2013 Competition > Keeping Up With The Play > Sat 8 June 2013

THE GRAND FINALE…

Excitement is in the air as we head towards the Grand Final tonight and find out who will be the winner of the 2013 Michael Hill International Violin Competition.

It’s hard to believe that just one week ago we were listening to our 18 semi-finalists for the very first time in Queenstown – for us, and the violinists, it seems a lifetime ago.

On our Facebook page today we are uploading albums featuring each of the 18 semi-finalists and building towards the final three. While there can be only one winner, we remember that these 18 are among the world’s best young violinists today and we celebrate all their success in coming to the Competition.

Our three finalists have been practising on their own, and rehearsing with the Auckland Philharmonia yesterday and today.

For Nikki Chooi, this also meant trying out playing in his tuxedo jacket.

Meanwhile, other activities of the Competition have continued. The Competition has a strong professional development component and competitors have been working in schools and attending masterclasses, together with other top young Auckland violinists.

In our Classroom Conversations series, Georg Pfirsch and David Radzynski visited St Kentigerns College, while Stephen Tavani and Sissi Yuqing Zhang talked and played at Epsom Girls Grammar School.

Don’t forget you can still vote (by text or online) for your favourite violinist in the Competition. And we will be live streaming tonight’s Grand Final direct from Auckland Town Hall from 7.30pm. The performance order tonight is:

1. Boson Mo: Prokofiev Concerto for Violin No 2 in G minor
2. Nikki Chooi: Sibelius Concerto in D minor
3. Sarah Christian: Brahms Concerto in D major