Musica Viva Australia has announced the results of the annual Strike A Chord national chamber music competition for high school ensembles. This year, Queensland-based Amogus Trio took first place; JPMS Ensemble Spirito, also from Queensland won second place as well as the audience prize; and Sydney-based vocal quartet False Relations received third place.

Strike a Chord

Amogus Trio (violinist Anna Suzuki, pianist Jeremy Sun, and cellist Joshua Jones). Photo Supplied.

This year’s competition was held online, in accordance with current health restrictions and border closures resulting from the outbreak of the COVID-19 Delta strain. This ensured that ensembles across Australia were able to compete, adapting their performances accordingly. More than 100 ensembles entered. The finals were judged by a panel of highly-regarded Australian musicians and educators, including Head of Strings at Queensland Conservatorium Michele Walsh, Ensemble Offspring’s Claire Edwardes, mezzo-soprano Dimity Shepherd, composer and pianist Ian Munro, and Melbourne Recital Centre CEO Euan Murdoch.

Wilma Smith, Musica Viva Australia’s Artistic Director of Competitions, said that this year’s Strike A Chord Grand Final “demonstrated that the future of Australian music is...