2025 Kiwi Music Scholars
01 October 2025 | news
Five of New Zealand’s outstanding postgraduate musicians were awarded a 2025 Kiwi Music Scholarship this year to help them continue their already impressive international success.
The annual Kiwi Music Scholarship is funded through the Kiwi Music Trust to recognise emerging classical musicians’ talent, potential and mahi, and to support their future development whether overseas or in New Zealand.
Shiddharth Chand
Tenor Shiddharth Chand is in his final year at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he is studying opera. A graduate of the University of Auckland where he completed a Master of Music degree, Shiddharth says one of the most rewarding aspects of his first year at the Conservatory was the significant development of his vocal technique.
“Arias that once felt completely out of reach are now part of my repertoire, a direct result of the rigorous training I've undertaken. This vocal growth has opened new artistic possibilities and given me confidence in tackling more challenging repertoire moving forward.”
The scholarship will allow him to concentrate on his studies and prepare for the transition to a professional career, starting, he hopes, in Germany or Switzerland.
Catherine Chang
Classical pianist Catherine Chang is completing a Master’s degree in Keyboard at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, following on from her University of Auckland BMus in Classical Piano Performance.
Catherine says studying at Guildhall has offered her the ideal training ground to further develop her skills and experience.
“These two years are crucial for building both experience and repertoire as I prepare for international competitions, which will provide me with the exposure necessary to pursue a recital career.”
She recently made her concerto debut with the Sampson Orchestra in Cambridge and also played with the Croyden Symphony Orchestra last month.
Bruno Guedea Fonseca
Having graduated from Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington with a Bachelor of Music degree, Bruna Guedea Fonseca is currently completing a Eastman School of Music Doctorate of Musical Arts.
He is working on two projects for his degree.
“My doctoral project will culminate in a lecture recital featuring Anthony Ritchie's Guitar Concerto Op. 79. This will be the concerto's first-ever performance outside New Zealand, introducing it to audiences in the U.S., Mexico, and beyond.
“My second research output will be a pedagogy book presenting a novel method for teaching notation reading on the guitar.”
Alexa Harwood
Currently studying at the Guildford School of Acting in the United Kingdom for a Master of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre, soprano Alexa Harwood is a graduate of the University of Auckland with both a Bachelor of Music in Classical Voice and a Bachelor of Science.
Professionally, she has already performed a principal role with NZ Opera, as a soprano soloist for the Carnegie Hall Link-Up Programme with the APO, featured as a guest artist in the BBC Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's 80th Birthday Special, and was a member of the New Zealand Youth Choir.
For her future, she sees herself “working in the liminal space between opera and musical theatre, in productions such as The Light in the Piazza, Carousel, and Sweeney Todd”.
“As this industry develops, this ‘cross-over' space between these genres is growing, and I believe this is where my skill set is best suited.”
Cecille McNeill
A University of Auckland Bachelor of Music graduate, Cecile has served as the Principal Violist of the USC Thornton Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Principal Violist of the Music Academy of the West's Academy Festival and Chamber Orchestras under the baton of renowned conductors.
Having spent her second summer as a fellow at the prestigious Music Academy of the West, Cecile has performed in masterclasses for Principal Violists of leading American Orchestras. She
was also selected as a finalist in the Duo Competition. A highlight from this fellowship included performing Mozart's G Minor String Quintet with the GRAMMY award-winning ensemble, the Takács Quartet.
Other performances have included playing at the Walt Disney Concert Hall- home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, as well as the at Segerstrom Center alongside the Pacific Symphony Orchestra.