There was a snow warning across the region, but the Queenstown Memorial Centre was sizzling as the Competition kicked off on Friday 31 May. Round 1 | Day 1 saw the first eight competitors perform solo Bach works, Paganini Caprices, charming salon pieces and the hotly awaited and always enlightening Ad Libitum section in which they choose - and curate - their own work. Ad Libitum Ad Libitum means “according to pleasure” and as such the competitor chooses…
Every Competition, the Quarter-finalists are all required to perform a commissioned piece by a New Zealand composer as part of Round 2. This year, we have the privilege of hearing - 16 times! - a new work by Wellington-born, Edinburgh-based Composer Lyell Cresswell. Lyell is a prolific composer who has written work for orchestra, opera, choral music and beyond. He has an APRA Silver Scroll for his contribution to New Zealand music and a New Zealand Arts Laureate…
Live and online audience members are encouraged to vote for their favourite competitor, online or NZ mobile (standard charges apply), in the Michael Hill International Violin Competition Audience Prize. Please find the online voting button on our Home Page or text the unique code of your favourite competitor to 3323 (NZ only. Standard call charges apply). Competitor codes are below. Contestant Text code Rimma Benyumova (Russia) RIM Emmalena Huning (Australia) EMMA Do Gyung (Anna) Im (South Korea) ANNA Harry…
This year is our tenth competition. So, for fun, we've hunted down some interesting facts you might not already know about our 2019 competitors. Our youngest competitor is Emmalena Huning at 18 years old. She hasn’t started university yet, but has a spot waiting for her at the Royal Academy of Music in London Competitor Matthias Ward will be performing his Ad Libitum (work of choice) with Queenstown local Mark Wilson accompanying him. Mark Wilson is an accordionist…
IN THE CONCERT HALL AND ON THE LIVE STREAM ON SUNDAY 2 JUNE (Note: these are all NZ Standard Time) 9.30 – 10.00am INSIDERS' GUIDE Lyell Cresswell: Commissioning Chatoyance – Our 2019 commissioned composer talks about his compositional process with our Artistic Adviser, Dene Olding, who has been an integral part of the Competitions’ new works throughout the years. 10:00 – 10.45am Rimma Benyumova (Russia) 10:45 - 11:30am Emmalena Huning (Australia) BREAK 11.45am – 12.30pm Do…
TODAY, IN THE CONCERT HALL AND ON THE LIVE STREAM: (Note: these are all NZ Standard Time) 9.30 – 10.00am: INSIDER’S GUIDE Q&A Martin Riseley Paganini: What was he thinking! – Martin uncovers the organized mayhem of the Caprices with a sampling of some of the devilish difficulties 10:00 – 10:40am Victoria Wong (Australia) 10:40 - 11:20am Choi Tung (Cherry) Yeung (Hong Kong) BREAK 11.35am – 12.15pm Angela Sin Ying Chan (Hong Kong) 12.15 – 12.55pm Sophie…
This year, in our programme book, the Rt Hon Jacinda Adern, Prime Minister of New Zealand and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage (pictured), offered these words: "The Michael Hill International Violin Competition has raised the bar for violinists and string players in this country - inspiring our upcoming young players to reach for the stars. It has also been a positive step on the career paths of previous winners, with many now holding prestigious roles in world-class…
This beautiful video of our 2011 winner Sergey Malov playing the Paganini’s Caprice 24 perfectly highlights the violinist’s stunning feats of dexterity. Martin Riseley is the Head of Strings at the New Zealand School of Music. He began violin studies at the age of six, and gave his first solo concert when he was ten. Since 2015, he has been Concertmaster of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and has conducted the Edmonton Symphony, Manawatu Chamber Orchestra, Academy Strings of Alberta, and…
