The Swiss Watchmakers Advance to the National Final

The Swiss Watchmakers, William, Kaydi, Miles, and Amelia, have won the Central Regional Final of the 2026 NZCT Chamber Music Contest, performing Ravel's La Valse for two pianos, eight hands, against eleven other ensembles from across the region.

This ensemble's season built steadily. At the District Final, adjudicators called their performance virtuosic and thoroughly engaging, praising the way they held the audience's attention from beginning to end. At the Regional Final, that praise sharpened further, with adjudicators noting the group's brilliance and range of expression, and describing a performance that captured both the innocent lilt of the waltz and the chaos Ravel builds into it. Their balance was so complete that, in the adjudicators' words, there was no point where the audience heard two different pianos.

Performing Ravel's La Valse at the Central Regional Final.

The following day, an email confirmed The Swiss Watchmakers had been selected as one of eight ensembles nationwide to compete in the National Final, held in Christchurch on 1 August.

We could not be prouder of what these four have built together this season, and we look forward to supporting them in Christchurch.

The National Final will be livestreamed. We'll share the link here as the date approaches.