Photo: Supplied
Ahead of tonight's final of the National Concerto Competition, New Zealand raised, Sydney based clarinetist Mark Walton spoke to RNZ Concert's Bryan Crump about his appearance in the event's 1974 final.
He finished fourth out of four, but was the only one of that quartet to go on and become a full time professional musician.
Walton says his own story is a reminder that competitions don't necessarily define a musician's career, but are just as much a celebration of the musical skill of each contestant.
He says, all three of this year's finalists, pianists Henry Meng, Shan Liu and Otis Prescott-Mason are remarkable musicians, performing three amazing concertos by Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky and Brahms.
Walton couldn't make it across the Tasman for this year's final, but he says if you read this in time get off down to the Christchurch Town Hall tonight.
It'll be a great concert.
