The Talent Episode 5: soprano Norah Xia and pianist Jinny Wang

Norah Xia is a Year 11 student at Kingswood College with a strong passion for music. She studies voice with Susan Breen-Clarke and was a dedicated member of the Australian Girls Choir. Norah holds a High Distinction in Grade 7 AMEB Voice and an AMEB Gold Award. In 2022, she performed with Victorian Opera in Il Mago di Oz as part of the Children’s Chorus. She also performs with the Cameo Community Opera. Her roles include Amahl in Amahl and the Night Visitors, the Second Woman in Dido and Aeneas, and soloist at the Christmas Gala Concert. Most recently, Norah was a finalist in the 2025 Baroque Competition.

Norah will perform:

• Handel: Va godendo from Handel's Serse
• Mozart: Batti batti o bel Masetto from Don Giovanni
• Strauss: Du meines Herzens Kronelein
• Scarlatti: Le Violette 
• Hill: My Bird Singing

With associate artist Isaac Mouskovias

Jinny Wang is a young pianist from Melbourne. She is a Year 12 VCE Music student at Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School receiving a music scholarship for her outstanding talent.

She insistently chose to play piano at five years old, despite her parents’ initial preference for violin or cello, and is under the tutelage of Gina Gataveckaite. Jinny successfully achieved AmusA with distinction in 2024.

She enjoys collaborating with other musicians and is a member of the Phillips Piano Quintet. Jinny was also a successful candidate at the Golden Note auditions twice and has performed as a soloist with Boaden Orchestra in 2024 and 2025.

Jinny’s favourite composers are Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and especially Liszt - she enjoys the challenge of his passionate and technically demanding compositions.

Jinny will perform:

• Kouvaras: Bundanon Rhapsody
• Rachmaninoff: Elegie Op.3 No.1
• Liszt: Transcendental Etude No.8 Wilde Jagd