Due to unforseen circumstances this event has been postponed until next year, date yet to be advised. Ticket holders will be contacted to arrange a refund.


By popular demand the Raye Freedman Arts Centre has managed to secure UNTITLED Piano Quartet to open the Ronisch Auckland Secondary Schools Piano Competition.

Untitled is the first piano quartet from the University of Auckland, formed in 2010 when pianists Lorelle McNaughton, Cindy Tsao, Somi Kim and Judy Lee joined forces. The group gained recognition in the local media for their concert and performance of Graham Fitkin's complete works for double duo piano at the Raye Freedman Arts Centre earlier this year and was one of only three chamber groups nominated from the School of Music to compete at the prestigious Royal Overseas League music competition held in Waikato. Tutored by Stephen De Pledge, the quartet are pleased to include in their repertoire a work written especially for them by New Zealand composer, David Hamilton.

Somi Kim
Born in South Korea, Somi Kim began her piano studies at the age of eight, and moved to New Zealand in 1997. She has participated in various chamber groups, reaching the national finals of the Secondary Schools Chamber Music Competition, with her piano trio 'Farr from Russia' winning the competition in 2006. As a member of the Westlake Girls' High School Choir 'Key Cygnetures', Somi has sung at various European venues, also participating in the World Choral Symposium 2008 held in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Somi is actively involved in accompanying and collaborative music, and has played for Gina Sanders and the NBR New Zealand Opera artists. She is currently in final year of her Bachelor of Music majoring in performance piano at the University of Auckland, under the instruction of Rae de Lisle.

Judy Lee
Born in Taiwan, Judy immigrated to New Zealand in 1990 and started formal piano lessons at age five with Qu Yong. She has had numerous successes in local and national piano competitions in Auckland and Rotorua, including placing second in the 21 and under concerto competition in Tauranga at the age of 9. This year she placed first in Senior Recital class at the North Shore Performing Arts competition.

The 2010 recipient of the Bernhardt and Anne Harrison Memorial Scholarship Trust, Judy is also passionate about conducting. She directed Britten's opera Albert Herring in 2008 was featured as a student conductor of the Auckland Chamber Choir in AK09 and currently directs the Auckland Normal Intermediate orchestra. Judy completed her BSci/BMus conjoint in 2009 and is currently an Honours student studying with Rae de Lisle.

Cindy Tsao
Cindy is currently in her third year at the University of Auckland, studying a Bachelor of Music majoring in Piano Performance with Rae de Lisle, as a University of Auckland Scholar. Originally from Taiwan, she came to New Zealand when she was one, residing in the small town of Katikati.

Beginning the piano at the age of 7, Cindy was under the tutelage of Margaret Carryer of Tauranga from 1997-2007, and has topped New Zealand in Trinity examinations several times, finally gaining her LTCL with 94% in 2006. She has played as a soloist with youth orchestras both on piano and violin. In 2008 she was a semifinalist in the National Young Performer of the Year and also named Best Student in Performance at the University of Auckland. Cindy plans to further her piano studies next year with postgraduate study.

Lorelle McNaughton
Born and raised in Manurewa, Manukau City, Lorelle is of mixed Maori, Chinese and Scottish heritage. She has been playing the piano since the age of nine and is currently a third year piano performance student at the University of Auckland. During her first two years of tertiary study she learnt from Read Gainsford and Natalia Ricci, and is now under the tutelage of Rae de Lisle.

After her first year of study at Auckland University, Lorelle was awarded the annual prize of Best Student in Performance and was a recipient of the Kathleen Mary Reardon Memorial Music Scholarship. Last year she received the University's Janetta McStay Prize for Pianists and was the winner of the Manukau Symphony Orchestra Scholarship. She was also named Most Promising Pianist at the 2008 National Young Performer of the Year Awards. Lorelle hopes to further her piano studies next year with postgraduate study and continue overseas in the future.