Musica Viva Australia has announced the grand finalists of the inaugural Strike a Chord competition, the organisation’s National Chamber Music Championship for secondary school ensembles. Twelve ensembles have been chosen from six states and territories to compete in the Grand Final event, which will be live streamed across Australia thanks to Melbourne Digital Concert Hall.

Musicians from Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School. Photo © James Grant

The competition boasts a prize pool totalling over $40,000 worth of cash and development opportunities, and audiences at home will also be invited to vote for their favourite performance on the day. The Audience Prize of $2,000 will be announced live alongside all the Major Prizes, including The Robert Salzer Prize of $5,000 for the winning ensemble.

The finalists include string quartets (Cousin Quartet and Serendipity Quartet from Sydney), piano trios (Lammoyip Trio and The Lashavi Trio from Sydney, The Millenium Trio from Perth and Open School Trio from Canberra), percussion ensembles (JPMS Ensemble Animato and JPMS Ensemble Brillante, both from Brisbane), as well as a cello quartet (Cellolujah from Melbourne), a chamber choir (Esperanza from Adelaide), a wind quintet (Magnolia Quintet from Sydney)...