The Talent 2026 Season 2 Finale is already upon us, with three fantastic performers making the top three! Leonardo Hawko (piano), Nathan Wayne (violin) and Lawrence Wang (piano) return in this episode to battle it out for first place.
Host Kyla Matsuura-Miller and season mentor Kevin Tamanini will be joined by guest mentor Warwick Stengårds to determine the order of the top three. Stay tuned for other announcements, including the winner of the Audience Prize and any Mentor's Commendation Awards that may be given by Kevin.
Leonardo Hawko
Piano
Leonardo is a 16-year-old pianist who is in Year 10 at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School. He studies piano under Glenn Riddle and actively competes in Eisteddfod piano competitions, recently receiving First Place in the MSV 18 Years and Under section. In addition to classical piano, he studies jazz and enjoys performing both styles. He also actively composes and has a passion for writing ragtime music.
Leonardo will perform:
- Percy Grainger—Colonial Song
- Percy Grainger—Gumsuckers March
Nathan Wayne
Violin
Nathan Wayne is a 17-year-old violinist from Camberwell Grammar School, Melbourne. He began violin at age six with Mr Robin Venables and now studies with Dr Elizabeth Sellars. He was awarded AMusA (2023) and LMusA (2024) both with distinction. In 2025, he was invited to perform at the AMEB Conferring of Diplomas Ceremony. Nathan has achieved success in eisteddfods across Australia and in international competitions, and has collaborated with talented young musicians through AYO programs.
Nathan will perform with associate artist Dr. Leigh Harrold:
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Ernest Bloch—Abodah
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Matthew Hindson—Little Chrissietina's Magic Fantasy
Lawrence Wang
Piano
Lawrence Wang is a Year 9 student at Balwyn High School and a dedicated Chopin enthusiast. In 2026, he completed his LMusA and received First Prize at the Ringwood Eisteddfod 18 and under group B alongside being selected as a Boroondara Eisteddfod U16 finalist. His previous achievements include AMusA with Distinction, Second Prize in Group B at PolMusicA, and First Prize and the Margaret Green Junior Pianoforte Scholarship at Eisteddfod by the Bay. Lawrence has performed live on 3MBSand at the Steinway & Sons Gallery Melbourne Lunar New Year Concert. Outside music, he enjoys badminton, reading and esports.
Lawrence will perform:
- Zhao Zhang—Numa Ame
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Yu-Peng Chen—Lantern Rite Theme from Genshin Impact (arranged by Scott Zheng and Jasper H)
Warwick Stengårds
Guest Mentor
Following a four-year engagement as Assistent Generalmusikdirektor at the Volksoper Wien and a seven-year tenure as Erster Kapellmeister at the Luzerner Theater, Warwick Stengårds is an Australian/Swedish freelance conductor based in Vienna. In addition to an extensive symphonic canon, Stengårds has a music-theatre repertoire of over 100 works performing with companies such as Vienna State Opera, Opera Australia, Victoria State Opera, West Australian Opera where, in 1991, he was appointed Music Director, and many more. He was also Music Director of the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir for four years followed by a three-year appointment with the University of Western Australia Choral Society. He has conducted the West Australian and Tasmanian Symphony Choruses, the undergraduate choirs at the Universities of Melbourne, Monash, Macquarie and Western Australia, and many more in both Europe and Australia. Stengårds has conducted the Ulster Orchestra in a series of concerts and recordings for the British Broadcasting Corporation. Recent projects included: Tyranny of Distance with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Purcell’s Fairy Queen in South Africa for Cape Festival, Die Fledermaus in Lüneburg, Madama Butterfly, and many more Operas both here and overseas.
Prize Packages
Our three finalists are in for a treat! Each will receive a selection of prizes from fantastic music and film organisations, including Musica Viva, CutCommon Magazine, Melbourne Recital Centre, Cinema Nova, 3MBS, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra and Forest Collective! Prizes will also be offered for the winner of the Audience Prize and any Mentor's Commendation Awards given at season mentor Kevin Tamanini's discretion.