The Competition is grateful to our major sponsors for their generous support

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2 The Competition is grateful to our major sponsors for their generous support The Michael Hill International Violin Competition 2012 Winner s Tour is made possible through the exceptional collegiality with partners Chamber Music New Zealand, the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and Queenstown Winter Festival. The Michael Hill International Violin Competition is a Charitable Trust. Board of Trustees Brent Goldsack Sir Michael Hill Monika Hill Sir James Wallace Dr. Lloyd Williams Administration Executive Director Anne Rodda Artistic Adviser Dene Olding Administrative Assistant Mel Weeks Queenstown Coordination Touch of Spice Programme Book designed by Monika Hill Programme Book printed by McCollams Print Tour support has been provided by

3 Welcome It is a privilege to present the winner of the 2011 Michael Hill International Violin Competition Sergey Malov with New Zealand s iconic pianist Michael Houstoun, and joined by cellist Ashley Brown in three centres. We are delighted to continue the association with this prestigious competition by offering a Winner s Recital Tour as part of the prize package. This extensive tour spans our main and regional concert centres and gives New Zealanders a taste of a talented young artist as he launches his career on the world stage. Audiences in 17 centres throughout the country have the opportunity to hear Sergey Malov in recital, and those in Auckland can also hear him in concert with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. Chamber Music New Zealand has been supporting New Zealanders in their desire to create and experience chamber music for more than 60 years. We believe chamber music is a dynamic and essential element of our unique cultural landscape, and we continue to enjoy showcasing the shining stars of the future. Thank you for joining us for this special occasion! Euan Murdoch Chief Executive, Chamber Music New Zealand Contents 2 Sergey Malov 4 Michael Houstoun 6 Ashley Brown 7 Tour dates and centres 8 Winner s Tour Repertoire 9 Programme Notes 14 The Auckland Philharmonia 16 A Perfect Pitch for Michael Hill Competitor Sponsors 18 About the Competition 20 Chamber Music New Zealand

4 2 Malov has performed with such renowned orchestras as the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Camerata Salzburg, Moscow and St Petersburg Philharmonics among many others...

5 Sergey Malov, violin & viola First prize winner of the Michael Hill International Violin Competition in New Zealand (2011), International Mozart Competition in Salzburg (2011), Jasha Heifetz Competition in Vilnius (2009) and International Tokyo Viola Competition (2009), Sergey Malov was also Laureate of the Paganini Competitions (both in Genoa and Moscow) and the ARD Viola Competition 2008 in Munich. Malov has performed with such renowned orchestras as the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Camerata Salzburg, Moscow and St Petersburg Philharmonics among many others. A graduate of the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg and the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin, Malov s main violin teachers were Tatiana Liberova in St Petersburg, Thomas Riebl, Antje Weithaas, Eberhard Feltz and jazz violinist Andreas Schreiber. In 2010 he became assistant teacher in the studio of Prof. Weithaas in Berlin. Malov regularly performs with Tabea Zimmermann, Nobuko Imai, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Jerome Pernoo, Jerome Ducros, Reto Bieri, Florent Heau, Nicolas Altstaedt and Antoine Tamestit. He enjoys creative collaboration with young composers, in particular Guillaume Connesson, and Christoph Ehrenfellner who dedicated his solo double concerto for violin and viola, Hommage à St Petersburg, to him. The season s concerts include Mozart s D major concerto (with his own Jazz cadenza) in Salzburg, a debut with Bruckner Orchester Linz playing the Glazunov concerto, the Dvořák concerto with Lahti Symphony Orchestra, a tour of Germany with the Klassische Philharmonie Bonn playing Schumann s concerto, and this tour in New Zealand. Sergey Malov plays a violin by Peter Greiner and a viola by Pietro Gaggini kindly loaned to him by Van Neste Foundation, Brussels. In addition to playing the violin and viola, Sergey Malov performs on the Violoncello da Spalla, made especially for him by D Badiarov. 3

6 A New Zealand Arts Foundation Laureate and a national treasure. Photo: Sal Criscillo

7 Michael Houstoun, Piano Michael Houstoun was born in Timaru, New Zealand in He became interested in the piano when he was a small child and began lessons at the age of 5. Under the tutelage, first of Sister Mary Eulalie in Timaru, and then of the great Maurice Till in Christchurch and Dunedin, Michael moved through the examination grades and by the age of 18 had won every major competition in New Zealand. In 1973 he entered the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition where he placed third. Other international competition successes came in 1975 at the Leeds Competition (fourth prize) and in 1982 at the Tchaikovsky Competition (sixth prize). Michael lived away from New Zealand from 1974 until 1981 and in this time studied with Rudolf Serkin at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia ( 74/ 75) and with Brigitte ( Gigi ) Wild in London ( 78/ 79). He performed in the USA, UK, Germany and Holland. In 1981 Michael followed his heart back to New Zealand where he has continued to live and concertise ever since, performing also in Australia, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong. He plays from a large repertoire which stretches from JS Bach to the present day, including 40 concertos and chamber music. A strong advocate of New Zealand music, works from Douglas Lilburn to John Psathas are regularly featured in his programmes. During the 1990s he concentrated on the music of Beethoven, playing the complete sonatas in five cycles around New Zealand - Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Napier. He played the concerto cycle in NZ and Australia. Michael won the Turnovsky Prize in 1982, and in 1999 received an honorary doctorate in literature from Massey University. In 1996 he collaborated with television producer Tainui Stephens on a documentary about Franz Liszt, Icon in b minor, and in 2005 was the subject of another documentary, Piano Man. Michael frequently adjudicates music competitions in New Zealand, and in 1998 was a juror at the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition in Salt Lake City. He is Patron of the Nelson School of Music, the Regent on Broadway theatre in Palmerston North, the New Zealand Music Examinations Board and the Kerikeri National Piano Competition. 5

8 Ashley Brown, Cello As well as giving many local and international performances in his role as cellist of NZTrio, Ashley keeps a busy schedule of concertos, recitals, chamber concerts, recording and teaching. He has collaborated closely with artists across the spectrum of musical genres including composers Victoria Kelly, Gillian Whitehead, Michael Norris and Jack Body, and songwriters Bic Runga, Moana Maniapoto, King Kapisi, Mark de Clive-Lowe and Don McGlashan. Ashley has taught cello at the universities of Waikato, Canterbury and Auckland and now teaches a small studio of gifted young cellists from around New Zealand. He has been Principal Cellist of the National Youth Orchestra, the Yale Philharmonia and the Auckland Philharmonia, and a member of the Turnovsky Trio. Ashley studied at Canterbury University with Alexander Ivashkin, graduating as a Master of Music with Distinction. During this time he won the TVNZ Young Musicians Competition, the CCMC National Concerto Competition and a special prize at the ROSL Music Competition in London. Ashley spent two years studying with Aldo Parisot at Yale University graduating with the Artist Diploma, and six months with William Pleeth in London before returning to New Zealand. Ashley plays the 1762 William Forster Liberte cello. Photo: Simon Darby

9 2012 Tour Dates & Centres 3 June, Rotorua 2:00pm Concert Chamber, Rotorua Convention Centre Programme Two 6 June, Hamilton 8:00pm Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts Programme Three 8 June, Napier 8:00pm Municipal Theatre Programme Two 9 June, Palmerston North 7:30pm The Speirs Centre, 263 Featherston Street Programme One 10 June, Whanganui 3:00pm Prince Edward Auditorium, Wanganui Collegiate Programme Two 12 June, New Plymouth 7.30pm Theatre Royal, TSB Showplace Programme One 13 June, Wellington 7:30pm Wellington Town Hall Programme Three 15 June, Nelson 7:30pm Nelson School of Music Programme Two 16 June, Christchurch 7:30pm Middleton Grange Performing Arts Centre Programme One 18 June, Auckland 8.00pm Auckland Town Hall, THE EDGE Programme Three 21 June, Auckland 8:00pm Auckland Town Hall, THE EDGE with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra 22 June, Lower Hutt 7:30pm Little Theatre Programme One 24 June, Queenstown 10:30am The Hills Clubhouse, Arrowtown Brunch at The Hills with Sergey Malov 24 June, Queenstown 5:00pm Queenstown Memorial Hall Queenstown Programme 26 June, Dunedin 7:30pm Regent Theatre Programme Two 27 June, Invercargill 7:30pm Civic Theatre Programme One 29 June, Blenheim 6:30pm Montana Brancott Estate Winery Programme Two 30 June, Motueka 7:30pm Chanel Arts Centre Programme One 1 July, Waikanae 2:30pm Waikanae Memorial Hall Programme One Masterclasses & Workshops 6 June, Waikato Wednesday 2:30 4:30pm Waikato University 16 June, Christchurch Saturday 2:00 4:30pm Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and Canterbury University 25 June 2012, Dunedin Monday 5:00-6:30pm University of Otago The Auckland and Christchurch concerts are being recorded for broadcast by Radio NZ Concert 7

10 2012 Winner s Tour Repertoire Programme 1 Schubert Arpeggione Sonata in A minor D821 page 9 Bartók Sonata for Solo Violin page 9 Schumann Sonata No 1 in A minor Opus 105 page 10 Paganini La Campanella page 11 Programme 2 John Psathas Gyftiko page 11 Brahms Violin Sonata No 1 in G Opus 78 page 12 Ysaÿe Sonata No 4 for Solo Violin page 13 Franck Violin Sonata in A page 13 Programme 3 John Psathas Gyftiko page 11 Beethoven Piano Trio No 5 in D Opus 70 No 1 Ghost page 12 Ysaÿe Sonata No 4 for Solo Violin page 13 Franck Violin Sonata in A page 13 Queenstown Programme Schubert Arpeggione Sonata in A minor D821 page 9 Brahms Violin Sonata No 1 in G Opus 78 page 12 Schumann Sonata No 1 in A minor Opus 105 page 10 Paganini La Campanella page 11 with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra Eckart Preu, Conductor Thomas Adés but all shall be well Paganini Violin Concerto No 2 Schumann Symphony No 1 Spring The Competition reserves the right to vary artists or programmes without notice. Latecomers will not be admitted until a suitable break in the performance. Please respect the music, the musicians, and your fellow audience members, by switching off all cellphones, pagers and watches. Taking photographs, or sound or video recordings during the concert is strictly prohibited unless with the prior approval of the Competition. Photo: Simon Darby

11 PROGRAMME NOTES Franz Schubert Born Vienna, 31 January 1797 Died Vienna, 19 November 1828 Sonata in A minor for arpeggione and piano D821, arranged for viola and piano Allegro moderato Adagio Allegretto Although he is now known as a supreme song writer, Schubert s early training was on piano and violin. He was born into a musical household, playing in the family string quartet. After leaving the private Imperial City College, where he was granted a free place alongside the children of Viennese aristocracy, Schubert trained as a teacher and then worked in his father s school. His heart was not in the job, however, and he eventually devoted himself to composition, even though it meant living a precarious life and relying on the generosity of his wealthier supporters often friends from his school days. Even up to the end of his life, very few of his works were published and Schubert derived little income from his work. In 1814 he began writing some of the songs that are now regarded as classics, such as Gretchen am Spinnrade and Erlkönig, though he had little public success until meeting the famous singer Johann Vogl who became a strong advocate for Schubert s compositions. During the 1820s he became increasingly debilitated by an illness that was probably syphilis, but it did not stop him composing, and many of his most significant pieces were written towards the end of his life. The Sonata in A minor was commissioned in 1824 by Vincenz Schuster, a virtuoso player of the instrument that Schubert and his friends called an arpeggione. The more usual name was a bogenguitar (bowed guitar), or cello guitar, and it was a type of viol with six strings, particularly good for playing arpeggios and double-stops in thirds. The lyrical Allegro moderato has a rather wistful mood and displays the singing style for which the arpeggione was particularly noted. Written in the usual sonata form, with an opening theme in the home key of A minor and second theme in C major, the music features frequent major-minor shifts that are typical of Schubert. A brief second movement in E major leads without a break into the final Allegretto. This is a sonata-rondo, with the light-hearted rondo theme again in the major key. More agitated minor key episodes provide a contrasting mood and the work returns to A major for an optimistic ending. Programme 1, Queenstown Béla Bartók Born Nagyszentmiklós, Hungary (now Sînnicolau Mare, Romania), 25 March 1881 Died New York, 26 September 1945 Sonata for Solo Violin Tempo di ciaccona Fuga Melodia Presto Béla Bartók has been hailed as one of the great composers of the modern era. His ground-breaking 1924 study of Eastern European traditional music is still regarded as the foundation for ethnological research, and the influence of that music on his own compositions was profound. Like many of his contemporaries, the rise of Nazism in Europe caused him to emigrate to America, but he struggled to make a living there. He was already showing symptoms of the leukemia that eventually killed him, and during the following years his health problems limited his ability to compose and perform. Bartok s last public performance was at the beginning of 1943 when he and his pianist wife Ditta premièred the Concerto for Two Pianos in New York, after which his health began to deteriorate quickly. In the middle of the year he was commissioned to write a work for the Koussevitzky Foundation and found the energy to write the Concerto for Orchestra. A few months later he received a commission from Yehudi Menuhin to write a solo violin sonata. This was written during a winter holiday in North 9

12 Carolina, and was the last composition Bartók finished. Menuhin gave the first performance in November 1944 at Carnegie Hall with the composer present. The Sonata requires not only superb technical accomplishment but also great musical sensitivity on the part of the performer. It emulates musical forms from the 18 th century although it is written in a 20 th century style. The first movement is in sonata form beginning in G minor and ending in G major. It is marked in a chaconne tempo, referring to a stately variation form popular in Baroque times. A multi-stopped musical idea marks the main sections of the sonata form, and both rhythms and harmonies are drawn from Hungarian folk style. The next movement begins as a four part fugue but Bartók s interest in constant variation means it turns into an exploration of the idea of counterpoint. In contrast, the Melodia presents an intimate and beautiful song. It is in an A-B-A form with a muted central section, though the second A section is such a highly varied version of the opening that it is hard to recognise as having the same origin. The final Presto is an energetic rondo, full of folk-like themes and cross-rhythms, and features repeated note patterns and a melodic quality that seems to bring together the sounds of Bartók s native Eastern Europe and American folk music. Programme 1 10 Robert Schumann Born Zwickau, Saxony, 8 June 1810 Died Endenich, near Bonn, 29 July 1856 Sonata No 1 in A minor Opus 105 Mit leidenschaflichem Ausdruck Allegretto Lebhaft Robert Schumann grew up in a literary family and was an outstanding student at school but largely self-taught as a pianist and composer. As a young man he moved to nearby Leipzig, supposedly to study the law, but actually spent most of his time playing and studying music, reading and writing literature, drinking, smoking and falling in love. Thoroughly immersed in the idealistic and self-expressive world of Romantic literature, Schumann applied the same ideas to music composition, developing the genre of character pieces and miniature musical portraits for the piano. He initially wanted to be a pianist and studied with one of the leading teachers of the day, Friedrich Wieck, until he became unable to play due to what was probably a form of occupational overuse syndrome. After much unpleasantness and a court case with her father, Friedrich Wieck, Schumann and the virtuoso pianist Clara married. Robert and Clara s partnership was both domestic and musical. In addition to raising eight children, they studied the works of earlier composers together and had close associations with other musicians such as violinist Joseph Joachim and composer Johannes Brahms. In 1844 the couple moved to Dresden hoping that Schumann s career would flourish, and in 1850 they settled in Düsseldorf where he had been appointed Municipal Music Director. The relationship with the Düsseldorf orchestra deteriorated the following year and no doubt contributed to the mental and physical ill-health that eventually saw Schumann commit himself to an asylum for his final years. His first violin sonata was written in less than a week during 1851, in a period when he also wrote his second violin sonata, a piano trio and a group of songs. It is very much a duo sonata and was first published in 1852 as a sonata for piano and violin. The first performance was given that year by Clara and violinist Ferdinand David who the couple had met when he was concertmaster of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. The first movement, which Schumann asks to be played in a passionate, emotional manner, favours the expressive middle range of the violin. There is a constant dialogue between the instruments with statements of the main themes frequently overlapping. A sustained passage leads to an extended coda, which finishes with harmonies that mirror in miniature those of the whole work. After such an intense beginning, the second movement is a much lighter piece. In F major, it is a simple rondo and has an intermezzo-like quality. The final movement returns to the opening key of A minor. Although marked lively, it has a restless energy with few points of repose, and a coda in which the first theme from the first movement is recalled. Programme 1, Queenstown

13 Niccolò Paganini Born Genoa, 27 October 1782 Died Nice, 27 May 1940 La Campanella Paganini was one of the world s most celebrated violinists and even today his name is synonymous with virtuoso performances. His dock worker father taught him to play both the mandolin and violin, but he learned quickly and moved on to other teachers. By the age of 13 he was studying both violin and composition in Parma. After working in the court orchestra of Lucca, he launched into a solo career in 1810 and spent the following 25 years touring as a virtuoso throughout Europe and Britain, despite suffering ill-health caused by venereal disease. Paganini s compositions are characterised by singing melodies, instrumental pyrotechnics and the use of unusual sound effects, and his style of playing had a profound effect on the development of violin technique. Most of his pieces were written for the violin but he also produced numerous works for his second instrument, the guitar. La Campanella was composed as the final rondo movement of Paganini s Violin Concerto No 2 during a highly successful tour of Italy. A triangle is used in the orchestral version to imitate a small bell, and when Paganini later performed the movement on its own in Germany this bell-like sound led to the nickname La Campanella [the small bell]. The work was made even more popular by a fellow touring virtuoso, the pianist Liszt, who wrote a study in 1832 based on the theme. Programme 1, Queenstown John Psathas Born Taumaranui, 3 July 1966 Gyftiko John Psathas studied both piano and composition at Victoria University of Wellington, then continued his studies in Belgium with the composer Jacqueline Fontyn. He returned to New Zealand and at the age of 27 he took up a position at Victoria University where he is now an Associate Professor in composition. One of New Zealand s most frequently performed composers, John Psathas also has a high international profile. In 2000 his Saxophone Concerto, Omnifenix, was premièred in Bologna, Italy before an audience of 8000 people, and in 2002 the première of View From Olympus (a double concerto for piano, percussion and orchestra) was given by percussionist Evelyn Glennie, Philip Smith and the Halle Orchestra at the finale of the Commonwealth Games Pulse music festival in Manchester. Later that year the work was awarded New Zealand s major annual composition prize, the SOUNZ Contemporary Award. During 2004 John Psathas was awarded one of five Artist Laureate Awards by the Arts Foundation of New Zealand, and he was also commissioned by the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble to create an entire programme based around the theme of 2500 years of Greek Music, which was performed in Holland, Britain and New Zealand. He was commissioned to compose the music for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, and to arrange the national anthem of Greece, the Olympic Hymn and music to accompany other parts of the ceremony. Many of his works have been recorded and his 2006 CD, View From Olympus, featuring three of his concertos, with performers including Pedro Carneiro and Michael Houstoun, reached the top of the NZ Classical Charts for over two months. In 2010 his first film score for Good For Nothing was recorded by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and in that same year he was appointed Composer-in-residence with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, which performed his Fanfare for a Super City at the launch of the re-formed Auckland Council. Gyftiko (pronounced yiftiko, which means gypsy ) was commissioned by the Michael Hill International Violin Competition, with a grant from Creative New Zealand, as a compulsory piece for the 18 semi-finalists competing in the 2011 Competition s Queenstown rounds. Programme 2 & 3 11

14 Johannes Brahms Born Hamburg, 7 May 1833 Died Vienna, 3 April 1897 Violin Sonata No 1 in G Opus 78 Vivace ma non troppo Adagio Allegro molto moderato Brahms was born into a poor family but one that had strong artistic interests. His father was a double bass player and the exceptional talent of young Johannes was recognised early in his life. He was sent to study piano and composition with Eduard Marxsen, the leading teacher in Hamburg at that time, and soon became his star pupil. Marxsen gave his pupils a strong grounding in counterpoint and the results of that can be seen throughout Brahms s output. His early compositions were primarily for his instrument, the piano. He gave his first solo concert at the age of 15 and earned his living as a pianist and teacher until the fees and royalties from his compositions grew sufficiently. During a tour of Europe in 1853, Brahms met and impressed Liszt and the famous violinist Joachim, and was introduced to Robert Schumann. In an article in his Neue Zeitschrift Für Musik, Schumann introduced the genius Brahms to the music world, resulting in life-changing fame and acceptance for the 20-year-old composer in the space of a few months. In late 1862 Brahms went to Vienna intending to stay there only a few weeks, but the congenial atmosphere led him to 12 make that city his home. A decade later he was appointed director of the Association of Friends of Music, where he conducted the choir and orchestra. This was the beginning of a productive period for him: he finished his first two symphonies and wrote his Violin Concerto. While completing the concerto he began his First Violin Sonata, which occupied him during the summer holidays of 1878 and a time when Brahms took inspiration from his love of the outdoors. The gentle first movement is led melodically by the violin, though the musical texture is a true partnership with the piano. A dotted rhythm at the opening pervades both this and the last movement. The solemn Adagio has greater emotional depth and hovers between E flat major and minor. In the third movement Brahms quotes from his setting of Regenlied (rain song), a poem about lost youth, and another song, Nachklang (reminiscence). These no doubt influenced the nostalgic tone of the sonata which ends on a note of relaxation. Programme 2, Queenstown Ludwig van Beethoven Baptised Bonn, 17 December 1770 Died Vienna, 26 March 1827 Piano Trio in D Opus 70 No 1 Ghost Allegro vivace con brio Largo assai et espressivo Presto By the time he wrote his Opus 70 piano trios, Beethoven was profoundly deaf. He was living in the house of Countess Marie Erdödy, a friend, excellent pianist and the dedicatee of these two trios. In typical Beethoven fashion, he fell out with the Countess before the works were published and removed her name from the scores, though he restored the dedication when they patched up their quarrel. The first performance was given by Beethoven, with Ignaz Schuppanzigh on violin and Joseph Linke on cello, in the Countess s salon in December Considerable advances had been made in the construction and sound possibilities of the piano at the turn of the century and these were used to full advantage by Beethoven in the Trio. A fellow composer, Friedrich Reichardt, commented at the time that Beethoven played with great bravura and resolution an entirely new trio... of great power and originality. The work is built around the grimly picturesque central movement that gives the work its subtitle Ghost. Both outer movements are bright and lively and this alternation between optimism and despair

15 characterises many of the works from this period. Beethoven himself explained that, despite his hearing loss, he could still find fulfilment through music. The Trio opens with a dramatic unison passage, quickly followed by a short lyrical melody in the strings, and an elaboration of these two thematic ideas forms the basis of the first movement. The following Largo assai is one of Beethoven s most unusually slow movements, and its outbursts and low piano rolls testify to the increased expressive capabilities of that instrument. Beethoven s notation on the sketches for this movement link it to a project on which he was working - an opera based on Shakespeare s Macbeth. The critic ETA Hoffmann wrote that this movement has a character of gentle sadness which is like a balm to the mind. In contrast, the final Presto is lighter in tone and brings the Trio to a cheerful conclusion. Programme 3 EugèneYsaÿe Born Liège, 16 July 1858 Died Brussels, 12 May 1931 Sonata No 4 for Solo Violin Allemanda Sarabande Finale Eugène Ysaÿe was one of the greatest violinists of all time and a mentor of subsequent generations of musicians including Fritz Kreisler and Pablo Casals. Throughout his life Ysaÿe credited his father, who was the first in a family of violinists to earn his living as a musician, with teaching him how to play the violin. Eugène s first lesson was at the age of four and by the age of seven he had joined his father, uncle, cousin and brother in a pit orchestra to help support his family financially. He spent four years studying at the Liège Conservatoire but did not do well - possibly because he spent so much time working. Three years after leaving, while practising in the cellar next door to his home, Ysaÿe was heard by the great violinist Henri Vieuxtemps, who arranged for him to be readmitted to the Conservatoire. This time his extraordinary talent was recognised and nurtured, and his career took off. In the tradition of virtuoso Romantic performers, Ysaÿe also composed, particularly for his own instrument. Although he had no formal tuition in composition he published some 29 works during his lifetime. His six solo Violin Sonatas were written in 1923 while he was staying at his holiday home on the Belgian coast. He was inspired by hearing the solo Bach sonatas played by the young violinist Joseph Szigeti. Although there are references to earlier times and composers, the sonatas demonstrate Ysaÿe s technical skill and his search for harmonic and violinistic originality. Each work was dedicated to one of his younger colleagues and the 4th Sonata pays homage to the Viennese virtuoso Fritz Kreisler. The music recalls elements of the Baroque style, from the stately opening Allemanda, with its dense polyphony, to the running passage-work of the Finale. In honour of the Sonata s dedicatee, the central Sarabande also reminds the listener of the sounds of late 19 th century Vienna. Programme 2 & 3 César Franck Born Liège, 10 December 1822 Died Paris, 8 November 1890 Sonata in A Allegretto ben moderato Allegro Recitativo Fantasia Allegretto poco mosso As a child, César Franck demonstrated considerable talent as a pianist and when he was 13 his father moved the family to Paris to allow his son to study at the Paris Conservatoire. Franck not only specialised in composition but also developed into an outstanding organist. His subsequent career as the organist at the church of Sainte-Clotilde in Paris meant that he had to squeeze his composing into his summer holiday breaks. He was also a respected teacher and his pupils Duparc, Chausson and D Indy became leading composers of the next generation. Although he was rigorously trained in classical techniques, Franck also strove to develop his own artistic aesthetic. In the Sonata in A, the violin s first three notes form a motif that appears in the opening theme of 13

16 each successive movement and from which the entire work grows. It was composed in 1886 and was dedicated to the legendary violinist Eugène Ysaÿe as a wedding present. Ysaÿe repaid the compliment by performing the Sonata widely, making it one of the best-loved of the 19th century works for violin and piano. The first performance, however, was not auspicious. It took place in a museum in Brussels where, because of the art works, lighting was forbidden in pre-electricity days. As the winter afternoon light grew dim, the performers could no longer read the music, and the last three movements were played from memory to an audience sitting in darkness. A broad and serene first movement, with its famously undulating theme on the violin punctuated by emotional outbursts from the piano, sets the scene for the sonata. The second movement is a stormy scherzo with a dark and passionate theme on the piano, later passed to the violin. The dramatic third movement has an air of improvisation as the cello and piano discuss previous thematic material. This movement acts as something of a diversion before the lyrical finale with its magnificently contrived canon. Perhaps the most famous example of unison canon in all music, it appears four times, interspersed with references to themes and emotions of the other movements. Programme 2 & 3 Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra (APO) is proud to have been the orchestral partner of the Michael Hill International Violin Competition since the competition s beginnings, involved in the early rounds through operational aid and performing in concert with the finalists. APO supporters and patrons host and provide assistance and accommodation for the competitors, and through this have built lasting personal and musical links across the globe. The APO is Auckland s leading performing arts organisation and only resident full-time professional symphony orchestra. In more than 80 performances annually, the APO presents a full season of symphonic work and supports both the NBR New Zealand Opera and the Royal New Zealand Ballet. The orchestra collaborates with some of New Zealand s most inventive artists, and is the orchestra of choice for visiting international classical musicians and popular acts alike. Through its numerous education initiatives the APO offers opportunities to more than 30,000 young people and adults nationwide to participate in music, ranging from hip-hop and rock to contemporary and classical. More than 100,000 people hear the orchestra live each year, with many thousands more reached through special events, other media and recordings on the APO Live and Naxos music labels. Programme notes Chamber Music New Zealand

17 8PM THURSDAY 21 JUNE, AUCKLAND TOWN HALL APN News & Media Premier Series VIRTUOSO VIOLIN Conductor Eckart Preu Violin Sergey Malov THOMAS ADÈS but all shall be well PAGANINI Violin Concerto No.2 SCHUMANN Symphony No.1, Spring After wowing Auckland audiences with his winning performance at the 2011 Michael Hill International Violin Competition, Sergey Malov returns to perform Paganini s most lyrical violin concerto. Book for this concert and for Sergey Malov s Chamber Music New Zealand performances with Michael Houstoun in any centre, and receive special A or B reserve two-concert package prices. Details at apo.co.nz or Subscribers can add to existing A or B res bookings at special rates. Call APO ticketing on BOOK YOUR PACKAGE by calling BOOK SINGLE CONCERT TICKETS or buytickets.co.nz

18 A Perfect Pitch for Michael Hill Do you have perfect pitch? he asks. No, thank goodness I reply. The reversing sensor in your car beeps F#. Ohhh, he then says, and I realise there is a tear running down his cheek, you have no idea how much I am going to miss YOU - and this car. It s just one of many quirky and wonderful memories we have stacked up over our years of sponsoring extraordinary young violinists in the Michael Hill International Violin Competition. The conversation above was with Richard Lin - runner-up in the 2011 competition. We were on our way to the airport to farewell him and his father - both of whom had been staying with us. Richard was a truly extraordinary young man with a rare blend of talent, maturity, and a respectful humility. It was a very special privilege to have him stay with us. We chose to sponsor Richard when we read that he had been a pupil of Gregory Lee. Gregory was the very first competitor we sponsored - in the inaugural Michael Hill competition. Every year is different. It would be unfair to single out favourites. There have been so many, and each time we think we have somehow scored the most wonderful young musician to have with us. They fill our lives and our house with music. Sometimes they share their innermost ambitions and anxieties. Mostly, they inspire us with their achievements and hopes for the future. We give them space and all the Photo: Simon Darby time they need to be on their own to practise practise practise. Vicariously - we share their successes as the competition progresses. Sometimes we have had to be a shoulder to cry on when performance or judging didn t quite meet expectations. That too has proved a learning experience for them and us. As years pass we have been able to follow their progress in the fiercely challenging world of professional music. Sometimes - out of the blue - there s an from one of them, sharing the excitement of a new appointment or special achievement. All, without exception, talk with fondest memories of their time in New Zealand. And each one stirs a small glow of pride that maybe we helped make a difference in their life. How and why did we become involved? First and foremost out of huge respect for the commitment of Michael Hill with his absolute passion for the violin and for his determination to bring some of the world s most talented young musicians to New Zealand. Also, because we have been long-time supporters of APO - a uniquely far-sighted orchestra which supported Michael Hill s crazy dream right from the start. And every day, when the car beeps F#, the best of memories come flooding back. Gerda McGechan and Peter Wilson 16

19 2011 Competitor Sponsors Nadir Khashimov with Queenstown hosts Margaret and Derek Bulman Anastasia Agapova with Auckland host mum Dr Sylvia Rosevear Anastasia Agapova, Russia Robyn Bollinger, USA Maia Cabeza, Canada Martha Cohen, Germany Stefani Collins, USA Luosha Fang, China Luke Hsu, USA Nadir Khashimov, Uzbekistan Eun-Ae Koh, South Korea Woo Il Lee, South Korea Richard Lin, Taiwan Sergey Malov, Russia Eric Silberger, USA Maciej Strzelecki, Poland Min Kyung Sul, South Korea Arianna Warsaw-Fan, USA Eun-Sol Youn, South Korea Xiang Yu, China Wayne Boyd & Annie Clarke Jim & Helen Hannan Denver & Prue Olde The Dairy Jucy Lane Neave Lawyers Graeme Edwards & Di LeCren Peters MacGregor Capital Management The Spire Queenstown Park Boutique Hotel Peter Wilson & Gerda McGechan Becroft Foundation Millennium Hotel Queenstown Don & Jan Spary Amokura Lodge Queenstown Cavit & Co Party Plus Wallace Arts Trust For more information on sponsoring one of our 2013 competitors, or on being a host family in Queenstown or Auckland, please contact Anne Rodda on or violincompetition@michaelhill.co.nz Sergey and Queenstown hosts Louise and Alf Bell 17

20 About the Competition The Michael Hill International Violin Competition is a biennial event that has, since its inauguration in 2001, catapulted to international recognition and has achieved global standing. It was awarded membership in the prestigious World Federation of Music Competitions (Geneva) in 2004 and has become a much-anticipated and enjoyed highlight in the New Zealand and international musical calendar. Past winners have gone on to achieve remarkable success: 2001, Joseph Lin (Taiwan/USA) First Violin, Juilliard String Quartet 2003, Natalia Lomeiko (Russia/NZ) Professor, Royal College of Music 2005, Feng Ning (China) Solo performance career with over 60 concerts per year 2007, Bella Hristova (Bulgaria) Solo performance career, Young Concert Artist 2009, Josef Špaček (Czech Republic) Concertmaster, Czech Philharmonic The judges have largely contributed to the prestige of the Competition. Musical luminaries such as Pierre Amoyal, Boris Kuschnir, Cho-Liang Lin and Pamela Frank have been amongst the international panel of jurors. A panel of New Zealand and Australia s leading violinists convene in person to select the semi-finalists that will compete live in Queenstown and Auckland. Dene Olding, co-concertmaster of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and first violinist of the Goldner Quartet and the Australian Ensemble is the Competition s Artistic Adviser. 18 New Zealand artistic collaborators have included Michael Houstoun, Diedre Irons, the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, all three members of the NZTrio and Chamber Music New Zealand. A New Zealand composer is commissioned for every Competition to create a unique set-piece for the programme. The competitors (ages 18-28) hail from every corner of the world and over 130 applications are received for entry from an average of 28 countries. Because the Competition provides travel and accommodation for the semi-finalists, it attracts a very large number of applicants, thus ensuring rigorous competition and an excellent calibre of competitor (not just those with means to travel to New Zealand). The competitors are billeted with families in both Queenstown and Auckland providing a human contact, a local support base and a connection with the community. All semi-finalists also receive professional development activities to increase their skill level and better their career trajectories. The Winner s Tour takes place in partnership with Chamber Music New Zealand and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra every second year and provides the previous year s winner with a substantial concert tour through New Zealand. (It also affords New Zealanders across the country the opportunity to hear the winner in their own hometown.) Like the Competition itself, the Winner s Tour has also grown in reputation since it first began. Educational Initiatives and Professional Development, begun in 2007, have been developed to ensure that engagement with the next generation of New Zealanders are afforded information and inspiration. Masterclasses and further professional development opportunities are provided by the artist-judges for Competition violinists and tertiary students and casual Classroom Conversations are held in secondary schools across New Zealand. An Insider s Guide, launched in 2011 to celebrate the Competition s 10 th anniversary, provides in-depth and enriching dialogue with the audience such that they can develop a greater understanding of why the winner is selected. Video podcasts of all rounds are available in perpetuity on The Competition s prestige is such that it has as its Patron, Helen Clark, the Administrator of the United National Development Programme and former Prime Minister of New Zealand. Sir Michael was appointed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (KNZM) in 2010 for services to business and the arts, the Chairman of the Competition s trust, Sir James Wallace, was also awarded a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (KNZM) for services to the arts in Collaborating pianist, Diedre Irons, was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to music.

21 2013 Competition Calendar 30 November :00pm New Zealand time Final deadline for applications 20 December Semi-finalists announced 1 April 2013 Commissioned work distributed 28 May 2013 Semi-finalists arrive in Queenstown 31 May 2013 Welcome events Queenstown Memorial Hall 1-3 June 2013 Rounds I and II Solo and Piano accompanied works Queenstown Memorial Hall 5-6 June 2013 Round III Piano Trios Auckland Town Hall Concert Chamber 8 June 2013 Final Round concerti with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra Auckland Town Hall 2013 Competition Prizes 1st Prize 2nd Prize 3rd Prize 4th Place 5th Place 6th Place NZ $40,000 cash + CD Recording + Winner s Tour in 2014 presented in association with CMNZ including a performance with APO + Personalised Professional Development Programme NZ $10,000 cash NZ $5,000 cash NZ $3,000 cash NZ $2,000 cash NZ $1,000 cash Best Performance of NZ Commissioned Work NZ $2,000 cash Chamber Music Prize NZ $2,000 cash Michael Hill Audience Prize New Zealand Development Prize & Australian Development Prize From the 2013 competition application materials, the Preliminary Panel will identify and award one New Zealander and one Australian with prize packages created to provide an intensive development opportunity. These winners will accompany the 18 semi-finalists to Queenstown and Auckland and observe the Competition s proceedings. They will participate in the professional development opportunities and will be acknowledged in the prize-giving and related publicity materials. Travel All qualifying semi-finalists will receive travel to Queenstown and Auckland New Zealand. Professional Development All semi-finalists will be provided with professional development opportunities. Bergonzi Violin Contemporary Italian violin maker, Riccardo Bergonzi, has generously donated a specially crafted violin to the Competition. Following the final round, it will be made available to deserving semi-finalists at the discretion of the Competition. 19

22 Chamber Music New Zealand Presents TAKÁCS QUARTET Special limited tour, 5 centres only Chamber Music New Zealand Presents MADELEINE PIERARD (soprano) Terence Dennis (piano) Anna Pierard (mezzo soprano) FIERCE & SPONTANEOUS Music in the moment Touring New Zealand 5 10 July 2012 Auckland Hamilton Napier Wellington Christchurch With music from Bartók, Janáček and Ravel ETHEREAL & SENSUAL From a voice of purest tempered steel (The Independent London) Touring New Zealand 4 23 August 2012 Hamilton Wellington Nelson Christchurch Dunedin Invercargill with Anna Pierard: Auckland New Plymouth Napier Palmerston North With music from Schumann, Strauss, Berg, Mozart, Rossini and Bellini /ChamberMusicNZ 0800 CONCERT ( )

23 Level 4, 75 Ghuznee Street PO Box 6238, Wellington Tel (04) Fax (04) For all Concerts Managers, phone 0800 CONCERT ( ) Board Peter Diessl (Chair), June Clifford CNZM, Paul Baines, Michelle van Gaalen, Roger King, Helen Philpott, Gretchen La Roche, Lloyd Williams. Staff Chief Executive: Euan Murdoch Audience Development Manager: Victoria Dadd Marketing & Communications Assistant: Candice de Villiers Ticketing & Database Co-ordinator: Laurel Bruce Design & Print: Chris McDonald Publicist: Sally Woodfield Business Manager: Jenni Hall Operations Co-ordinator: Jessica Lightfoot Office Administrator/Programme Co-ordinator (Contest): Sue Jane Artist Development Manager: Anna Sedcole Programme Co-ordinator (Contest): Pip Want (on leave) Programme Writer: Jane Dawson Branches Auckland: Chair, Victoria Silwood; Concert Manager, Ros Giffney Hamilton: Chair, Murray Hunt; Concert Manager, Gaye Duffill New Plymouth: Chair, Joan Gaines; Concert Manager, Susan Case Hawkes Bay: Chair, June Clifford; Concert Manager, Liffy Roberts Manawatu: Chair, Graham Parsons; Concert Manager, Karen Carter Wellington: Concert Manager, Jessica Lightfoot; Nelson: Chair, Henrietta Hannah; Concert Manager, Clare Monti Christchurch: Chair, Colin McLachlan; Concert Manager, Jody Keehan Dunedin: Chair, Terence Dennis; Concert Manager, Richard Dingwall Southland: Chair, Shona Thomson; Concert Manager, Jennifer Sinclair Regional presenters Blenheim, Cromwell, Gisborne, Gore, Hutt Valley, Kaitaia, Morrinsville, Motueka, Rotorua, Taihape, Tauranga, Te Awamutu, Tokoroa, Upper Hutt, Waikanae, Waimakariri, Waipukurau, Wanaka, Wanganui, Warkworth, Wellington, Whakatane and Whangarei A special Thank You to all our Chamber Music New Zealand Supporters NZ COMMUNITY TRUST Chamber Music New Zealand acknowledges all donations and support at branch level: Auckland: THE EDGE New Plymouth: TSB Community Trust Hawkes Bay: Eastern & Central Community Trust Manawatu: Eastern & Central Community Trust Wellington: Positively Wellington Venues Dunedin: Dunedin City Council Southland: Community Trust of Southland; Invercargill Licensing Trust Coffee supplier: Karajoz Coffee Company Chocolatier: de Spa Chocolatier Floral Supplier: Global Living

24 crafted into The perfect composition Proud sponsor of the Michael Hill International Violin Competition michaelhill.com