Meet the Artist - Harrison Chau & Somi Kim

The Friends are delighted to welcome a solo harpist as the first Auckland Phil Aspiring Artist for 2025 at our inaugural MTA event in our new venue! We are excited to host Harrison Chau, who will perform on the harp and bring a touch of romance to St. Valentine’s Day.

In conversation with Jackie Wilkinson, we will also feature the exceptional pianist, Somi Kim.

Harrison Chau is a freelance harpist based in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. He combines classical expertise with a passion for exploring diverse musical genres. A graduate of the University of Auckland with a degree in classical music, Harrison also enjoys delving into jazz and improvisation on the harp. His favourite part of music-making is the deep connection he feels with his community, which inspires his collaborative approach to performance.

Somi Kim will be familiar to many as the pianist for NZTrio, but her accomplishments go far beyond this role. She is a highly sought-after soloist, chamber musician, accompanist, and international prize-winner. Among her accolades are the Royal Over-Seas League Accompanist Prize and the Gerald Moore Award for Accompanists. Somi trains opera singers at the NZ School of Opera and has performed with the winner of the Gisborne International Music Competition every year since 2017.

Recently, Somi was honoured with the Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) award, recognising her significant contribution to music.

Please join us for what promises to be an inspiring start to our MTA year.