This was a very successful year, despite the slow start due to Covid.

In Jazz, Big Band won a Gold Award and the Best Big Band for the 11th time, Funk Band won a Gold Award and the Best Ensemble for the 3rd time, three Combos won Gold awards, two combos won Silver awards and Chicks from Corea took out the best overall combo award at the ARA Jazz Quest Combo Competition. At the National Youth Jazz Competition, Chicks from Corea took out the best of festival trophy and the best original composition. At the Young Jazz Band-Its Competition, Big Band won the Essential NZ Jazz Band Competition this year at the Young Jazz Band-It Competition beating out 47 other Big Bands from around the country, Chicks from Corea took out the NZ Jazz Composition Competition, and every one of the individual awards.

In Chamber Music the competitive side of the contest was especially tough this year and our students displayed a huge commitment to delivering outstanding performances. The Kaleidoscope Quintet made it to the South Island final, Burnside Brass Quartet win the Woolston Brass Cup for best brass ensemble, Reiss' Pieces win the Jody Keehan award for most promising saxophone group, Khortet won the Adjudicators' Award. Burnside also featured in two mixed school groups selected for the regional final with the National Winners including two year 13 students Dylan Blundell and Sho Woodhouse; a truly amazing achievement.

In Orchestral and other large ensemble Music, the inaugural Aurora Festival took place with many schools participating as well as the Christchurch Wind Festival Burnside Orchestra won a Gold Award, Best Strings Section, Outstanding Soloists Awards at The Aurora Festival. Junior Strings won a Silver Award, Special Commendation and Symphonic Band was awarded a Silver Award, and the Woodwind Prize. They also won Gold Award, Best Flutes at Christchurch Wind Festival, with Junior Concert Band also achieving a Gold Award and Best Trombones a great achievement for a young band.

In Choral Music, despite everything they have had to deal with this year as singers and choirs were hit the hardest with restrictions, our choirs delivered great performances at The Big Sing. Aaron Zheng won the Best Student Accompanist award, playing for Aurora Voices; Aurora Voices won the Best Recital by a Junior Choir award; Dylan Jonkers won the best Student Conductor award, working with Magna Voce; Bel Canto won the Best Performance of a New Zealand Work award for their performance of "Mihi" by David Hamilton and also went on to the Big Sing Nationals gaining a Silver Award.

This year over 30 students are on the Roll of Honour for 2022, which is an outstanding achievement for all these students.

National Selections:

• Tor Chiles, Lucas de Groot-Tsuji, and Sho Woodhouse were selected for the National Youth Orchestra
• Luca Cable and Sho Woodhouse were selected for the National Youth Brass Band
• Caspar Adams, Alfie Buttle, Jack Buttle, Tor Chiles, Peter Croker, Lucas de Groot-Tsuji, Alun James, Althea James, Lena Krakowiak, Caleb Langford, Ben MacDonald, Charlotte Panckhurst, Matthew Seinafo, and Cameron Smillie were all selected for the New Zealand Seconday Schools' Symphony Orchestra
• Bella Hopkins continued in the New Zealand Secondary Students' Choir
• Peter Croker, Monika Duncan, and Shibata Nanami were selected for the National Secondary Schools' Brass Band
• Jonny Croker, Huey Duncan, and Daniel Ross were selected for the National Secondary Schools' Development Band
• Dylan Blundell, Peter Croker, Pip Goomes, Isolde Johnson, Dylan Jonkers, William Kao, Monet Schutte, and Jacob Mullen were selected for the Christchurch Youth Jazz Orchestra

2022 CONTEST RESULTS

CHAMBER MUSIC

Woolston Brass Award for Best Brass Ensemble:
Burnside Brass Quartet (Caspar Adams, Luca Cable, Jonny Croker, Monika Duncan)

Jody Keehan Award for Most Promising Saxophone Group:
Reiss' Pieces (Reiss Fatani, Alex Gibson, Isolde Johnson, Aadarsh Roy)

Adjudicator's Award:
Khortet (Michael Khor, Shannon Shi, Phyllis Turner, Eamonn Daly)

Selected for Regional Finals:
Kaleidoscope Quintet (Matthew Seinafo, Alan Kao, Lucas de Groot-Tsuji, James Anderson, Portia Bell)
Sho Woodhouse, Dylan Blundell and Benjamin Davey as part of other ensembles.

National Champions:
Dylan Blundell and Sho Woodhouse as part of WATPIC

BIG SING

Bel Canto: Selected for National Finale, Winner for Best Performance of a New Zealand Work, Silver Award at Finale

Aurora Voices: Best Recital by a Junior Choir

Magna Voce: Best Student Conductor awarded to Dylan Jonkers

JAZZQUEST

Gold Award:
Chicks from Corea (Dylan Blundell, Dylan Jonkers, William Kao, Jacob Mullen, Monet Schutte)
ODS Time Trio (Oscar Chin, Dylan Jonkers, Sho Woohouse)
Jazz Combo 9 (Emma Gibson, Pip Goomes, Isolde Johnson, Benson Lee, Adam Nicholl, Lucius Reynolds, Hendrix Tavai)

Silver Award:

Jazz Combo 6 (Isaac Brennan, Peter Croker, Reiss Fatani, Jesse Given, Ron Livne, Will Luhrs, Raph Shepard, Cameron Smillie)
Jazz Combo 8 (Mahgen Clark, Orry Coburn, Sung Woo Han, Ben MacDonald, Daniel Sinclair, Sho Woodhouse)

Individual Awards:
Dylan Jonkers - Best Bassist
William Kao - Best Overall Musician, Best Trombonist
Monet Schutte - Best Vocalist, Best Saxophone
Dylan Blundell - Best Percussionist
Jacob Mullen - Best Guitar
Ben MacDonald - Best Trumpet

Best Overall Combo:
Chicks from Corea

Ensemble Awards:
Big Band - Gold Award and Best Big Band

Funk Band - Gold Award and Best Funk Band

YOUNG JAZZ BAND-IT

Big Band - Top NZ Big Band
Chicks from Corea - Composition Winner
Sho Woodhouse - Drum Improvisation Winner
William Kao - Improvisation Winner
Monet Schutte - 2nd Place improvisation

NATIONAL YOUTH JAZZ COMPETITION

Chicks from Corea - Gold Award and Most Outstanding Jazz Band
Monet Schutte - Most Outstanding Vocalist
Dylan Jonkers - Most Outstanding Bassist
William Kao - Most Outstanding Composition

AURORA FESTIVAL

Orchestra: Gold Award, String Prize, and Indy Williamson awarded Most Outstanding Soloist

Junior Strings: Silver Award, and Outstanding Ensemble 

Symphonic Band: Silver Award, and Woodwind Prize

CHRISTCHURCH WIND FESTIVAL

Symphonic Band - Gold Award and Best Flute Section
Junior Concert Band - Gold Award and Best Trombone Section

ROCKQUEST

2nd Place Band (Regionals) - 3D Howls (Dylan Blundell, Hiromu Crosado, Dylan Jonkers, William Kao, Samuel Kennedy, Lena Krakowiak)
2nd Place Solo/Duo - Mahgen Clark
National Top 30 - 3D Howls