Uncovering an astonishing musical talent

MARTINBOROUGH MUSIC FESTIVAL 23-25 SEPTEMBER, MARTINBOROUGH TOWN HALL

“I’ve always had a natural attraction to the violin. It fascinated me as a kid, the way the bow would pull sound out of the strings, the beautiful design of the whole instrument”-Toloa Faraimo.

Toloa Faraimo was born into a musical family in Porirua in August 2002. He began his musical journey learning the piano by ear, and then switched to the violin at age 12 in 2015 at Rangikura School through the Virtuoso Strings In-School Programme. It was this programme that uncovered Toloa’s astonishing musical talent.

The Virtuoso Strings Charitable Trust was formed by former Wellington Orchestra musicians, Elizabeth Sneyd and Craig Utting in Porirua in 2013. They had noted the natural musical talent in this community particularly among Māori and Pacifica students and spent their savings on 150 violins beginning free lessons in decile 1 and 2 schools in Porirua East. More than 200 children annually benefit from their non-auditioned, no cost programme. Driving this initiative was their belief that adequately resourced children from all backgrounds can achieve excellence. Toloa Faraimo is a star graduate of the Virtuoso in-schools programme.

From 2016, Toloa received individual lessons from Elizabeth Sneyd. His talent was such that he had passed his Grade 8 Trinity examination after little more than two years of formal lessons. A string of achievements followed including leading two groups in the 2019 NZ Community Trust Chamber Music Contest in which both made it to the finals. One of these groups, the Virtuoso Strings Octet, won the People’s Choice Award while his string Quartet, Sixteen Strings, won the overall prize.

Currently, Toloa is doing a BMus at Victoria University receiving his tuition from Helene Pohl of the New Zealand String Quartet. Prior to this, Toloa was selected for an internship with Orchestra Wellington where he received one-on-one coaching with concertmistress Amalia Hall.

Toloa’s ambition is to achieve a standard of excellence in his undergraduate studies that will see him “hopefully take my postgraduate studies overseas”. He is well on track to do this. 

Outside of music, Toloa is involved in the “ballroom culture of Aotearoa. It is an underground culture formed by Black and Latina transwomen in the 1980s in New York City. This scene is where queer people of colour are celebrated for their authentic selves. We hold balls where people vogue, walk, pose, lip sync and model in front of a panel of judges”. 

This astonishingly talented young violinist will play in three of the MMF programmes; on the Saturday night and the two Sunday programmes.

Programme details and Tickets for the Martinborough Music Festival are available via the website at www.martinboroughmusic festival.co.nz.

Winifred Bull