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Today’s Insider’s Guide

Today’s Insider’s Guide

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…

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Official opening

Official opening

Our Competitors enjoyed a brilliant opening event and draw announcement, at the home of Competition Founder Sir Michael Hill and his wife Christine, Lady Hill. Guests enjoyed a pōwhiri - a traditional Māori welcome - by Queenstown tangata whenua (people of this place) and children from Arrowtown Primary (pictured), as well as welcome speeches by Queenstown Mayor Jim Boult, Sir Michael Hill and Competition Director Anne Rodda. The following day, we welcomed a group of guests for lunch at…

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Press frenzy

Press frenzy

We've enjoyed some good press coverage lately, especially as we've moved closer to the start of the Competition today. Below is a quick overview for those too busy or too far away to have seen it. NZ Herald Quarter-finalists Mairead Hickey, Matthias Well and Ashley Park had an interesting discussion with the New Zealand Herald about the impact social media is having on their lives as performers. NZ Herald Viva Quarter-finalist Rimma Benyumova (pictured) shared some of her top…

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Bayleys Quarter-final Round I – Friday 31 May

Bayleys Quarter-final Round I – Friday 31 May

TODAY, IN THE CONCERT HALL AND ON THE LIVE STREAM: (Note: these are all NZ Standard Time) 2.30 – 3.00pm INSIDERS' GUIDE Q&A (Martin Riseley, "Fiendish Fugues") 3:00 – 3.40pm  Rimma Benyumova (Russia) 3:40 - 4:20pm Emmalena Huning (Australia) BREAK 4.35 – 5.15pm  Do Gyung (Anna) Im (South Korea) 5.15 – 5.55pm Harry Ward (Australia) DINNER BREAK 7.00 – 7.40pm Tianyu Liu (China) 7.40 – 8.20pm  MairéadHickey - Violinist (Ireland) BREAK 8:40 - 9:20pm Jacqueline Audas (USA) 9.20 – 10.00pm…

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Two new competitors

Two new competitors

It is bitter sweet for us to announce that we've lost two competitors to the Queen Elisabeth Competition this year. We are delighted for Shannon Lee and Ji Won Song who will battle it out this week in Brussels, and wish them all the best. On the flip side, it means we will now welcome to New Zealand Choi Tung Yeung (at right) from Hong Kong, and Emmalena Huning from Australia. We can only imagine how they are feeling having been…

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2017 Winner’s album released

Violin-lovers can relive the magic between Competitions, because 2017 winner Ioana Cristina Goicea’s new album, Recital, was recently released on the Atoll label. The album includes repertoire by George Enescu, (a nod to Ioana’s Romanian heritage), and music by Johannes Brahms and Franz Schubert completing the offering. The recording is based on the finale live performance of Ioana Cristina’s 2018 winner’s tour with Andrey Gugnin (winner of the 2016 Sydney International Piano Competition). Ioana described it as “one…

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Diane Huh awarded 2019 Emerging Artist Prize

Diane Huh awarded 2019 Emerging Artist Prize

2019 Emerging Artist Prize Put your hands together for young Auckland violinist Diane Huh, just announced as the winner of the MHIVC 2019 Emerging Artist Prize! Diane is a student of Stephen Larsen at the University of Auckland, where she recently won the 2019 Concerto Competition. As part of her prize, the 22-year-old violinist will receive the two-year loan of the Riccardo Bergonzi violin, return airfare to attend the 2020 Rome Chamber Music Festival, and a raft of professional…

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