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25th Menuhin Competition to be held in Cardiff: Friday 11^th April – Sunday 20^th April 2008 (BK)


The 25^th Anniversary of the Menuhin Competition will be held in Cardiff, in  partnership with the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the University of Glamorgan.

The world’s leading international competition for young violinists has chosen Cardiff to hold its 25^th anniversary. The Menuhin Competition, founded by Yehudi Menuhin in 1983 is the leading competition for young violinists under the age of 22. The competition attracts some of the world’s most gifted violinists; previous winners, such as Tasmin Little and Nikolaj Znaider, have achieved international success at the highest level.

The competition which has never before been held on a Welsh stage will be hosted in partnership with the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the University of Glamorgan’s Cardiff School of Creative & Cultural Industries.  The heats for both junior and senior competitions will be taking place in the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Concert Hall followed by the finals at St David’s Hall.    “Both institutions feel privileged to be involved with this world-leading competition and we are excited by the prospect of such fine and talented individuals performing in Cardiff and for the first time Wales.” said Hilary Boulding, Principal, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

The Competition will run from Friday 11^th April until Sunday 20^th April 2008 and will bring world class concerts to venues across Cardiff including the Wales Millennium Centre, St David’s Hall, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, National Museum of Wales, and Fonmon Castle. Alongside the competition, there will also be a full programme of concerts, workshops, seminars, lunchtime recitals, community outreach sessions and education projects for all ages. There will also be an Exhibition of Rare Violins held at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

Yehudi Menuhin said of the first competition, “I anticipate a very happy occasion, heart-warming and instructive, valuable for youngsters, teachers and audiences alike.”   Twenty-five years later, the competition has grown into a major international event which offers a showcase for all its competitors.  The festival atmosphere boasts an exhibition, concerts and an education programme.

The 2008 competition has received an unprecedented number of entries and from these, 42 competitors have been chosen. “The competitors represent 19 nationalities and will go forward to the competition to be held in Cardiff.   Audiences will witness a range of stunning performances with a varied and challenging repertoire designed to test the skills of each player.  All this in front of an all star jury.. ” explains Competition Director Gordon Back. “As a Welshman, I am delighted that the competition is coming to Wales, a land of great musical traditions and first class concert halls.”

The Menuhin Competition is the only event of its kind where the jury members perform in a concert of their own. The jury is made up of world class performers Maxim Vengerov (Russia), Edith Peinemann (Germany), Pamela Frank (USA) Dong-Suk Kang (Korea/USA) Michael Ma (China/Hong Kong), Erich Gruenberg (UK) and Paul Watkins (UK).  It will be a unique opportunity to watch these artists sharing their expertise in a day of Open Master Classes.

Among the many highlights of the 2008 competition will be the Opening Concert at St David’s Hall on 11^th April with Maxim Vengerov performing alongside the Welsh ‘Queen of Harps’ Catrin Finch and the 2000 and 2006 competition winners Akiko Ono and Hrachya Avanesyan. They will be joined by Welsh innovative and award winning choir Serendipity. The evening will feature Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto and a World Premiere of a specially commissioned work for choir, violin and harp by Mervyn Burtch as part of the programme.

25 years on, the Menuhin family are still very much at the heart of the Competition. Yehudi Menuhin’s son and acclaimed pianist, Jeremy, will perform at the picturesque Fonmon Castle in an intimate evening of music by some of the world’s leading chamber musicians. Zamira Menuhin Benthall is one of the competition’s trustees and a governor at the world renowned Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey. The Menuhin School Orchestra will accompany the junior competitors at the St David’s Hall final.  

Zamira Menuhin Benthall said "It is wonderful to see the Competition that my father set up 25 years ago going from strength to strength. His main intention was that it would be a platform for young musicians from around the world to perform and begin their musical careers and that certainly has been achieved. In addition to this in the event's 25th anniversary in Cardiff we can look forward to a festival atmosphere with the excellent concerts and education programme planned, truly fulfilling the hopes that my father had all those years ago. Wales has excellent venues, artists and orchestras and is a nation that loves music providing all the ingredients for a great musical event."

The competition culminates in a spectacular Closing Gala and prize giving ceremony at the Wales Millennium Centre on Sunday 20^th April. The junior and senior competition winners will perform alongside world-class artists Dong-Suk Kang, Jennifer Pike (BBC Young Musician 2002) and soprano Rebecca Evans. They will be accompanied by the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera under the baton of conductor Joji Hattori who is also Chairman of the Trustees for the competition.

 

Booking Information

The Menuhin Competition is a multi-venue event. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased from the individual venues.

• St David’s Hall 029 2087 8444

• Wales Millennium Centre 08700 40 2000

• Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama 029 20 391391(from 7 January)
   

For further information and event details and online booking:

www.menuhincompetition.org

For interview opportunities, photographs & further information please contact:

Jo Carpenter: Tel: 020 7737 5994 Mob: 07771 538868

Email: jo@jocarpenter.com

 
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