Western News: May 18, 2023
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Thursday <strong>May</strong> <strong>18</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Ten-year-old composer’s<br />
music wows audience<br />
IT IS said Beethoven wrote<br />
his first complete piece of music<br />
at the age of 12 – but Pax Read<br />
did not want to wait that<br />
long.<br />
The 10-year-old Medbury<br />
School pupil had his solo piano<br />
piece Silver premiered by<br />
Professor Mark Menzies from<br />
Canterbury University School<br />
of Music during the Magic<br />
Carpet Music Trust’s inaugural<br />
anniversary celebration, held in<br />
Wānaka on Saturday.<br />
The trust was formed by<br />
patron Lyn Milne and awardwinning<br />
performer-composer<br />
Rakuto Kurano in <strong>May</strong> last year,<br />
to promote music throughout<br />
rural communities in the South<br />
Island, while providing young<br />
performers and composers with<br />
more opportunities.<br />
Pax’s musical pursuits include<br />
piano, flute and participation in<br />
the school choir. He has been<br />
studying composition with<br />
Kurano since the beginning of<br />
2022 through the school’s music<br />
programme. In addition to<br />
instrumental lessons, the school<br />
also offers weekly one-on-one<br />
composition lessons, which<br />
made it possible for Pax to study<br />
with Kurano.<br />
Pax spent the last few months<br />
composing Silver with guidance<br />
from Kurano.<br />
“There is something so special<br />
about hearing your composition<br />
performed live by a professional<br />
musician for the first time,” said<br />
Kurano.<br />
“I wanted to ensure Pax<br />
experienced this at an early<br />
age.”<br />
The premiere of the piece<br />
garnered an overwhelmingly<br />
positive response, receiving<br />
hearty applause from the<br />
audience of about 60 people.<br />
Many were stunned by the<br />
maturity of the piece for<br />
someone of Pax’s age.<br />
“Pax composed a remarkably<br />
assured composition for piano<br />
that was a pleasure to present to<br />
the public,” said Menzies.<br />
Said Medbury School director<br />
of music April Holland: “We<br />
are so proud of what Pax has<br />
achieved with his composition<br />
and we are thrilled that he has<br />
DEBUT:<br />
Talented<br />
young<br />
composer<br />
Pax Read<br />
(centre)<br />
with<br />
performer<br />
composer<br />
Rakuto<br />
Kurano<br />
(left) and<br />
Canterbury<br />
University<br />
professor of<br />
music Mark<br />
Menzies.<br />
been able to develop his music<br />
writing skills under the expert<br />
tutelage of Rakuto Kurano.<br />
“Pax’s enthusiasm and passion<br />
for music is evident in the way<br />
he involves himself fully in<br />
many musical opportunities<br />
and how he is always so willing<br />
to learn new skills. We cannot<br />
wait to see what the future has<br />
in store for this talented young<br />
musician.”<br />
Pax Read will certainly be a<br />
name to look out for.<br />
3<br />
Secondary<br />
schools<br />
road race<br />
results<br />
HIGH SCHOOL students from<br />
across Canterbury competed in<br />
the <strong>2023</strong> Secondary Schools Road<br />
Race on <strong>May</strong> 8 at Hagley Park.<br />
Pai Wynyard, from Kaiapoi<br />
High School, won the senior<br />
boys’ 4km with a time of 12min<br />
01sec, closely followed by Daniel<br />
Prescott from St Thomas of Canterbury<br />
and Luke Johnston from<br />
Christchurch Boy’s High School.<br />
The senior boys’ school challenge<br />
was won by Christchurch<br />
Boys’, followed by Christ’s College<br />
and Shirley Boys’ High School.<br />
Christchurch Girls’ High<br />
School student Kate Currie took<br />
out first place in the senior girls’<br />
3km. Cashmere High School’s<br />
Brynne Gordon and Elspeth<br />
McGuinness were second and<br />
third, after second-across-theline<br />
Niamh Motley’s place was<br />
not recognised as she was from<br />
outside the district (Craighead<br />
Diocesan School in Timaru).<br />
Cashmere High was second in<br />
the senior girls’ school challenge,<br />
which was won by Villa Maria<br />
College.<br />
Daniel Wordsworth, from<br />
Papanui High School, was<br />
the first Year 9 boy home and<br />
Sophie Lampe, from St Andrew’s<br />
College, the first Year 9 girl.<br />
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