Dates for 2026

• Registrations open: Monday 1 December 2025.
• Registrations close: When 100 Solo Entries are reached or 10 pm Monday 16 February 2026 (whichever comes first). NB the last two years we have reached 100 solo entries well before February.
• Submission of recordings for the 100 entrants close 10 pm Monday 23 February 2026.
• Stage 1, viewing the video auditions Sunday 8 March 2026 (3 adjudicators together at a private venue).
• Stage 2, The 20 Semi-Finalists perform live to an open audience, Sunday 29 March 2026, from 11.00 am to 5.00 pm at Abbotsleigh Senior School, Wahroonga (venue to be confirmed)
• Stage 3, the Finals Concert: Sunday 28 June 2026 at 3.00 pm at The Concourse, Chatswood.

Semi Finals Schedule

The KPO NSW Secondary Schools Concerto Competition Semi Finals are on Sunday 29 March in the Peter Duly Concert Hall at Abbotsleigh, Wahroonga, commencing at 11.00am and concluding at around 4.00pm. The 6 Finalists will then be announced.

The Semi Finals Schedule is available here.

It is open to the Public and Family, Friends and Supporters are most welcome to attend the day at any time and entry is free, though it will be possible to make a donation to the KPO.

Access to Abbotsleigh will only be from Ada Avenue via the Carpark (Gate 1A) or the Pedestrian Gate just above the carpark entrance. From the carpark, head up the stairs halfway along the highway side of the carpark – look for the KPO CONCERTO COMPETITION signs. Audience members will be guided to the Concert Hall. We are once again most grateful to Abbotsleigh for their support in hosting this year’s Concerto Competition Semi-Finals.

2026 Finalists

Congratulations to all of the wonderful performers at the KPO Concerto Competition Semi-Finals. The audience, orchestra volunteers and the adjudicators were so impressed by the standard of concert performance, technical skill and musicality. They also appreciated the outstanding accompanists who supported the soloists and made the piano sound like an orchestra!

The three adjudicators were:
Luke Byrne, Pianist, composer, conductor and international Musical Director;
Airena Nakamura, Principal 2nd Violin and Section Leader in the Opera Australia Orchestra, former Finalist and mother of a Finalist!
Ben Jacks, French Horn Soloist who served as Principal Horn with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for 25 seasons.

They found it difficult to choose the Six Finalists but the final choices came down to the most musical performances with the potential to work with an orchestra. We look forward to hearing them all perform with the orchestra on Sunday June 28 at 3.00pm at the Concourse. Tickets are on sale now here!

The Finalists are:

• Christina Bhang - Violin - Korngold
• Kiara Morishita-Lee - Flute - Mozart
• Jaemin Yoo - Viola - Bartok
• Leon Spikmans - Double Bass - Bottesini
• Jeffrey Dong - Piano - Chopin
• Connie Liu - Violin - Sibelius

Highly Commended performers are:

• Justin Gao - Marimba - Golovko
• Elizabeth Luiskandl - Violin - Lalo
• Lennard Suen - Piano - Rachmaninoff
• Cloris Xu - Oboe - Martinu

How to Enter the Competition

Details

Prizes

• Overall Winner: $6000 + engagement to perform with the KPO during the following year
• Barbara Cran Award: $1,500
• Barbara Robinson Award: $1,500
• Dual Crescendo Award for Potential: $800
• Perpetual Cups: awarded to the schools of the overall winner, Barbara Robinson award winner and the Barbara Cran award winner
• KPO Players' Award: $500 to the best solo performer during rehearsals with the orchestra (KPO players’ choice)
• All solo finalists will receive $250 and a certificate
• Multiple Instruments Concerto Prize: $400 each (biennial NOT in 2026)
• Emily Sun Violin Prize: a triennial loan of a 1946 A E Smith violin from Professor Emily Sun (triennial NOT in 2026)

FAQs

Competition Rules

Download here

Donate to the NSW Secondary Schools Concerto Competition

Donate online here

Contact