The award-winning Moon Stars are, from left, Amitai Aharon, Ollie Blyth, Kate Ploeg, Anvilly Huang, Emma Moon, Hannah Houghton, Grace Duan and Izaac Glynn.
Chamber music group the Moon Stars has won Best Performance of an Original Composition at the prestigious National Chamber Music Contest.
The group performed a piece by student member Emma Moon called Serbian Dance when they took the stage at the Raye Freedman Centre on Wednesday, 7 June.
Head of Music Ms Milica Zjajic-Moon said the judges commented on the cohesive sound and balance achieved by the group. They later awarded MAGS the prize out of 110 groups competing from throughout New Zealand. This is the first time a MAGS group has won an award at the contest in 15 years of competition, such is the required standard of performance.
Serbian Dance was performed earlier this year as part of the Year 13 Drama production of Hotel Europa.
A second group, MAGS Violin Octet (left), performed Spanish Dance No. 2 by Moritz Moszkowski. The judges praised the group’s accuracy and ‘sound colour’. Members are Hannah Houghton, Sophie Houghton, Emma Moon, Kate Ploeg, Grace Duan, Franziska Hoemke, Gary He and Precious Valencia.