Madeleine Xiao

Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition - First Round Finalist

Madeleine was born in Auckland, 2005 and at the age of 16, she went on to study a Bachelor of Music at the University of Auckland, where she is now a third-year student, under the tutelage of Rae de Lisle, Bryan Sayer and Katherine Austin. She has received numerous top awards and scholarships such as the Auckland Philharmonia Haydn Staples Piano Scholarship for 2023/2024. In 2022, Madeleine won the AYO Piano Concerto Competition and the University of Auckland Concerto Competition as the youngest-ever winner. In 2023, Madeleine was selected to attend the Adam Summer School, working with the New Zealand String Quartet and also played with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Benjamin Northey, in the finale of the National Concerto Competition, placing third. Madeleine was an emerging artist in the 2023 At the World’s Edge Festival, where she had the opportunity to tour and perform alongside internationally renowned musicians and composers in many ensembles and events. Recently, Madeleine was awarded the newly redesigned Royal-Over-Seas-League Pettman Scholarship for Emerging NZ Musicians. She will be touring Europe in various professional development opportunities such as summer festivals, masterclasses and performances.

Alongside being a soloist, Madeleine is a passionate, collaborative musician with experience working with many chamber ensembles, choirs, orchestras and musicians such as Ben Goldscheider, Zlatomir Fung, Tobias Breider, Justine Cormack and several musicians from Auckland Philharmonia. Her chamber group, Kaha Trio, is an Auckland Philharmonia ‘Aspiring Musicians’ Ensemble, and they have been invited to perform across NZ, being regarded as one of the top up-and-coming young ensembles.

​