Dunedin pianist and violist Cameron Monteath has been selected from a global pool of candidates to study towards a master’s degree at the Sibelius Academy, a university located in Finland and is recognised as one of Europe’s largest music academies.
‘‘It was a very competitive, and a very intense process ... I had to do all sorts of tests,’’ he said.
He will play a piano solo during the Dunedin Collegiate Orchestra show tomorrow, one of the last piano solos he will perform in the city before his departure.
Mr Monteath said he had received he chance to perform a piano solo with an orchestra only a handful of times, and he was glad to get the chance.
It will not be his final concert though as he also plays the viola regularly for the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra and will be playing a few last concerts.
He also hopes to hold his own charity concert to help pay to get to Europe.
‘‘I’m still figuring it all out, but I am excited.’’
Dunedin had been a great place for music, Mr Monteath said.
For a small city, it was so ‘‘musically active’’, though he was excited to get to see the European music scene first-hand.
During tomorrow’s show, University of Otago student Emanuel Nolden will be conducting the Dunedin Collegiate Orchestra in playing Finlandia, composed by Jean Sibelius, from Finland, in 1899.
It will be his debut as a conductor for an orchestra.
He said he was excited, but most of all honoured, as it was a special opportunity to get the chance to conduct an orchestra.
