The Talent 2026 Season 2 Episode 3 - Pianists Martin Ma & Derek Wei
Episode 3 of The Talent features two pianists - Martin Ma and Derek Wei. Season mentor Kevin Tamanini is joined by Julia Hastings to give encouragement and feedback to the young performers. Keep reading to find out more about them1
Martin Ma
Piano
Martin is a 13-year-old pianist who began his musical journey at the age of seven. Since then, he has won numerous awards at local eisteddfods, placed third in PolMusicA, and completed his LMusA this year. Last year, he competed in the inaugural Australian National Piano Competition for Children in Brisbane. Martin enjoys performing technically demanding pieces and also loves mathematics and sport.
Martin will perform:
1. Sergei Rachmaninoff – Étude Op. 39 No. 6, “Little Red Riding Hood”
2. Frédéric Chopin – Rondo in C minor, Op. 1
Derek Wei
Piano
Derek Wei is a 16-year-old music scholar at Camberwell Grammar School. He learned piano under the instruction of concert pianist Dr. Boris Gusliters from 2019 to 2023, then from 2023 to the present, under the tutelage of Steinway Artist Rita Reichman.
Derek is highly accomplished on two instruments, piano and double bass, achieving AMusA in piano when he was in Year 5, LMusA on both instruments in Year 8.
Derek has performed as a young pianist at Carnegie Hall, New York and the Mozarteum, Salzburg.
Derek will perform:
1. Schubert Impromptu Op 142 No 3
2. Liszt Liebestraum No 3
Julia Hastings
Guest Mentor - Piano
Pianist Julia Hastings is a Melbourne-based soloist, collaborative artist and chamber musician. After graduating with First Class Honours in Piano Performance from the University of Melbourne’s Conservatorium of Music where she studied under Anna Goldsworthy and Ronald Farren Price, she undertook the Professional Performance Program at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM). While at ANAM, Julia was fortunate to have honed her performance skills under the guidance of internationally acclaimed mentors and conductors and since graduating, she has carved out a successful career as a professional musician, writer and actor. Her first work for theatre, Fame, Fortune & Lies explored the life and music of Australian concert pianist Eileen Joyce and played nationally to critical acclaim.
Julia is also a passionate educator, eisteddfod adjudicator and tertiary tutor. She holds a Master of Teaching (Secondary) and is currently Assistant Director of Music at Balwyn High School where she enjoys teaching both piano performance and classroom music.