Violinist Olivia Francis is studying towards a Master of Performance with Berent Korfker at the Royal College of Music in London. She was first violinist of the Rothko Quartet, which toured the United Kingdom and Europe in 2013 as winner of the 2012 Pettman/ROSL ARTS International Scholarship for a Chamber Ensemble. Visiting England, Scotland, Malta, Germany, France and Luxembourg, the Quartet performed concerts and studied with internationally renowned teachers including the Chilingirian Quartet and Kronos Quartet, as well as with faculty members of Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music and Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
Olivia has performed as a soloist with the Christchurch Symphony, Nelson Symphony, Auckland Youth Orchestra and Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. She served as concertmaster of the New Zealand National Youth Orchestra, Auckland Youth Orchestra and University of Auckland Orchestra, in addition to performing in the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Competition successes include 2nd Prize in the Performing Artists Competitions Association of New Zealand National Young Performer of the Year and Best New Zealand String Player at the Gisborne International Music Competition.
Olivia has studied with renowned teachers such as Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Ida Kavafian, Krzysztof Wegrzyn, Maciej Rakowski, Nicola Benedetti, Cho-Liang Lin, Nora Chastain and Pinchas Zukerman in masterclasses and international summer programmes. These include the Morningside Music Bridge Programme (Canada and Poland), Sommerakademie Cervo and Palazzo Ricci Masterclasses (Italy), Academie Musicale de Morges (Switzerland), the Lake District International Summer Music Academy (England) and the Malta Arts Festival.
Olivia began learning the violin at age seven and holds a Bachelor of Music (1st Class Honours) from the University of Auckland where she studied with Dimitri Atanassov. In addition to support from the Kia Ora Foundation, Olivia is an RCM Soiree d'Or Scholar thanks to the generosity of a George Stennett Award, and is grateful to the Anne Reid Memorial Trust, Dame Malvina Major Foundation, FAME Trust, George Turner Wilson Music Trust and the Les and Sonia Andrews Scholarship for invaluable support.
AMP National Scholarship Recipient: Olivia Francis
Olivia has performed as a soloist with the Christchurch Symphony, Nelson Symphony, Auckland Youth Orchestra and Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. She served as concertmaster of the New Zealand National Youth Orchestra, Auckland Youth Orchestra and University of Auckland Orchestra, in addition to performing in the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Competition successes include 2nd Prize in the Performing Artists Competitions Association of New Zealand National Young Performer of the Year and Best New Zealand String Player at the Gisborne International Music Competition.
Olivia has studied with renowned teachers such as Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Ida Kavafian, Krzysztof Wegrzyn, Maciej Rakowski, Nicola Benedetti, Cho-Liang Lin, Nora Chastain and Pinchas Zukerman in masterclasses and international summer programmes. These include the Morningside Music Bridge Programme (Canada and Poland), Sommerakademie Cervo and Palazzo Ricci Masterclasses (Italy), Academie Musicale de Morges (Switzerland), the Lake District International Summer Music Academy (England) and the Malta Arts Festival.
Olivia began learning the violin at age seven and holds a Bachelor of Music (1st Class Honours) from the University of Auckland where she studied with Dimitri Atanassov. In addition to support from the Kia Ora Foundation, Olivia is an RCM Soiree d'Or Scholar thanks to the generosity of a George Stennett Award, and is grateful to the Anne Reid Memorial Trust, Dame Malvina Major Foundation, FAME Trust, George Turner Wilson Music Trust and the Les and Sonia Andrews Scholarship for invaluable support.
AMP National Scholarship Recipient: Olivia FrancisKia Ora Foundation © 2018