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Violinists Hayley Jiang and Natalija Sekicki are both earning national recognition as musicians under the tutelage of Stephen Larsen. They will sweep you away with their impressive performance.Hayley Jiang is a Christchurch-based violinist and a student at Rangi Ruru Girls' School. She began learning the violin at the age of six and currently studies under Stephen Larsen. Through her studies, Hayley has developed a strong passion for both solo and chamber music performance and enjoys exploring a wide range of repertoire.
Hayley is an active orchestral musician and has performed with the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Symphony Orchestra. She has also participated in programmes connected with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra National Youth Orchestra, gaining valuable experience performing with other young musicians from across New Zealand.
Alongside her orchestral work, Hayley is a dedicated chamber musician. She was a member of the ensemble Vzpomínka, which achieved national success in the New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest. Chamber music continues to be an important part of her musical development, allowing her to collaborate closely with other performers.
In 2025, Hayley was selected as a semi-finalist in the National Young Performer Awards organised by the Performing Arts Competitions Association of New Zealand (PACANZ). She has also had the opportunity to perform as a solo violinist at Christchurch’s Mitre10 Sparks Concert with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, performing to a large outdoor audience.
Hayley continues to pursue opportunities in solo, chamber, and orchestral performance, and hopes to further develop her musicianship through future study and performance opportunities with the goal of performing internationally.
Natalija Sekicki was the youngest contestant in the 2025 National Young Performer Awards, receiving the Potential Prize for the most promising competitor. She also made her solo debut with the Hutt Valley Orchestra after winning the HVO Cup and attended the Musica Mundi International Chamber Music Course and Festival in Belgium that same year.
Natalija, aged 15, studies with Stephen Larsen and began her violin studies through the Suzuki Method with Lynley Culliford. An enthusiastic orchestral musician, she performs with the Wellington Youth Orchestra and also plays flute in the Wellington Youth Sinfonietta.
She plays on a fine violin generously loaned by the Hill Family Foundation for Art and Music. Outside of music, she enjoys literature, crafting, and illustrating graphic novels.
📆 Tue 21 Jul
⏰ 1.10pm - 1.50pm
🎟️ $5-$15 (+bf per ticket)
📍 Great Hall, The Arts Centre, Christchurch
This event is part of the Rising Stars 2026 programme. A Tuesday lunchtimes concert series that focuses on encouraging, nurturing and providing a performance platform for emerging young musicians.
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Event Venue
2 Worcester Boulevard, Christchurch, New Zealand 8014, New Zealand
Tickets
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