A former Montville schoolboy will fulfil a lifelong dream when he performs at one of the world’s greatest music institutions.
Cellist Sam Lucas is the first Australian to win the professional strings category at the Manhattan International Music Competition since it began in 2016. The win has earned Mr Lucas a solo performance at Carnegie Hall, to be held on August 1.
Mr Lucas was up against thousands of musicians who applied. The professional strings category covers all string instruments including violin, viola, cello and double bass.
“When the news came, I was honestly in a state of shock,” he said.
“Being aware of the difficult odds and statistics of winning this particular competition kept my mind rather indifferent leading up to the results and then, when it became a reality that I was going to perform at Carnegie Hall, it took about two days before I started to realise the enormity of this success and opportunity.
“As a musician, Carnegie Hall is the destination and, if I am honest, I truthfully never thought I would play as a soloist at Carnegie.
“It is one of those destinations that simply belongs in a dream state for most of us and, because it is now a reality, I will of course treasure every moment I have when in New York and enjoy my time on stage.
“This opportunity means not only the world to me, but my life as a musician who has only ever dreamed about performing at Carnegie Hall.”
Mr Lucas attended Montville State School and Nambour Christian College before receiving New Zealand’s prestigious Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship and to date, is the only Australian musician to do so.
The scholarship led to further study in New Zealand before he was invited to continue his training in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Under renowned cellist Pieter Wispelwey at the Robert Schumann Hochschule, Mr Lucas completed bachelors and masters degrees, as well as the German equivalent of a performance doctorate.
His soon-to-be-realised Carnegie Hall debut follows a string of international achievements.
In 2022, Mr Lucas was the only Australian selected for the live rounds of the Queen Elisabeth International Cello Competition in Brussels.
A year later, he was one of just 25 cellists chosen from 741 applicants worldwide to compete in the Tchaikovsky International Cello Competition in St Petersburg, an achievement featured by The New York Times.
In January 2025, he performed on a priceless Gagliano cello at the Holocaust Memorial Concert in the European Parliament in Brussels.
Three months later, he was appointed principal cellist of Germany’s Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie Koblenz.
The Manhattan International Music Competition is conducted online, with entrants judged on audition videos and supporting material.
For his winning submission, Lucas performed works including Elgar’s Cello Concerto, Rostropovich Humoresque, Ginastera’s Pampeana No. 2, Schumann’s Adagio and Allegro and Boccherini’s Cello Sonata G17.
“I performed a selection of my favourite pieces, such as the Elgar Cello Concerto, the devilishly difficult Rostropovich Humoresque, Ginastera Pampeana number 2, Schumann Adagio and Allegro and Boccherini Cello Sonata G17,”Mr Lucas said.
“My idea was to give the adjudicators a taste of every music style and genre from the Baroque period to the 21st Century.”
Mr Lucas said this latest accolade was the culmination of a rewarding musical career so far.
“My main objective is, and always has been, to play the cello to the best of my ability with the hopes of making a career out of it,” he said.
“It has been a very interesting and adventurous journey to see what has come from playing the cello and the hard work I have put into it.
“I never expected any particular level of success, but when reflecting on what I have achieved along the way, it brings a lot of warmth, happiness and gratitude to my heart and mind.”
