Midday
Young pianist Ashani Waidyatillake has won the Wallace National Junior Piano Competition. The young star performed with legendary pianist Lang Lang last year. Plus listen out for how to WIN tickets to the Lexus Song Quest semi-finals in Wellington this weekend.
Wallace National Jr Piano Competition 2018 winner Ashani Waidyatillake Photo: Kelley Eady
1pm Lexus Song Quest: What it takes to teach a talent
The semi-finals of the Lexus Song Quest are fast approaching. Talented singers from around the country will converge in Wellington for the semi- final round after months, if not years of preparation. Behind every good singer is a dedicated teacher. Judy Bellingham is one of them. She discusses spotting talent, the passion that goes into teaching, what happens when a student does well and what to expect from the 2019 New Zealand Singing School.
Judy Bellingham Photo: Supplied
2pm
We’re featuring ‘variations’ in Upbeat this week, and today’s set is by Arnold Bax: his Symphonic Variations for piano and orchestra, dedicated to his muse and lover, pianist Harriet Cohen.
Harriet Cohen Photo: wikicommons
