Three young finalists. One stage. A nation listening.
“In the silence before the first note, you discover whether your inner voice can hold the room.”
There is a particular stillness that settles over a concert hall just before a concerto begins. The orchestra inhales. The audience leans forward. And at the centre of it all stands someone not yet twenty-five – alone, but not alone – carrying years of scales, setbacks, and stubborn devotion in the curve of a bow.
The National Concerto Competition is New Zealand’s most distinguished classical competition for musicians under 25 as at 31 December 2025. But distinction is not what defines it. Pressure does. Possibility does. The moment when private discipline becomes public sound.
On Saturday 7 March 2026, in the Douglas Lilburn Auditorium at Christchurch Town Hall, Lorna Zhang (violin), Hayden Chiu (violin), and Ryan Yeh (cello) will step forward as finalists, performing with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra under conductor James Judd.
Three young artists. Three different temperaments. One stage.
The Moment It Became Serious
For Lorna, the shift from enjoyment to necessity came quietly. She had always loved the violin. Always assumed she would become a professional. But it wasn’t until her first chamber music experience that something deeper clicked.
“I started to feel most alive and in place when I play or listen to music.”
– Lorna Zhang
Music stopped being something she did. It became somewhere she belonged.
Hayden’s turning point came under the scrutiny of an international competition – Il Piccolo Violino Magico. The repertoire was vast. The preparation intense. But he loved the challenge.
“The competition showed me how far I could push myself, and helped me realise that being a professional musician was possible.”
– Hayden Chiu
Possible. That word changes everything.
Ryan’s answer is disarmingly different.
“Honestly, I hadn’t thought about it at all.”
For years he has simply trained – public recitals, competitions, performance opportunities – supported closely by his mother, a pianist.
“I am still just a boy who enjoys playing cello happily at the moment – happy to take on all challenges without any burden.”
– Ryan Yeh
Discipline without heaviness. Ambition without anxiety.
The Instrument as Companion
Lorna describes the violin as both vocal and virtuosic – capable of singing and blazing in the same breath. Ultimately, she sees it as a medium for communication.
Hayden is captivated by its colours – the myriad shades and phrases it can produce. On hard practice days, he reminds himself that improvement is incremental, that today’s difficulty becomes tomorrow’s fluency.
Ryan speaks of his cello differently.
“The cello has a beautiful sound – and mine has become my friend.”
– Ryan Yeh
Friend. Not tool. Not vehicle. Friend.
He carries with him a phrase from his headmaster: discipline is consistency in effort and in performance. Even on difficult days, he returns to the instrument with that thought steady in his mind.
The Weight of the Stage
Lorna does not romanticise competition.
“It is an emotional rollercoaster.”
– Lorna Zhang
You hear extraordinary players warming up and doubt flickers. Confidence must be summoned deliberately. Results can feel seismic. Mental resilience becomes as essential as technique.
Ryan agrees that preparation is not only physical.
“Preparing for a competition is largely mental preparation… the mental preparation is as important as preparing your performance.”
– Ryan Yeh
He is clear-eyed about perspective, too.
“Some of the musicians who were not selected for the final might play as well or even better than me – it’s all about your performance on the day.”
– Ryan Yeh
Hayden understands resilience firsthand. The first time he entered this competition, he did not advance beyond the preliminary round. It sharpened rather than discouraged him.
Growth, not glory.
The Orchestra Awaits
Lorna speaks of Christchurch Town Hall with excitement – and honesty. Thrilled. Slightly nervous. Ready to explore the concerto with the CSO and James Judd.
Hayden calls performing the full concerto with orchestra “a huge honour.” To stand as soloist is to assume responsibility – for phrasing, for direction, for courage.
Ryan was “absolutely overwhelmed” when selected as a finalist.
“To be able to play Rococo with Christchurch Symphony Orchestra is the reason I entered the competition.”
– Ryan Yeh
The Rococo Variations – elegance, poise, lyricism edged with fire. For a young cellist, it is both showcase and confession.
Advice from the Edge of the Spotlight
Lorna urges young musicians to enter – there is nothing to lose. Be the best version of yourself. Listen deeply to others. Learn from everyone.
Hayden echoes her: give it a go. Don’t fixate on awards. The process builds more than prizes ever could.
Ryan frames it differently.
“Take the competition opportunity as a treasure hunt.”
– Ryan Yeh
Enjoy your moment on stage. Make friends off it. Sixty-plus young musicians in one place is not merely rivalry – it is community.
There it is again – that lightness. That refusal to let pressure extinguish joy.
On Saturday evening, the hall will fall silent.
Three young musicians will step forward carrying discipline, doubt, courage, colour, friendship, ambition – and sound.
And so, as the lights rise in the Douglas Lilburn Auditorium this Saturday evening, we wish these remarkable finalists steadiness of hand, clarity of spirit, and the courage to inhabit every note. May the music carry them – and us – somewhere unforgettable.
Roger Wyllie, View Mag