Stellar line-up to judge Violin Competition

Media Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2 November 2006

Stellar line-up to judge Michael Hill International Violin Competition

The seven adjudicators for the 2007 Michael Hill International Violin Competition are confirmed. The adjudicators, who are all acclaimed violinists and are renowned for their superior musicianship, come from all points of the globe:

Pierre Amoyal (France/Switzerland)

Justine Cormack (New Zealand)

Pamela Frank (United States)

Mark Kaplan (United States)

Boris Kuschnir (Russia/Austria)

Hu Kun (China/United Kingdom)

Dene Olding (Australia)

The jury is chaired by New Zealand arts patron Dr Robin Congreve. Dene Olding is Artistic Consultant of the Competition.

Michael Hill International Violin Competition Director Anne Rodda says the prestigious line-up of adjudicators for next year’s Competition is outstanding. “Not only do these violinists have enormous artistic prestige as individual performers, they also collectively represent the various important musical traditions that have shaped violin study and performance over the past several decades. We will indeed be honoured to have them in New Zealand.”

The Michael Hill International Violin Competition is a biennial competition held in Queenstown and Auckland, New Zealand. Inaugurated in 2001, it was accepted as a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions in 2004.

The aim of the Competition is to recognise and encourage excellence and musical artistry, to expand performance opportunities (including playing New Zealand repertoire), and to promote young violinists from all over the world who are on the brink of launching their professional solo careers and are aspiring to establish themselves on the world stage.

Applications for entry to the 2007 Michael Hill International Violin Competition close on 1 December 2006 at 5:00pm (New Zealand time). The 18 semi-finalists, who are selected by New Zealand’s leading violinists (Miranda Adams, Dmitri Atanassov, Justine Cormack, Kevin Lefohn, Vesa-Matti Leppänen and Jan van den Berg), are announced on 15 December.

The first two rounds of the semi-finals are held in Queenstown’s Memorial Hall from 2-4 June 2007. The top six semi-finalists then perform with the New Zealand Trio in Auckland on 6-7 June. From this round, three finalists are selected to compete in the final round, a concerto performance on Saturday 9 June in the Auckland Town Hall accompanied by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.

ENDS

Application details available at

http://www.michaelhillinternationalviolincompetition.com/index.php/pi_pageid/32

Full jury bios available at http://www.michaelhillinternationalviolincompetition.com/index.php/pi_pageid/13

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