice, and a BA in Ancient History from the University of Auckland. He has recently completed coursework towards a doctorate in Choral Conducting at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. To find out more about Jono, you can visit his website.

Click here to learn more about them

Small Ensembles

Corporal Rebecca Steel

As a Flute and Piccolo Player I have worked in all the major orchestras in Sydney, Wellington and Christchurch, in both permanent positions and as a casual player. The highlight of my orchestral career was playing in the Philharmonia in London when I took a year’s sabbatical in 1992. Whilst I consider myself a performer first, throughout my playing career I have always taken great pleasure in teaching students of all ages and levels. Since returning from Australia I have done some playing work with the NZSO, the Wellington Vector Orchestra, the Days Bay Opera Company and the RNZAF Band, and I have been taking some of the flute and woodwind classes at the NZSM at Victoria University.

Click here to learn more about them

Flight Sergeant Grant Myhill

Grant is a Wellington based percussionist, who has played for Orchestra Wellington, the Royal New Zealand Air Force Band (RNZAFB), the National Brass Band and many other ensembles. As a kid, Grant always aspired to play in the National Band. The excitement of being selected and being part of a group of amazing musicians from across NZ to play great music still motivates him to be the best that he can be. With the National Band’s proposed tour of New Zealand, Grant hopes to meet other percussionists and band leaders in the view of being available to share his knowledge and skills.

Click here to learn more about them

solos

Corporal Michael Costeloe

Wellington born and bred trumpet player and composer Mike Costeloe is an active and integral luminary of the Wellington music scene. He performs regularly in many different ensembles, including the RNZAF Band, The Wellington Mingus Ensemble, and Bazurka.

Corporal Nick Walshe

Kia ora, my name is Nick Walshe, and I’m a clarinetist based in the Wellington region. I’m currently principal clarinet with Orchestra Wellington, and co-principal clarinet with the Royal NZ Air Force Band. I’ve recently returned to Wellington after completing postgraduate studies at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University in Montreal, Canada. I’m an experienced and passionate musician, teacher, and arts administrator, having worked professionally in all three of these disciplines over my career.

Click here to learn more about them

Instrumental workshops and other activities

NZCBA would like to extend our thanks to our principal sponsor for Festival 2021, Doctor Toot.