Violin Competition Winner Performs in Wellington in July

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Michael Hill International Violin Competition Winner Performs in Wellington in July

Praised by New Zealand music critic William Dart for her “coolly assured” virtuosity, Korean-Australian violinist Suyeon Kang performs in Wellington in July with pianist Stephen De Pledge as part of an 11-centre Chamber Music New Zealand tour.

Suyeon Kang and Stephen De Pledge perform at Michael Fowler Centre on Saturday 2 July as part of the Chamber Music New Zealand 2016 Kaleidoscopes season on a tour also including Christchurch, Timaru, Auckland, Dunedin, Invercargill, Nelson, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Palmerston North and Napier.

Suyeon Kang (27) won the 2015 Michael Hill International Violin Competition – the first Australian to do so – and in addition to the big prize, she also received the Audience Prize, an indication of her charismatic appeal.

The Chamber Music New Zealand tour is part of the MHIVC Winner’s Prize Tour, which also includes a Queenstown recital and two concerts with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra as the featured soloist.

Suyeon is now based in Berlin and has a very full concert schedule appearing as soloist with Bayerischer Rundfunk Orchester (Bavarian Radio Orchestra), Norwegian Radio Orchestra (KORK), and many of the major Australian orchestras (Melbourne, Queensland, Tasmanian, Canberra, Orchestra Victoria).

She describes the past year as one of personal growth working with musicians in Australia and Europe and says that she has developed a particular love for chamber music. “I love playing chamber music because it means playing with other people.”

For her Chamber Music New Zealand tour, Suyeon Kang is partnered by pianist Stephen De Pledge described by London’s Independent on Sunday as having “stunning spring-loaded virtuosity”.

Their Wellington programme includes Ravel's Sonata No 1 in A minor 'Posthume', Schubert’s Sonatina in G minor and Mozart's Sonata in E flat, with Stravinsky’s Divertimento and solo violin piece Gone, by New Zealand composer Kenneth Young.

“When I was choosing the programme for the tour I set a goal to perform some things I enjoy, but which also presented me with technical and musical challenges. I’m particularly looking forward to re-interpreting Gone.”

During this tour Suyeon will play a 1775 J. B. Guadagnini violin loaned to her by Sir Michael Hill. Guadagini is considered the greatest violin maker of all time after Stradivari and Guaneri – and this violin dubbed “The Southern Star” by Sir Michael is a superb example of his work.

Suyeon Kang and Stephen De Pledge perform at the Michael Fowler Centre on Saturday 2 July at 7.30pm. Book at Ticketek 0800 842 538 www.ticketek.co.nz For further details visitwww.chambermusic.co.nz/suyeonkang

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