Xiang Yu wins 1st Prize
Chinese violinist Xiang Yu wins 1st Prize and more at this year’s Menuhin Competition in Oslo
 1st prize winner in this year's Menuhin Competition, Xiang Yu. Photo: Knut Utler |
Four Senior finalists wowed Oslo's audiences at the Opera House with their performances of Sibelius' and Prokofiev's violin concertos last Saturday. They were accompanied by the Norwegian Broadcasting Orchestra (KORK) under the baton of Markus Lehtinen.
Following a short deliberation, the jury announced Chinese violinist Xiang Yu to be this year’s Senior 1st Prize winner. With technical precision, impressive virtuosity and moving performances he not only convinced the International Jury, but also won over the audience, scooping up the newly awarded Audience Prize. Not enough, his performance of Bach’s Solo Sonata No.2 in A minor also won him the Bach Prize.
Surprise was the 21 year old violinist’s first reaction when Jury Chairman Erich Gruenberg announced the prize winners. Xiang Yu almost did not make it to the Competition. On his way from USA, where he now studies, the violinist was held up in Iceland due to the volcano eruption. But luckily he got a seat – in the cockpit – of the first plane to Norway when air traffic resumed.
He considers the 1st prize an important part of his future career. “Even though I am among the oldest in the competition I still have a long way to go” says Yu, who expressed gratitude to his violin teacher and his mother, who suffers from leukemia. “Hopefully this will make them happy.” As the winner, Xiang Yu receives 60.000 Norwegian crowns. He will also be invited to perform at this year’s Bergen international Festival.
According to the jury, it was a close race between the winner and Nigel Armstrog (USA), who came second. Armstrong also scooped up more than one award, winning the Ole Bull Prize for best performance of Bull’s Polacca from Polacca Guerriera and the Nordheim Award for best performance of Arne Nordheim’s Partita für Paul.
“You have all done a marvelous job and the level of playing was incredibly high” says Jury Chairman Erich Gruenberg, addressing the finalists, who are all prize winners.
Australian Suyeon Kang received 3rd Prize and Korean violinist Ji Won Song came 4th.
The 1st Prize in the Junior section went to 13 year old Kerson Leong from Canada.
The Menuhin Competition Oslo 2010, a 10 day festival with dozens of concerts and events alongside the competition rounds, came to an end with a spectacular Gala Concert in a sold out Oslo’s Opera House on Sunday. Live broadcast on Norwegian television and attended by H.M. King Harald V, the Gala was a celebration of this year’s prize winners and an homage to the competition founder Yehudi Menuhin. The symbolic handing over of a violin bow from a young Norwegian to a young Chinese violinist announced the next competition, which will be held in Beijing in 2012.
For more information and press images contact
Knut Utler
+47 48 04 66 81
knututler@gmail.com
See also www.menuhincompetition.org
