Cameron Monteath is well known for his compositional abilities, but this weekend he gets the chance to show off his piano skills.
Monteath is one of three finalists in the Dunedin Concerto Competition alongside cellist Boudewijn Keenan and violinist Elio Oh that will perform solo with the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Anthony Ritchie, at the Dunedin Town Hall on Saturday night.
Late last year Monteath won the overall New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Todd Corporation Young Composer Award for his orchestral piece Moirai and had it played by the national orchestra.
"That really solidified that I enjoyed that side of things."
An Otago University music student, Monteath is studying piano, composition and a bachelor of arts in French and German as well.
"It’s very much a juggling act. I really enjoying doing them all."
While composition has been his "true love", Monteath has been learning the piano since primary school after watching a teacher play.
"I tried to play what she played following her fingers along. She ended up giving me her piano very generously and it went from there."
He also did Saturday music classes in recorder and violin and began to write music at 9 years old.
"It became something I became more and more interested in. A lot is about how it made me feel and the way it conveys emotion. Even at a young age."
Piano practice was something he struggled with growing up but when he got to university he began to immerse himself in it.
"I’ve come to love it, I love sitting there, the pursuit of improvement and knowledge that draws me in."
He has high praise for his piano teacher Terrence Dennis as his passion and knowledge is infectious for his students.
"I credit him for reigniting my interest."
Monteath will play Poulenc’s Piano Concerto which he has not played before but is within his capabilities.
"Piano concertos are big large romantic works and this is not so completely virtuosic, it’s a very good introduction."
Piano and composition influence each other as you get a good grasp on how music is created and what makes good music, but then the piano gives you a great understanding of harmony and you know how to write well for the instrument, he says.
"It also broadens my knowledge of repertoire, the more knowledge of music the better."
The competition is an opportunity to learn a new piece and play a composer he had not before.
"Playing a concerto piece is very different to a solo in that you have to project over a large orchestra which is something I don’t have much experience in so I thought that would be useful too."
He has played with the DSO before in its Monster Mash concert last year.
"It was a whole lot of fun. I loved it and thought it would be nice to do that again if I could."
Having the orchestra behind you and having lots of people on stage feels quite a collaborative experience, he says.
"You have all these people behind you supporting you."
His interest in languages also feeds into his music as he gets to learn about the cultures and societies in which much of the music he works with was written. He also hopes to one day travel to Europe.
"Having a knowledge of languages enables you to communicate with other people and uses a different part of the brain."
He is back in Auckland, having put off starting his medical school for a year, to concentrate on music.
"I really missed music. I really wanted to go back and focus on playing the violin."
It is not surprising given he has been playing the violin since he was 5 years old having been inspired to take it up by his older brothers.
"I come from a musical family. I fell in love."
He loves playing in groups as he enjoys making connections with other people through music and the camaraderie. So he is really enjoying being back at his old high school and helping out with youth ensembles, teaching and directing.
"I really love working with youth ensembles. Trying something really different and taking a break from university."
His dilemma is that he also loves the idea of a hands-on job helping people which led to doing his pre-medicine year in Dunedin but he has realised he cannot give up music.
"That’s why I’m taking a gap year."
Oh has a soft spot for chamber music so he can really get the connection with other musicians and as an extension of that is playing in an orchestra.
"It’s that feeling of union."
The Concerto Competition has given him a clear goal to work towards this year and an opportunity to perform a solo with an orchestra.
"It’s a great opportunity. I’ve never played in front of an orchestra."
He has chosen Sibelius’ Violin Concerto to play as it has always been a favourite for the soundscape it creates even though he describes it as "fiendishly difficult" to play.
"It’s a great opportunity to see how far I can go in mastering this really famous concerto. I’m surprisingly doing pretty well so far."
What has helped is having faith in his abilities and believing in himself, he says.
The competition has been a great experience so far with a supportive and friendly atmosphere.
"Everyone is supporting each other, we are supporting each others development as soloists. It’s a great opportunity to learn."
Oh is looking forward to getting up on stage on Saturday night.
"There will be a lot of new challenges to navigate. Being in the spotlight, communicating with the conductor, it’ll be a different experience for me."
Now in his second year of studying music at the University of Otago, Keenan is ready to tackle the competition again.
"I really enjoyed the experience so I thought I’d give it another try."
This year he was also selected by the competition’s adjudicators Richard Mapp, Debbie Rawson and Donald Maurice to be the competition’s best cellist.
"It’s very exciting."
Having played the cello since he was a child after his mother selected it for him, he really appreciates its depth of sound and the range of colours a player can get from it.
With the experience of one competition behind him, he knows there will be a lot of nerves on Saturday night.
"But it’s an opportunity to communicate with a wide range of people. There is a much bigger sound behind you than the piano which I’m used to performing with, its a rush for sure. "
He has selected to play Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations which he knows will be a good challenge. There are seven variations developing the theme and calling on the full range of the cello.
"It can be quite an exhilarating experience for the audience too, which is exciting. It’s really well written for a solo instrument."
He has been spending many hours rehearsing the piece and admits the process is what he really loves.
"Otherwise I think it would be very hard to maintain."
Also performing in the concert is the Dunedin Youth Orchestra, conducted by Nathaniel Otley. It will perform the Latin-American rhythms of Marquezs’ Danzon No.2 and Sibeliuss’ Finlandia, along with new works by New Zealand composers Grace Shaw, Maddy Parkins-Craig and John Rimmer. The DSO, with some DYO members in its ranks, will accompany the finalists in the second half of the concert.
To see
The Finalists Concert of the Dunedin Concerto Competition, Dunedin Town Hall, Saturday May 27.
