And the 2011 Woodside Concerto Competition winner is...

25 July

This year again saw some outstanding performances as applicants auditioned for the 2011 Woodside  Comcerto Competition.

In the end clarinettist Christopher Dragon won, and will perform Malcolm Arnold's Clarinet Concerto No.2 with the WA Youth Orchestra in their September concert at the Perth Concert Hall.

» Click here for concert details

biography:
Christopher Dragon

Christopher started his musical training at the age of 6 learning piano into his high school years. During this time he picked up the clarinet as a "fun" instrument, but has carried on with this as his instrument of choice. In 2007 he graduated from John XXIII College under the guidance of Elizabeth Jennings, attaining a perfect score in his pieces for his TEE performance exam and was awarded the music prize at the school. In 2008 he was accepted by the University of Western Australia in a double degree of commerce and music studying clarinet with Catherine Cahill, but in 2009 transferred to the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts to pursue his musical aspirations, learning under Allan Meyer.

Christopher has participated in numerous ensembles, most notably as the principal clarinet of the Faith Court Orchestra, and has been a part of the West Australian Youth Music Association programs since 2008 working his way up the ensembles to be part of the West Australian Youth Orchestra in 2010. He has also been a frequent prize winner throughout his career, the Albany Eisteddfod and the WA Band Association where he was awarded The Best Overall Woodwind Award and Woodwind Champion of Champions respectively to name a few.

Last year Christopher was selected as part of the first West Australian Symphony Orchestra woodwind mentor program, where he got to sit alongside the WASO clarinet section and was mentored by principal bass clarinettist Alex Millier. Christopher was also lucky enough to be selected for the Australian International Symphony Orchestra Institute - a 2 week long intensive program held in Tasmania with some of Australia's most talented young musicians. Both these programs pushed his orchestral capabilities to a higher level especially for his secondary instrument the bass clarinet.

Now in his final year at WAAPA with a recital at the end of the year, Christopher has gained a strong interest in conducting, which he hopes to further his study in.