Michael Hill Violin Competition winner tours NZ

Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
11 May 2004

Competition winner tours NZ

“…one of the most brilliant of our younger violinists.” [Lord Menuhin]

Natalia Lomeiko, the winner of the 2003 Michael Hill International Violin Competition returns to New Zealand at the end of May to claim part of her prize, a concert tour of New Zealand.

Natalia Lomeiko, with pianist Olga Sitkovetsky and an ensemble from Chamber Music New Zealand, starts the New Zealand tour with concerts in Rotorua, Waikanae, Lower Hutt, Motueka and Blenheim. Lomeiko and Sitkovetsky then go on to perform concerts in Queenstown and Tauranga. The New Zealand tour ends on Thursday 10 June with Lomeiko making her concert début with the Auckland Philharmonia performing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto during the sixth concert of the orchestra’s flagship Vero Premier Series in the Auckland Town Hall.

Born in Russia, Natalia Lomeiko, now 25, moved with her family to Christchurch in 1996. Since that time she has made her mark on the New Zealand music scene winning the Gisborne Music Competition in 1999, being awarded Young Musician of the Year and winner of the New Zealand Concerto Competition in 2000, and winning the 2003 Michael Hill International Violin Competition.

Lomeiko has also established herself on the international stage. She has been a top prize winner in many prestigious international violin competitions including the Menuhin (England) – President’s Prize; Stradivari (Italy) – Third Prize; Tchaikovsky (Russia) – Sixth Prize; and Paganini (Italy) – First Prize and the Gold Medal.

Since débuting with the Novosibirsk Symphony at the age of seven, Lomeiko has performed as soloist with such orchestras as the Royal Philharmonic under Yehudi Menuhin, the Philharmonia, the Singapore Symphony, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Royal Philharmonic and Nice Philharmonic. She has toured extensively as a soloist and chamber musician in Great Britain, Europe, Finland, Russia, Poland, the US, South America, Singapore, Japan and New Zealand.

Lomeiko has studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School, Royal College of Music and Royal Academy of Music in England.

Natalia Lomeiko – New Zealand performance dates
- Friday 28 May, 8pm: Rotorua, Concert Chamber, RCC
- Sunday 30 May, 2.30pm: Waikanae, Memorial Hall
- Monday 31 May, 8pm: Lower Hutt, Little Theatre
- Thursday 3 June, 7.30pm: Motueka, Chanel Arts Centre
- Friday 4 June, 6pm: Blenheim, Montana Brancott Winery
- Saturday 5 June, 7.30pm: Queenstown, Memorial Hall
- Monday 7 June, 7.30pm: Tauranga, Mills Reef
- Thursday 10 June, 8pm: Auckland, Auckland Town Hall

Bookings: Queenstown concert, phone Ticketekdirect on (03) 442 5151; Tauranga concert, contact Tauranga Musica; Auckland concert, phone the Ticketek Orchestra Hotline on (09) 307 5139; for the other concerts, please visit www.chambermusic.co.nz

Auckland Philharmonia Vero Premier Series
Thursday 10 June – 8pm, Auckland Town Hall
Conductor: Miguel Harth-Bedoya
Soloists: Natalia Lomeiko (violin) and Patricia Wright (soprano)
Programme: Golijov: Last Round
Golijov: Three Songs for Soprano and Orchestra
Ravel: Ma Mère l’Oye
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D
Adult tickets from $20. Phone the Ticketek Orchestra Hotline on 307 5139.

The Auckland Philharmonia gratefully acknowledges Vero, the major sponsor of the Vero Premier Series. The Auckland Philharmonia receives major funding from Creative New Zealand and a major grant from Auckland City.

ENDS

© Scoop Media