Accomplished Meriden violinist, Teresa Yang, has taken out the top prize in the Sydney Eisteddfod NSW Doctors Orchestra Instrumental Scholarship after delivering a spectacular twenty-five-minute performance. Her show-stopping repertoire featured masterpieces such as Tchaikovsky’s Valse-Scherzo, two movements from Bach’s Partita for Violin No. 2, and Heifetz’s arrangement of Gershwin’s Three Preludes.
The NSW Doctors Orchestra Instrumental Scholarship is a highlight of the Sydney Eisteddfod program and features exceptional instrumental performances of the highest calibre. The competition aims to discover and encourage an outstanding instrumentalist from the fields of strings, woodwind or brass instruments.
Despite competing against musicians who have commenced their professional careers, Teresa performed beautifully in the competition to be awarded first place. Teresa will use the scholarship funds to further her musical education.
“I have pushed myself to improve and reach my potential to become a more mature musician. The competition was a great learning experience. I did not anticipate that I would win as I was competing against tertiary students who I admire,” said Teresa.
The Year 11 student is a passionate violinist who began her musical journey eleven years ago.
“The first time I touched a violin was on my fifth birthday. I started out competing in various smaller competitions and have continued to enter more and more each year,” she said.
Teresa is a member of Meriden’s Amadeus program, a dedicated program designed to nurture the talents of exceptional young musicians by fostering musical growth, supporting academic endeavours and offering exciting performance opportunities.
Teresa’s unwavering dedication to her craft has earned her considerable acclaim in various prestigious competitions across Australia. In 2022, she secured first prize in the Melbourne Recital Centre’s esteemed Bach Competition, building on her impressive second-place finish the previous year. Moreover, Teresa emerged victorious in the highly regarded Kendall National Violin Competition, a renowned competition that has been previously won by exceptional violinists including Ray Chen, and recently, Teresa reached the finals of the esteemed National Youth Concerto Competition.
Teresa’s love of music and genuine passion for the pieces she brings to life are unmistakable.
“I love music. I love the sound the violin produces, and I enjoy sharing the beautiful music written for violin with the world. Winning the NSW Doctors Orchestra Instrumental Scholarship makes me so excited for the future,” said Teresa.
“I hope to pursue a career as a musician at the highest level. I want to do justice to the composers for the work they have done and be able to share the beauty of music with people all over the world.”
