International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition
Encyclopedia
The International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition, named after Finnish composer Jean Sibelius
, is a competition for violinists up to age 30. It is held every five years (-00 and -05) in Helsinki
and is considered to be one of the top 3 most appreciated violin competitions in the world. The first competition took place in year 1965, eight years after the death of the composer. The competition is arranged by the Sibelius Society of Finland
and the Sibelius Academy
.
The competition has always had high-level competitors, and winners such as Oleg Kagan
, Viktoria Mullova
, and Leonidas Kavakos
have become internationally performing soloists. The popularity amongst the players might be explained by the location of the competition: Finland
connecting western Europe and USSR was probably considered safe enough by the Soviet authority to allow players to attend the competition.
The competition has three rounds: the first round, the second round, and the final round. After each round, a number of competitors are chosen to proceed to the next round, and after the final round the finalists are ranked. In the final ranking, the performance in each round is considered as a whole. To be accepted in the competition, candidates need to send a performance sample for a competition committee for pre-selection.
The first round program consists typically works of Bach
, a sonata by Mozart
, and Paganini
's capriccios. It is said that Bach measures readiness, Mozart measures understanding of style, and Paganini measures technical ability. The second round, often referred as the semi-finals, consists typically of a sonata for violin and piano, few pieces by Sibelius, a modern Finnish piece, and a virtuoso piece. In the final round, the finalists perform two concertos accompanied by a full symphony orchestra. One of the concertos is mandated as the Violin Concerto in D minor
by Sibelius.
In 2005, 175 applications were received, 58 competitors were accepted of which 50 took part in the competition, 20 proceeded to the second round, and 8 were chosen to the final round.
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity. His mastery of the orchestra has been described as "prodigious."...
, is a competition for violinists up to age 30. It is held every five years (-00 and -05) in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
and is considered to be one of the top 3 most appreciated violin competitions in the world. The first competition took place in year 1965, eight years after the death of the composer. The competition is arranged by the Sibelius Society of Finland
Sibelius Society of Finland
The Sibelius Society of Finland is a society in Finland dedicated to the music of the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. It was set up in December 1957. The Society and the Ministry of Education opened the composer's house Ainola as a museum in 1974....
and the Sibelius Academy
Sibelius Academy
The Sibelius Academy is a university-level music school which operates in Helsinki and Kuopio, Finland. It also has an adult education centre in Järvenpää and a training centre in Seinäjoki. The Academy is the only music university in Finland. It is among the biggest European music universities...
.
The competition has always had high-level competitors, and winners such as Oleg Kagan
Oleg Kagan
Oleg Moiseyevich Kagan was a Soviet violinist, known for his chamber partnerships with the likes of pianist Sviatoslav Richter and cellist Natalia Gutman. He was also a significant proponent of modern music, in particular Berg's Violin Concerto...
, Viktoria Mullova
Viktoria Mullova
Viktoria Yurievna Mullova is a Russian violinist. She is best known for her performances and recordings of a number of violin concerti, compositions by J.S. Bach, and her innovative interpretations of popular and jazz compositions by Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, The Beatles, and...
, and Leonidas Kavakos
Leonidas Kavakos
Leonidas Kavakos is a Greek virtuoso violinist .-Beginnings:Born in Athens into a musical family, Kavakos began studying violin at five years old and continued his studies at the Hellenic Conservatory with Stelios Kafantaris. An Onassis Foundation scholarship enabled him to attend master classes...
have become internationally performing soloists. The popularity amongst the players might be explained by the location of the competition: Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
connecting western Europe and USSR was probably considered safe enough by the Soviet authority to allow players to attend the competition.
The competition has three rounds: the first round, the second round, and the final round. After each round, a number of competitors are chosen to proceed to the next round, and after the final round the finalists are ranked. In the final ranking, the performance in each round is considered as a whole. To be accepted in the competition, candidates need to send a performance sample for a competition committee for pre-selection.
The first round program consists typically works of Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
, a sonata by Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
, and Paganini
Niccolò Paganini
Niccolò Paganini was an Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, and composer. He was one of the most celebrated violin virtuosi of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique...
's capriccios. It is said that Bach measures readiness, Mozart measures understanding of style, and Paganini measures technical ability. The second round, often referred as the semi-finals, consists typically of a sonata for violin and piano, few pieces by Sibelius, a modern Finnish piece, and a virtuoso piece. In the final round, the finalists perform two concertos accompanied by a full symphony orchestra. One of the concertos is mandated as the Violin Concerto in D minor
Violin Concerto (Sibelius)
The Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47, was written by Jean Sibelius in 1904.-History:Sibelius originally dedicated the concerto to the noted violinist Willy Burmester, who promised to play the concerto in Berlin...
by Sibelius.
In 2005, 175 applications were received, 58 competitors were accepted of which 50 took part in the competition, 20 proceeded to the second round, and 8 were chosen to the final round.
Laureates
1965- Oleg KaganOleg KaganOleg Moiseyevich Kagan was a Soviet violinist, known for his chamber partnerships with the likes of pianist Sviatoslav Richter and cellist Natalia Gutman. He was also a significant proponent of modern music, in particular Berg's Violin Concerto...
, USSR - Joshua Epstein, IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
- Valeri Gradov, USSR
1970
- (ex aequo) Liana IsakadzeLiana IsakadzeLiana Isakadze is a Georgian violinist.Born in Tbilisi, the capital of then-Soviet Georgia, Isakadze won her first Soviet-wide musical prize at the age of 14 in 1961 and graduated from the Moscow Conservatory under the guidance of David Oistrakh in 1968. Since 1965, she has performed in various...
, USSR & Pavel KoganPavel Kogan (conductor)Pavel Leonidovich Kogan is a Russian violinist and conductor who currently leads the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra....
, USSR - -
- Otto Armin, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
1975
- Yuval Yaron, IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
- Ilya GrubertIlya GrubertIlya Grubert is a Latvian classical violinist. He has won Paganini Competition and Tchaikovsky Competition in 1978.Born in Riga, Grubert began his studies at the Emil Darzins School of Music. He has studied under Yuri Yankelevich and Zinaida Gilels, and then under Leonid Kogan at the Moscow...
, USSR - Eugen Sârbu, RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
1980
- Viktoria MullovaViktoria MullovaViktoria Yurievna Mullova is a Russian violinist. She is best known for her performances and recordings of a number of violin concerti, compositions by J.S. Bach, and her innovative interpretations of popular and jazz compositions by Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, The Beatles, and...
, USSR - Sergei StadlerSergei StadlerSergei Stadler is a Russian musician. Born in St. Petersburg on 20 May 1962, he studied the violin with David Oistrakh and Leonid Kogan and took the first prize and gold medal in the 1982 Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. He is also a laureate of the Jacques Thibaud competition in Paris, where he...
, USSR - Andres CardenesAndrés CárdenesAndrés Cárdenes is a Cuban-born violinist, violist, teacher, conductor, and concertmaster. He has performed and taught in a number of prominent positions, including his current distinguished professorship in violin at Carnegie Mellon University School of Music where he holds the Dorothy Richard...
, USA
1985
- (ex aequo) Ilya KalerIlya KalerIlya Kaler is a Russian violinist. He was born in Moscow.Kaler is the only violinist to win Gold Medals at these three highly prestigious competitions: the International Tchaikovsky Competition ; the Sibelius ; and the Paganini .- Education :Born into a family of an orchestral musician, Ilya Kaler...
, USSR & Leonidas KavakosLeonidas KavakosLeonidas Kavakos is a Greek virtuoso violinist .-Beginnings:Born in Athens into a musical family, Kavakos began studying violin at five years old and continued his studies at the Hellenic Conservatory with Stelios Kafantaris. An Onassis Foundation scholarship enabled him to attend master classes...
, GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... - -
- Vilmos SzabadiVilmos SzabadiVilmos Szabadi, sometimes referred to as Wilhelm Szabadi is one of the best known Hungarian violinists.Szabadi studied under Professor Ferenc Halász at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest where on receiving his diploma, he became the youngest-ever member to join the teaching staff...
, HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
1990
- -
- Cristina Anghelescu, RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
- (ex aequo) Sigrún Edvaldsdóttir, IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
& Akiko Tanaka, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
1995
- Pekka KuusistoPekka KuusistoPekka Kuusisto is a Finnish classical and jazz violinist.Pekka Kuusisto began studying the violin at the age of three. His first violin teacher was Geza Szilvay at the East Helsinki Music Institute. In 1983 he enrolled in the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. He began to study there with Tuomas...
, FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... - Elisabeth BatiashviliLisa BatiashviliLisa Batiashvili is a Georgian violinist, the daughter of a violinist father and a pianist mother. Her father was her first teacher from age 4. She later studied at the Hamburg Musikhochschule...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (country)Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of... - (ex aequo) Madoka Sato, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
& Nikolaj ZnaiderNikolaj ZnaiderNikolaj Znaider is a Danish classical violinist and conductor.-Career:Born in Denmark to Polish-Israeli parents, Znaider studied with the eminent Russian pedagogue Boris Kushnir and drawing on this eclectic background his playing has been heralded in the Strad Magazine as "extraordinarily...
, DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
2000
- Sergei Khachatryan, ArmeniaArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
- Natsumi Tamai, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
- (ex aequo) Zhi-Jiong Wang, ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
& Sayako Kusaka, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
2005
- Alina PogostkinaAlina PogostkinaAlina Pogostkina is a Russian-born German violinist. The daughter of two professional violinists, Pogostkina began playing the violin at the age of four and quickly showed herself to have exceptional talent. She gave her first concerts at the age of five...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... - Jiafeng ChenJiafeng ChenChen Jiafeng , born in Shanghai, is a Chinese violinist. He started to play the violin at the age of 3 and gave his first concert at 8.-Biography:...
, ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... - (ex aequo) Hyun-Su Shin, South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
& Wei Wen, China
2010
- Nikita Borisoglebsky, RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
- Petteri IivonenPetteri IivonenPetteri Iivonen is a Finnish violinist. He has studied at the Sibelius Academy, University of Southern California and the Tel Aviv University with Hagai Shaham...
, FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... - Esther YooEsther YooEsther Yoo , is the youngest laureate of the 10th International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition in 2010. Prior to Sibelius violin competition, Yoo was awarded the First Prize at the 10th International Wieniawski Violin Competition for Young Violinists , European Union Award for Music Art for...
, USA
See also
- List of classical music competitions
- World Federation of International Music CompetitionsWorld Federation of International Music CompetitionsThe World Federation of International Music Competitions is an organization based in Geneva, Switzerland that maintains a network of the internationally recognized organisations that aim to discover the most promising young talents in classical music through public competition...
External links
- The competition pages of Finnish Broadcasting Company
- The official competition pages
- The Sibelius Society of Finland