Wunderkind: University of Waikato student Santiago Canon Valencia will be the guest soloist in the NZSO youth orchestra concerts this week.
University of Waikato student Santiago Canon Valencia will be the guest soloist in the New Zealand Youth Orchestra’s Wellington and Auckland concerts this week.
The third-year student will play Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 1 at the Wellington Town Hall on Friday 17 February and the Auckland Town Hall on Saturday 18 February. He is accompanied by fellow students Ngaruaroha Martin (violin), Adam Maha (viola), Yotam Levy (cello), Charlotte Ketel (cello) and Jin Kim (violin).
Santiago, 16, a University of Waikato Sir Edmund Hillary scholar, has performed extensively since he was 12. Next month, he heads to Washington D.C, where he is a semi-finalist in the Johansen International Music Competition.
The University of Waikato Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarships recognise students who are high academic achievers and who also excel in either sport or the creative and performing arts.