Simple Solutions Take National Honours

Our College saxophone quartet Simple Solutions has won the National KBB Music Award at the 2026 CMNZ NZCT Chamber Music Contest National Final, held in Christchurch on Saturday 1 August.

There is a neat logic to a group called Simple Solutions playing a work called Ockham's Razor composed by Paul Stanhope. The quartet was comprised of students Lawrence Liu on soprano saxophone, Lara Diprose on alto saxophone, Jaden Lee on tenor saxophone and Wilson Li on baritone saxophone.

Running since 1965, the contest is the longest-standing youth music competition in New Zealand and the only nationwide chamber music competition for secondary school musicians and composers. Of the hundreds of ensembles that enter the district rounds each June, twelve reach the National Final.

Simple Solutions earned their place in Christchurch through the Auckland District Contest, where thirty-four of our students competed. A total of 114 groups took part, with the College represented by ten groups and a further three mixed-school ensembles including our students.

Only twelve groups were selected for the district finals, and the College was exceptionally well represented. Two fully Saint Kentigern groups and two more with our students involved were chosen to progress.

The highest honour of the Auckland round, Best Group Overall, went to Trio Vitesse, featuring College student Isaac Chang on the piano. Their rendition of Destenay's Trio for Oboe, Clarinet and Piano was elevated and assured, earning them the NZ Double Reed Society Award alongside the top prize.

The fully Saint Kentigern Three Shostateers Piano Trio, Vanessa Leong, Chian Wan and William Xu, received one of four Highly Commended awards for their dynamic performance of Shostakovich. Maodong Li and Maojia Li of The Five Piano Quintet also took home Highly Commended and Best Performance of a New Zealand Work.

Three of the five major awards went to groups with College students involved. While our students made up around ten percent of all competing groups, they accounted for approximately thirty percent of the finalists.

Credit is due to chamber coaches Richard Liu, Miranda Hutton and Mark Hobson, and chamber manager Bridget Larsen.

With this award, Simple Solutions prove they are among the very best in secondary school chamber music.