Published: 11. April 2010
The world’s most prestigious competition for young violinists comes to Oslo from 16 –25 April 2010. 42 competitors from 10 countries have been selected to participate. The Norwegian Academy of Music is proud to be one of the hosting organisations, and to be presenting the live streaming of the competition rounds.
The Menuhin Competition was founded in 1983 by legendary violinist Yehudi Menuhin. The competition takes place every other year, and 2010 will be the first year that it has been held outside the UK and France.
”Oslo has a great classical music scene and excellent facilities – both important factors in our choice of Oslo as host city, says Gordon Back, Artistic Director of the Menuhin Competition. ”2010 is also the 200th anniversary of the birth of great Norwegian violinist Ole Bull, which made Norway a natural choice for this year,” Back continues.
The 2010 competition is being hosted by five Norwegian music institutions: Barratt Due Music Institute, the Norwegian Academy of Music, the Norwegian Council for Schools of Music and Performing Arts, the Norwegian Opera and Ballet and Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra,.
The competitors compete in two classes: Junior (under 16 years of age) and Senior (under 22 years). All 42 competitors are required to demonstrate their skills in solo performance, chamber music and improvisation – and, for those who reach the final round, performance with orchestra.
The Menuhin Competition lasts for 10 days and will make its mark on Oslo. The city will be filled with schools concerts, exhibitions, seminars, workshops and surprise musical events throughout the competition period.
A nine-man jury will assess the competitors – among the jurors are Maxim Vengerov, Renaud Capuçon and Lidia Baich as well as top Norwegian musicians Arve Tellefsen and Lars Anders Tomter.
Concert highlights in the competition period include the Opening Concert on 16 April, with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra in Oslo Concert Hall. Soloists include 2008 senior winner Ray Chen, Norwegian violinist Henning Kraggerud and jury member Kyoko Takezawa, together with folk fiddlers Benedicte Maurseth og Annbjørg Lien. On Thursday 22 April Maxim Vengerov conducts the Oslo Philharmonic, with Renaud Capuçon as soloist in Mendelssohn’s violin concerto. Music school pupils from all over Norway will perform in a special matinée concert at the Norwegian Opera on Saturday 24 April, while a major gala performance rounds off the competition on 25 April, again at the Norwegian Opera, with appearances by – among others – the two winners of the competition and 2009 Eurovision song contest winner, violinist Alexander Rybak.
The Norwegian Academy of Music is celebrating this event by hosting many concerts, debates and seminars during the course of the week.
See www.menuhincompetition.org (English website) for full programme details, or www.nmh.no/menuhincompetition2010 for live streaming of the competition rounds and information in Norwegian.
Norsk
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