COMPETITIONS Archives - World's Leading Classical Music Platform

Mark Padmore on the Upcoming 2025 Lyon International Chamber Music Competition

THE VIOLIN CHANNEL — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 19:57:31 +0000

The Violin Channel recently had a chat with British Tenor, Mark Padmore, to get advice on how to best prepare for a voice competition.

The 20th edition of the Lyon International Chamber Music Competition (CIMCL) will take place between April 23 and 26, 2025. Each year, the competition is addressed to a different chamber music ensemble and in 2025, it will adjudicate voice and piano duos.

Open to candidates under the age of 34, the CIMCL is offering a total of €19,000 in prize money — as well as concert engagements, a tour with La Belle Saison, training at the Académie musicale de Villecroze, and many other opportunities.

You can apply at this link until January 15th, 2025.

As one of the 2025 jury members, Mark Padmore sat down with us to tell us more!

How important are competitions in the development of a young singer?

I think that competitions can be enormously helpful in launching a career, but more than that, they provide an opportunity for focussed, hard work in preparing repertoire. This is something that will be useful for all participants.

What are you looking for in a winner?

Different judges will look for different things and hopefully we will discover singers who have a great combination of qualities. Personally, I hope to hear singers who can really communicate a love of song.

What are the main qualities a young singer should develop in order to create a sustainable career?

First of all, one needs a strong appetite for hard work. Learning repertoire requires much more than just learning the notes. I would highlight generosity, curiosity, perseverance, imagination and enthusiasm.

When you have to collaborate with musicians on a short notice — just like the finalists will need to do with a string quartet — what is your best piece of advice to ensure a smooth collaboration?

Know your repertoire inside out and be prepared to share your understanding. Make sure that the quartet have read the text of the song and can join you in communicating the meaning.

How do you prepare yourself when embodying a specific character in a song?

Words come first. I try to read widely so that I can understand something about where the poem comes from. History is useful to gaincontext for what the poem is saying, but we also have to think about how it can be relevant to today's audience.

The candidates will need to perform short pieces from various composers and sing in multiple languages. How do you switch from one world to another in such a short period of time?

We have to develop the skills of an actor. It is more than switching hats — we really have to fully inhabit different personalities.

What would be the ideal repertoire for a competition such as this one?

Most importantly, choose repertoire that you love and have a desire to communicate to others. If you choose well-known songs, then don't just imitate another performer, find something new to say. If you choose unknown repertoire, make sure it is interesting and worthwhile and will intrigue the audience.

Did you have mentors or decisive moments during your training that propelled your career?

I have been lucky to work with many wonderful colleagues. I have learnt something from every single one. Equally important is going to great concerts, theatre, and film and reading great literature. Inspiration comes from many different sources.

What have been some of the highlights of your career?

Bach Passions with the Berlin Philharmonic in the Peter Sellars staging, Billy Budd at Glyndebourne, Death in Venice at Royal Opera House, and Schubert song cycles with Paul Lewis, amongst many others.

Mark Padmore is a British tenor who was voted 2016 Vocalist of the Year by Musical America. Artistic Director of the St. Endellion Summer Music Festival in Cornwall from 2012-2022, he was appointed CBE in the 2019 Queens’ Birthday Honours List.

Prior to a residency at Wigmore Hall in the 2021/22 season, he was Artist in Residence for the 2017/18 season with the Berlin Philharmonic and held a similar position with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in 2016/17.

His extensive and award-winning discography includes Schumann Dichterliebe with Kristian Bezuidenhout and Schubert song cycles with Paul Lewis, both for Harmonia Mundi. Described by the New York Times as “Schubert Masters” Mark Padmore and Mitsuko Uchida recently embarked on a series of highly acclaimed, worldwide recitals and this partnership has culminated in a recording on Decca Classics of Schubert Schwanengesang and Beethoven An die ferne Geliebte.

This season Mark sings Evangelist in the St Matthew Passion with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Simon Rattle and with the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra; tours Japan appearing first at the Le Pont International Music Festival, followed by a recital at Topan Hall with the guitarist Yasuji Ohagi and ending the tour with performances of Britten Nocturne with the Gunma Symphony Orchestra.

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Violinist Suyoen Kim on Preparing for a Major Competition

THE VIOLIN CHANNEL — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 11:00:22 +0000

Organized by the Guadagnini Foundation and the Stuttgart University of Music and Performing Arts, the Stuttgart International Violin Competition is open to international violinists 28 years of age and younger. Applications are open until July 31, 2023.

We wanted to get insight from future jury member Suyoen Kim on how to best prepare for a major competition:

"As an experienced juror and future jury member of the Stuttgart International Violin Competition, what tips would you give an applicant to most effectively plan out their competition/sponsorship/auditions schedule to give them the best chance at achieving all their goals?"

"I have participated in numerous competitions myself and I can still remember the feeling on stage very well.
I have never been a very brave or confident person, so it was quite stressful for me to step on a stage knowing, that I was being judged.

But looking back, I also can see, how it pushed me to overcome some of my fears and the intensity of preparations for a competition was something, I would now describe as one of the greatest benefits.

When you participate in a competition, whether you want to win a prize or you want to gain performance experience, never underestimate the power of mental preparation.
We all practice for technical ease and we try to find our own personal ways to develop our musical ideas. But in the moment of your performance, it might be so overwhelming, that you are not able to share all your hard work and emotions. This is very human and is part of being an artist, which we must learn to accept.

Nevertheless, it is also important to start early in your process to try to deal with it in the best possible way. For me, it took a great time and lots of struggles and now sometimes, I can feel more grateful for being on stage than feeling anxious.
In a more practical matter, I find it very helpful to play the program for friends or colleagues as often as possible in order to get a feeling for energy distribution and to get used to a certain amount of adrenaline. Breathing, bowings, vibrato, everything just feels different, when you are under pressure.
Also, finding your personal approach to sound and how to form it to your musical ideas, is very important and can show much more of who you are than technical perfection.
My wish for all violinists coming to the competition is, that you bring your own stories to share with us and to be true to yourself as an artist.

-Suyoen Kim"

Do you have a burning question for one of the Pros?

Simply email: hello@theviolinchannel.com

Violinist Suyoen Kim was born in Münster in 1987 and received her first violin lessons at the age of five. Aged nine, she became Germany's youngest student to join Professor Helge Slaatto at the Musikhochschule Münster, where she graduated with a diploma. In 2010 and 2012 she pursued her postgraduate studies with Professor Ana Chumachenco at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich and at the Kronberg Academy.

During the period of her studies, she won the 1st prize at the International Joseph Joachim Violin Competition Hannover in 2006. In 2009 Suyoen Kim came 4th in the Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition in Brussels.

Suyoen Kim performs as a soloist with renowned orchestras and conductors and with numerous chamber music partners. She was a member of the Artemis Quartet until 2021, as the quartet has decided to stop its activities for the time being. In early 2018, Kim was appointed the first concertmaster of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin.

Suyoen Kim plays the "Lord Newlands" violin made by Antonio Stradivari in 1702, which is on kind loan from the Nippon Music Foundation.

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Violinist Ulf Wallin on Producing the Optimal Application Videos for Competitions

THE VIOLIN CHANNEL — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 04:24:09 +0000

Organized by the Guadagnini Foundation and the Stuttgart University of Music and Performing Arts, the Stuttgart International Violin Competition is open to international violinists 28 years of age and younger. Applications are open until July 31, 2023.

How does one create the best quality application videos? What should one think about to maximize one's chances of selection? We inquired with violinist Ulf Wallin to find out.

Here are a few tips for your recording:

1. The sound setting: Does it correspond to your own individual sound? It is better not to have too much reverberation as it makes your playing sound rather imprecise. Also, considering the number of recordings the commission has to listen to, it makes it difficult to judge.

2. The venue: clear lighting with good resolution. The camera angle should be such that one can easily and advantageously perceive the hands, face, and body.

3. Listening: It is better to make a small test recording shortly before the actual video so that you can hear what you still need to practice/improve. Or to determine whether it fails to reach the required standard and should not be submitted or too early to participate.

4. Physical endurance when performing is very important, so put your pieces in a sensible order. Avoid playing through the piece more than 2 or 3 times. Once you get tired or unfocused, both precision and interpretation will suffer as a result.

And lastly, don't forget: taking part in competitions is important for your career. But it is just part of the long road to becoming a good musician. Therefore, focus primarily on musical and artistic aspects of performance.

And; you also need a bit of luck with the constellation of the jury :))

-Ulf Wallin

Do you have a burning question for one of the Pros? Simply email: hello@theviolinchannel.com

The Swedish violinist Ulf Wallin is a professor of violin at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" in Berlin and visiting professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. He has served on juries for major international competitions including the ARD Competition in Munich, the Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition in Hannover, and the Fritz Kreisler Violin Competition in Vienna.

In 2013 he was awarded the Robert-Schumann-Preis der Stadt Zwickau and in 2014 he was elected into the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.

Concert tours have taken him to Asia, Europe and the United States. He has worked with such eminent conductors as Jesús Lopéz Cobos, Manfred Honeck, Paavo Järvi, Andrew Manze, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Walter Weller, and Franz Welser-Möst. Always in great demand as a chamber player, Ulf Wallin has worked with artists like Bruno Canino, Barbara Hendricks, Heinz Holliger, Roland Pöntinen, and András Schiff.

He has made numerous radio, and television appearances and more than 50 CD recordings (BIS, cop, EMI and BMG).

A graduate of the Royal College of Music in Stockholm with Prof. Sven Karpe and of the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna with Wolfgang Schneiderhan, Wallin plays a violin by the Venetian master Domenico Montagnana from 1746.

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Violinist Eva Rabchevska — "How to plan repertoire when juggling competitions/concerts?"

The Violin Channel — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 16:54:48 +0000

Ukrainian violinist Eva Rabchevska won first prize at the 2021 Stuttgart International Violin Competition, in Stuttgart, Germany. Hosted by the Stuttgart University of Music and Performing Arts and the Guadagnini Foundation, the next edition of the competition will be hosted in 2024.

While many young violinists prepare applications for competitions like the Stuttgart Competition, they may have questions on how to choose repertoire and balance the many performance opportunities that come their way. The Violin Channel had the privilege to get Eva's expert tips on the subject.

"Choosing repertoire for competitions is a very important step in preparation, especially when combining several competitions/festivals in a short period of time. When it comes to selecting a variety of repertoire, I would suggest picking pieces that can work for many different concerts/competitions. It is important to choose repertoire you feel confident about and that can express versatile sides of your creativity and musicality.

Of course, different competitions require different compulsory works. We most frequently see contemporary music, which might be quite challenging to work on in a short time. My suggestion would be to start and concentrate your time on practicing pieces you are less familiar and comfortable with. Contemporary music very often needs time to be read calmly, to decide on fingerings, bowings, phrasing, and harmonic structure. Put simply, you need to get used to the new musical language of composer. Meanwhile, in your practice routine, you can incorporate works you feel more confident about and need less time to bring into shape.

On a daily basis, it’s impossible to have in your hands a huge amount of repertoire for different competitions. Therefore mental practicing, listening to recordings, analyzing, and making notes in your score will be really helpful and save you from over practicing.

The next important step in your preparation is running through the repertoire. This will help to discover the unexpected challenges one might face during the actual performance and work out the endurance. First, I would suggest playing the works you are less confident about in front of your friends or colleagues.

Especially with contemporary music, it would be ideal if your friends could follow the score during your performance so they can give you some honest opinions and advice. Next, you can try to play through entire rounds of a competition to see how to better distribute your power and find which order of pieces would be the most convenient. If you have a chance to perform in front of the public, try to incorporate as many competition pieces as possible, especially those with orchestra or chamber music works.

Very often in my case, there was no chance to perform final round concerto or compulsory piece with orchestra at least once before the competition. In this situation, the general score should become your best friend. Try to indicate the spots that might potentially be challenging when playing with an orchestra. While playing, try to imagine the harmonic structure of the piece and the voices and themes of other instruments. You should also take into consideration the specifics of different orchestra instruments: the dynamic range, articulation, and sound color they have. Therefore, your part will always be within the context of those details.

In the end, it’s most important to prioritize your mental health. Preparing huge programs is always overwhelming. There is a danger of losing yourself in a practice room for the whole day and concentrating too much on perfection. Don’t forget to live and experience things, meet with friends, and spend some quality time with your family. Otherwise, what can you express through your playing if you don't experience real life?

-Eva"

A graduate of the Bratislava State Conservatory, in Slovakia, and current student of Zakhar Bron at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía, in Madrid, Eva is a former major prize winner at the Carl Flesch and Karol Lipinski International Violin Competitions. She was also one of twelve finalists at the prestigious 2019 Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition.

Upon winning the Stuttgart Competition, Eva received €25,000, plus a number of important orchestral debut solo performances, including concerto engagements with the Stuttgart Philharmonic, the Orchestra of the Symphoniker Hamburg, the Philharmonie Südwestfalen, the Orchestra of the Symphoniker Nürnberg, the Robert-Schumann-Philharmonie Chemnitz, the Mecklenburgische Staatskapelle Schwerin, and the Erfurt Philharmonic Orchestra.

She was also offered a three-year use of a 1746 Giovanni Battista Guadagnini fine violin — on generous loan from the Guadagnini Foundation collection.

She will perform concerts with the Mecklenburg State Orchestra in the Mecklenburg State Theater in Schwerin on January 1 and 7, 2023.

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How Do You Choose Repertoire for a Competition?

THE VIOLIN CHANNEL — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 20:00:19 +0000

Dmitry Berlinsky

Professor of Violin at Michigan State University

Choosing the right repertoire is one of the most important aspects of preparing for a competition.

It should be a very personal approach. One needs to try to include works in each round, which will make the jury members and audience feel connected to the performer on a very personal level and leave a mark in their hearts and minds.

On the practical level, I would suggest not to include freshly learned pieces without performing them several times on the stage or for a group of friends.

Also, if there is an accompanist provided by the competition who you don’t know, it would be wise to keep in mind the time limitation for rehearsals and to pick pieces where you can feel confident and less dependent on the quality of the accompanist.

Ulf Wallin

Professor of Violin at the Academy of Music "Hanns Eisler" Berlin

Choose repertoire that you are really comfortable with ...

Don’t forget that it is one thing to play a program of very demanding works once, but that in a competition you may have to play the program over a period of two weeks.

So if you have chosen a succession of highly demanding works, it may be difficult to maintain one’s highest level of performance for the entire period.

Lucie Robert

Professor of Violin at the Manhattan School of Music

Always choose what you feel are your best pieces within the repertoire choices you are given.

There are no “better” or “more important” works ... how you play them is what matters.

Dong Suk Kang

Professor of Violin at Seoul's Yonsei University

Candidates often ask which pieces would be the most effective for the competition.

I think they should choose the repertoire which can show their best qualities.

They shouldn’t choose works which they think are popular and effective.

In general, I think it’s wise to choose pieces that are not often played.

When you play a popular piece, you will have to play much better than the other people to make an impression on the jury.

But if you play something which is less known, the chances are that you will be the only to play this piece and it could have a bigger impact.

Pavel Vernikov

Professor of Violin at the Vienna Conservatory and the University of Lausanne

The reason someone enters a competition is to win it.

And therefore the candidate should choose the repertoire the way he/she can show the best of his/her skills.

In addition, the program should be versatile.

Combining these two aspects is very difficult.

Koichiro Harada

Professor of Violin at the Manhattan School of Music

A classic or romantic sonata to show musicality, a modern piece to demonstrate uniqueness ... and another to show technical aptitude.

Interpretation of Bach tends to be split into baroque and traditional schools ... so it might lead to a split in assessment. Might be wise to avoid.

Mihaela Martin

Professor of Violin at the Cologne University of Music, Geneva Conservatory and the Kronberg Academy

The repertoire one chooses should reflect one's complexity of musicality and knowledge of styles.

I advise a rich palette of styles ... especially when the choice is free.

I always find performances attractive when the competitors don’t put any emphasis on a particularly strong feature of their playing, but rather identify totally with the music they play, and is up to the listener to discover their strong sides or their all around musicality.

Martti Rousi

Professor of Cello at Helsinki's Sibelius Academy

The choice of sonatas should depend on the actual pianist one is using.

And in sonatas one should not forget to make your pianist feel good on stage, it pays off!

Eduard Schmieder

Professor of Violin at Temple University's Boyer College of Music

Participants should choose a piece within the compulsory program that they feel presents them in a better light ... and reflects their individual personalities and musicianship.

Preference should be given to shorter works.

Do you have a question you’d like our network to answer? Simply email: hello@theviolinchannel.com

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"What Does the Jury Look For at the Menuhin Competition"

THE VIOLIN CHANNEL — Sat, 22 May 2021 18:27:26 +0000

"It is always hard to judge a competition because music and arts in general, are not like sports — as in, where somebody runs faster in a running contest, you can calculate the win so easily. But music is an entirely different story, different strokes for different folks. What I am looking for is young artists that are ready to take the next step in starting a solo career. Not everybody is ready for such kind of lifestyle because you have to take on a lot of pressure and responsibility and sacrifice so much. That's why I think we're not only looking for great violinists but also well-rounded artists who have found their own distinctive voice — a voice that is so unique that I can identify immediately even with my eyes closed!

I don’t mind mistakes. If you're judging a competition and your primary goal is not to enjoy the music but to pick their flaws, then why are you there? I want to enjoy the music as much as possible, that’s why I treated every single video as a real recital. So, if the violinist makes some mistakes, I won’t be too concerned as long as the musical intention was still there. We are human, and nobody is perfect. For me, imperfection is the beauty of our human nature, and I want to embrace that imperfection. Again, the artistic quality of a distinctive voice is something I'm really looking for.

Now 11 years after I won first prize and being on the other side, I felt I wanted to put myself in the shoes of the competitors. I would constantly ask myself, “What would I have done if I were them?” In fact, I got the opportunity of studying and premiering this year’s commission work by Mason Bates last week with the Richmond Symphony. It was truly a unique experience that gave me a chance to be a ‘competitor’ one more time!

The most fruitful part of this year’s competition is simply put — it happened!

The challenges that came from this year’s competition include a variety of things. For example, you have to decide a particular time in your own time zone, and perform one take without editing, and place a clock in the shot so that there's no way that you can edit it. It’s really difficult for me when I decide upon who should advance to the next round. Everybody uses different materials and recording equipment, and people play in various spaces. Somebody likes to put the microphone very close to the violin, and somebody likes to record from very far away. So, when you try to guess if a certain player could project in 2000 seats concert hall, it becomes particularly challenging. I would have to use other tools to help me ‘guess’ — looking at their contact point, bow speed, bow distribution, and so on.

We're also required to watch the videos in the exact order they gave us; the first and second rounds are alphabetical. We were asked to just watch it once and take very little breaks in between, and treat it as if it's a live competition. To be honest, I did not sleep AT ALL on the night that I had to submit my result, because I really thought of all of them should be the first prize! I know that when I click the submit button, I may have changed the path of a young violinist’s future career, forever. And that holds a lot of weight. But I also always keep one thing in mind: no matter what place a competitor comes in, they will still have the chance to become one of the greatest violinists ever. We know a lot of great artists that didn't win competitions, like Yo-Yo Ma and Hilary Hahn. Competition is a great way to motivate yourself to practice and learn new pieces, but it is not the only way to a successful career. All roads lead to Rome!"

-Angelo

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"How Should a Competition Competitor Handle Rejection?"

THE VIOLIN CHANNEL — Thu, 20 May 2021 19:47:39 +0000

"In this question, there is certainly the issue of age. If a 30-year-old violinist has participated yet again at another competition where he or she has not been able to pass the first round, he or she has could perhaps start realizing that his or her ability just might not be suited to embark on a soloist’s career, for which most competitions are conceived.

But for all violinists competing at a much younger age, including at the Menuhin Competition, the most important realization should be that life is very long, and that in every field, there are early and late developers.

The fact that one 14-year-old violinist has greater abilities than another, says very little about how the same two violinists will compare a few years later.

Specifically at the Menuhin Competition, because we pre-select before the competition’s first round from a huge pool of applicants, we can say with certainty that all competitors are already members of a very small group of highly gifted young musicians. When we look at the history of our competition, the majority of former participants, including those who have not passed the first round, today have impressive professional careers as adult violinists.

The most productive way to handle rejection is to become very objective and analytical about the reason. Why did someone else do better at that exact time when the competition took place. If one can consider every competition as an opportunity to learn how to do better at the next one, the rejection can be converted into an extremely educational 'life experience.'

I look to one example from my own life. In 1988, when I was just 19 years old, I competed at the Kulenkampff Violin Competition, in Cologne, and was kicked out from the first round.

Only two months later, I won third prize at the even more prestigious Carl Nielsen Competition in Denmark. Interestingly, the 2nd Prize Winner of both competitions in Cologne and Denmark happened to be the same person, who is now the concertmistress of the Dresden Philharmonic.

In other words, I managed to improve from a 'first-round exit,' to a finalist, to a third Prize Winner, within only two months.

And this happened NOT because one competition was fairer than the other. It was only because after I was rejected from the competition in Cologne, I listened to all the other candidates who went further and tried to use all my brains to analyze what the others did better."

-Joji Hattori

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"As a Jury Member, What Are You Really Looking For?"

THE VIOLIN CHANNEL — Sat, 17 Oct 2020 14:37:21 +0000

Each member of the jury uses his or her criteria, in addition to the competition regulation's, to judge the candidates for the Menuhin Competition.

Although the participants in the Menuhin Competition are younger than the participants in other major competitions, for me, the criteria remain the same.

I am always looking for violinists who have something individual and personal to say.

Today, there are many violinists who show amazing skills even at very young age.

The general standard of violin playing, or other instruments for that matter, has risen considerably.

When I competed as a student, there were very few violinists who could play the Paganini Caprices in a spectacular fashion. Now, there are very few who have difficulty with the Caprices. It is no secret that young violinists today have enormous capacity as instrumentalists.

On the other hand, I don’t find that musical understanding and maturity in young musicians have evolved that much over the years. Often in the final rounds, when they play with an orchestra, I noticed that the performances are less convincing due to a lack of experience and the rarity of original musical personality.

Therefore, as far as I am concerned, the most important qualities I look for are musical insights, appreciation for different styles of music, and individuality.

It is not easy to explain, but with some violinists, it is obvious from the very first note that they are able to attract your attention and convey a personal message, even if you might not agree with their taste and approach.

For me, the final test is whether the young violinist touches you emotionally or not. There are many violinists who do everything in an impeccable way, but not saying much overall. There might not be anything to criticize technically, but at the end, there is no emotional impact. I prefer those who might not have as much command of the instrument, but have something unique to express.

Some of my colleagues don’t necessarily look for the same qualities.

Fortunately, we have enough jury members to represent different opinions or tastes, and come up with some sort of consensus at the end.

- Dong Suk Kang

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Violinist Midori Discusses the Importance of Competitions in Building Careers

The Violin Channel — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 17:27:06 +0000

Competitions are often part of the equation to build a long-lasting career. They can provide exposure, access to contacts, and monetary incentives. As the world changes, young artists are wondering if they are the only way to jump-start a career in the classical music industry? Our reader Cindy wanted some advice.

Do you think competitions are necessary for building a performance career? Or are there other ways to jump-start it? Please let us know in the comments below. We’re all keen to learn more from you.

(Photo credit: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders)

Violinist Midori shares her opinions on competitions:

Dear Cindy,

Thank you for asking the question.

While I don't think I — or anyone else — would have the perfect answer, here is what I'd say:

Competitions CAN be a great way to start a solid career, but that doesn't mean that they guarantee a successful one. It also does not mean that competitions are the only path to an assured future.

Also remember, there is no one absolute definition of what is meant by a "solid, long-term career." There are many factors that go into shaping a person's professional life.

Playing well is critical, of course, but superior performance doesn't always make up for organizational and personality flaws, for example.

Competitions often lead to opportunities to perform with different orchestras and at various venues. They also provide an incentive that forces young players to meet a deadline, to gear up to participate, while providing opportunities for meeting new friends and future colleagues in the course of the competition.

Young musicians get to travel, broadening their horizons while exposing them to cultural diversity. These experiences are all so important — they definitely have a positive influence over the course of an entire career.

(In a couple of cases, I've actually seen a little romance that grew out of competition. A couple eventually tying the knot, what a success!)

But there are potential negatives, as competitions can be emotionally draining, physically stressful, or financially disastrous.

They can, in some cases, lower confidence, and negatively affect a person's performance and learning opportunities.

I've observed various outcomes of highly successful competitors (for the
lack of a better word).

Some maximized every possible opportunity, and that became their personal path toward new career heights. Some were given wonderful opportunities but then decided to advance in other directions.

Others took a prize as an incentive to go for more prizes.

There are also those cautionary cases of certain musicians who overloaded as they struggled to meet too many opportunities or tasks for which they were not yet ready.

On the other side, alongside my colleagues such as Gil Shaham and Sarah
Chang, to name just a few, I don't have any competition credit.

I sometimes look at my students who are on the competition track with a bit of envy. They all seem so excited to be preparing, even when they do find the process stressful.

The entire experience, including going through competitions themselves, provides true motivation, and the "growth" I find in my competing students is tremendous.

One of the positive "changes" I am seeing in recent competitions is that
their organizers are expanding upon the competitive experience, widening
their participants' horizons. The organizers present panels drawn from all
corners of the field, not just the performance sector, but also from the
"business" side, with the aim of impacting the thought processes of young
musicians.

How do the competitors perceive the range of a career? Have they
thought of their future responsibilities, or the expectations that will be
placed on them as artists who will help shape the field in years to come? In
this way, competitions are having a valuable impact on the future of
classical music.

I hope this quick overview has given you some window into the
interconnections between musical competitions and careers.

In an ever-changing music world, yours is a question on many minds these days, so I believe that examining the topic is of real value.

-Midori

Do you have a burning question for one of the pros?
Simply email: hello@theviolinchannel.com

A visionary artist, activist, and educator, Midori stands as one of the most outstanding violinists of our time. A recognized child prodigy, at the age of 11, she was invited to perform with the New York Philharmonic by conductor Zubin Mehta. She has collaborated with other renowned musicians such as Emanuel Ax, Leonard Bernstein, Christoph Eschenbach, Yo-Yo Ma and performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras. She has founded several non-profit organizations, including Midori & Friends and MUSIC SHARING. She serves as a United Nations Messenger of Peace and was the recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors.

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Violinist Kathleen Winkler on How Competitions Can Shape Your Life and Career

The Violin Channel — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 19:46:12 +0000

Competitions can skyrocket the career of a number of talented and prodigious musicians overnight. While there is often pressure and stress involved when competing, the rewards can outweigh the challenges. Overall, artists have differing views on whether competitions are necessary for a successful career.

Rice University's Shepherd School of Music violin pedagogue, Kathleen Winkler shares her expert advice on the topic.

Violinist Kathleen Winkler Talks About How Competitions can Change Your Life and Career

My dream had always been to be a concertmaster or to play in a string quartet. In fact, my first job out of college was doing both – serving as concertmaster for a major metropolitan orchestra as well as playing in the orchestra’s resident string quartet. But by age 27, through a series of naive missteps, I found myself instead working for a small (1400 student) private university music department where I taught mostly non-music majors courses like music theory and history, ear training, and chamber music (although there were not enough interested students to form even one meaningful ensemble), as well as being asked to create a university/community orchestra which I was then expected to conduct. For this I received $14,000 a year - before taxes - which even back then was a pittance.

Each day, hours were spent navigating these seemingly insurmountable responsibilities. I struggled as I had never taught classroom subjects before. Time on my instrument was drifting out of reach and eventually, I could feel my role as a violinist evaporating. A dear friend at the time, familiar with my dire state of affairs, suggested that I enter a competition to jump start my playing. Although I had entered two or three regional competitions as a graduate student, I had never been drawn to that circuit and, in fact, had never participated in a major solo violin competition. Seeing no other immediate option to improve my lot, I settled on entering my friend’s suggestion of the Carl Nielsen International Violin Competition, held in Odense, Denmark.

Participating in my first international violin competition at age 29 was entirely about reconnecting to my love of playing the violin; winning was not my preoccupation. Using the opportunity to reclaim my creative spirit, which had been slowly withering away under the effects of countless hours spent correcting four part harmony exercises, was my projected goal.

Even being at the very top end of the competition’s age limit and knowing that I would be up against violinists close to half my age didn’t deter me from my deep yearning to reconnect to what I had always believed would be my lifelong partner. I did not fit the profile of the typical competitor in either age or mind set.

And that is my point in sharing this story – that competitions can be used for a variety of purposes and defined by how one choses to inwardly package them. While competition formats may vary, we cannot modify their basic nature. What can be refashioned is how we choose to both approach and utilize the experience.

Winning the Carl Nielsen International Violin Competition was the game changer in my career. I truly believe that having that accomplishment on my resume set me on a entirely new, and deeply appreciated, track, allowing doors to crack open wide enough so that I could get a renewed foothold in the profession. If I try to retrace my steps from then to now, it would still carve a circuitous path; my learning curve was very steep and quite honestly, even under the best of circumstances, the road to success is rarely a straight trajectory. However, having learned from the mistakes of my past, armed with the accomplishment of winning a competition, and, most importantly, feeling musically alive in my heart once again, I embarked on redefining myself as both a musician and as a person - at age 30. For that I thank Carl Nielsen.

–Kathleen

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The artistry of Kathleen Winkler has earned her the plaudits of critics and audiences alike worldwide since her solo debut at the age of seventeen with the Philadelphia Orchestra. She has been heard with such orchestras as the Detroit Symphony (with which she has toured on many occasions), the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Danish Radio Orchestra, the Odense Byorkester, the Polish Slaska Philharmonic, the Grand Rapids Symphony, the Savannah Symphony, and the Phoenix Symphony, to name a few. She has toured throughout the U.S. and Canada as well as having performed in Sweden, Poland, Germany, Spain, and the Canary Islands.

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What to Prioritize in a Short Rehearsal?

THE VIOLIN CHANNEL — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 17:38:35 +0000

Nicola Eimer

London's Royal Academy of Music Faculty Member and Official Pianist of the Menuhin Competition

Have a clear idea in advance of the phrasing, tempo, and character.

This isn’t to say it can’t be flexible once you meet up and rehearse, but with a short rehearsal, it is imperative that you have already thought these things through.

I make sure I know both parts very well in advance of the rehearsal.

It’s particularly important to know how the parts fit together with one another, and to appreciate who has the primary part at any given moment - not all fortes are equal...!

Try not to get bogged down with unimportant detail in a short rehearsal.

Priorities:

Clear musical character and phrasing.

Convincing tempo and timings (breathing at key moments, relaxing tension when needed etc).

Matching articulation is important, especially in a classical sonata. The piano often needs to take the lead on this because of the nature of their sound decay.

Make sure you feel very confident with all beginnings and endings. If you are limited by a short rehearsal time, these moments can feel exposed and scary

Andrew Armstrong

International Collaborative Pianist

To play. Seriously, if time is limited, I rely on colleagues just to play, and play with focus and intent, so that I can hear what they want to do.

Communicate with your sound, with your heart and silent brain.

No time to get into a long discussion, please don’t get stuck in the weeds and the minutiae when the clock is ticking.

And no need to stop and analyze every moment that isn’t quite together on the first reading; we are professionals listening carefully to each other, we heard the discrepancy, we’ll adjust to each other on the next pass.

And when we do talk, it’s much better to spend a sentence or two on your general spiritual response/approach to the work than to pour over the first theme with exhaustive analysis and suddenly we’re out of time before we’ve examined even the exposition.

It should be mentioned that when rehearsal time is short, the deeper each musician knows the other musicians’ parts, the whole score, the better and more efficiently the rehearsal will go, and the better the final performance can be.

The best musician I’ve ever played with always knows my piano part at least as well as I do after I’ve obsessed over and practiced it to death.

Rohan De Silva

Juilliard School Faculty Member and Official Pianist of the Joseph Joachim and Indianapolis International Violin Competitions

Slow practice is the key

Study your piano score in detail

Listen to other recordings with the score but DO NOT COPY!

Learn your partner’s score well

If you have time, invite a colleague of yours to run through the work (if they know it) before you meet the artist

If you have adequate time, play the work for your friends and get their feedback

Study the composers' style of writing so that you have a clear idea of what you need to portray according to the composer

If another person is performing the work at a concert, go and listen

Noreen Polera

International Collaborative Pianist

One of the most exhilarating and daunting tasks we encounter as collaborators is crafting a convincing performance with someone we have just met in a limited amount of rehearsal time.

My number one priority in these circumstances is to play through the piece to establish a common ground regarding overall tempos.

Creating a unified rhythmic pulse can immediately build a wonderful musical trust and rapport.

Once a natural flow is felt we can begin to fully listen and react musically to each other.

One thing I would always caution against—don’t get bogged down in discussing minutia.

Always remember the big picture!

Chih-Yi Chen

Jacobs School of Music Faculty Member and Official Pianist of the Indianapolis International Violin Competition

Tempi and the style of playing are critical to a successful performance especially when rehearsal time is limited.

I want to be sure to match the temperament of the player and be sure that our musical personalities are complementary.

More importantly, I want to be sure that we sound like a team that has been collaborating for a long time even if we have only had one or two rehearsals.

The better an instrumentalist knows the music, the easier it is for me to follow their lead

Eduard Laurel

International Collaborative Pianist

A successful performance is magical. With limited rehearsal before a performance, my priority is an attitude of joy and honor. Confidence born of adventure most often puts my partners at ease.

These situations are generally competitive, and the role of the pianist is to be supportive, though with the accomplished they understand how to Ride The Wave.

The camaraderie of working together to accomplish a goal is a task, as such not complicated.

There is no time for ego, nor didactics.

To teach the less experienced to be demonstrative of their needs to persuasively play to each other, our communication persuades our audience.

Technically, it isn’t issues of tempo, but fluidity.

Through breathing, there is an exploration of coloration through timing.

The goal is to bring out the best of my artists, virtuosos, scholars, painters, even brutes!

In our limited association, there is never haste, as Our Time is in The Now.

In discussion of our playing to note issues of misunderstandings in points of departure and arrival, of presence and recess, builds trust.

Thomas Hoppe

Hanns Eisler School of Music Faculty Member and Official Pianist of the Joseph Joachim, Queen Elisabeth and Indianapolis International Violin Competitions

My priorities are to mash my interpretation with that of my partners in such a way that they feel comfortable – and free to express what it is they'd imagined.

In a situation like this of great stress and pressure, I will also try to provide musical and human confidence ... and trust.

Dina Vainshtein

New England Conservatory Faculty Member, Pianist

My top priority as a collaborative pianist is to enable my musical partner to play their best - and to feel as free as possible to express themselves.

Even within a short rehearsal, it’s possible to establish a mutual trust - which is so important on stage and will make for an inspiring performance.

And then … LISTEN!

Carlos Avila

Juilliard School Studio Pianist

I’m sure this will be reiterated by everyone, so ... know the piano part and be open to things that may be different from what you’re used to.

Be aware that much of the time, your pianist may have ten times more experience than you with the piece you’re playing

Boris Kusnezow

Hannover University of Music Faculty Member and Official Pianist of the Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition

Having only a short amount of time, I think it is most important to be empathic and quickly get on the same wavelength as your musical partner - not only on a musical level but also on a personal one.

The feeling of trust and unity on stage is not only powerful for the audience but it also allows each of the musicians be be truly free and creative.

John Arida

Collaborative Vocal Pianist

Having limited rehearsal time is part of the norm of a professional musician.

As a collaborative pianist, it’s wonderful being able to juggle multiple projects at a time, however that does not always allow for optimal rehearsal time, especially if your musical partner(s) has a full performance schedule.

It becomes paramount to make every minute in that limited time count before your one performance, or if you’re lucky, before you go on tour.

Although I can’t read our partner's mind, the overall goal is to eliminate as much of the guesswork as possible and to feel as comfortable and solid in my own musical choices before our rehearsal.

My primary goal is to be able to sing, phrase, and interpret my partner’s part from start to finish of the program.

Although it adds some stress, I raise the stakes for myself pretending that I am scheduled to give my own (wacky) solo concert.

If performing with a singer, I want to have a deep understanding of the poetic text, not only so that it is reflected in my playing, but so my partner and I are on the same page, communicating the same idea.

Equally as important, I will try and play through as much of the program every day to build muscle memory, coupled with quiet studying.

A teacher once told me that as collaborative pianists, sometimes we settle for an elevated level of sight reading. My goal is to have the program not exactly memorized, but close to it.

I will make a point to go through the most difficult passages (almost) every day, cranking the metronome up, until I can play it about two clicks faster than the actual tempo.

Not only does this help instill technical and rhythmic security, but it helps me stay focused on the task at hand so that there are no moments of panic in rehearsal or performance.

Do you have a question you’d like our network to answer? Simply email: hello@theviolinchannel.com

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What are the Common Mistakes You See in Video Audition Applications?

The Violin Channel — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 18:19:40 +0000

Itzhak Rashkovsky

Professor of Violin at London’s Royal College of Music

Nowadays, gaining admission into any international competition which requires pre-screening is a rigorous competition in its own right.

Therefore, one must ensure that their recording conditions are of the highest quality. That means that you can’t cut back on good quality cameras, microphones, and other recording equipment.

The obvious solution is to record in a professional recording studio, or in a concert hall.

Having been on these panels, it is so obvious when applicants disadvantage themselves by sending recordings of poor video, or audio quality.

I vividly recall an outstanding violinist who has gone on to win prizes at the most prestigious competitions, including Queen Elisabeth, Tchaikovsky, and Sibelius. In one audition which I judged, he failed to pass the pre-screening stage because his camera and microphone were of a poor quality and placed them too far away. This clearly jeopardized the quality of his audition.

Regardless of how talented or accomplished you are, the harder you make it for us to hear your brilliance, the harder it will be for us to admit you into the competition.

Boris Garlitsky

Professor of Violin at the Paris Conservatoire

I can always tell when an audition tape was thrown together at the very last moment before the deadline.

The audition tape must be as perfect as the commercial one but also as spontaneous and inspired as the concert performance.

Therefore the students should take their time to prepare the tapes carefully.

Dr. Robin Wilson

Head of Violin at the Australian National Academy of Music

Unfortunately, it is likely that humans listen with their eyes too. In fact, I read recently that our visual sense uses up to 70% of our brain capacity!

When recording an audition DVD, a slick presentation is essential.

The highest possible sound quality and optimum recording level are of course most important.

But also essential is appropriate dress, good lighting (the face of a player should be visible as this aids a sense of personal connection), and a clear picture at an angle that helps the viewer feel included.

In essence, the performance should immediately present you as a young professional, not a student, and speak to your care of the music and the opportunity itself.

Kurt Sassmannshaus

Professor of Violin at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music

You will always be competing with students whose parents spare no expense to produce excellent videos.

Here are some tips on how to accomplish that with less money:

For video, use a good camcorder or DSLR camera, not your smart phone.

Make sure you have a clean background that does not distract from your appearance.

Your face should be well-lit, comb, and keep long hair away from your face.

For sound: use a separate professional sound recording device with accurate levels.

Most cameras, camcorders, and smartphones have automatic recording levels. When you play louder, the device records less sound, when you play less, the device records more. The result is that all your dynamics end up sounding the same, I call it mezzofortissimo.

Then you need to marry and synchronize the sound and the video in computer software such as i-Movie, Final Cut or Adobe Elements.

Pay a friend if you don’t know how to do this – the investment comes back to you in the form of scholarship money.

Grigory Kalinovsky

Professor of Violin at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music

Presentation is very important!

If at all possible, do a professional recording (especially the audio part), or at least get a good quality digital stereo microphone (you can get one for between $100 and $200 on Amazon – Apogee 96K or Yeti Blue are both excellent choices, with Apogee giving a slightly warmer sound), and record with a professional-grade software, like Adobe Audition - many of them have free trial periods.

Record in a nice space with a warm natural sound and some natural reverb (but not overly resonant) - preferably a space with a lot of wood (floor/walls/fixtures).

A poorly recorded violin sound can be incredibly annoying - harsh and wiry, and can even make you sound more out of tune (if the wrong overtones get emphasized).

When listening to prescreening recordings, no matter how much we try to separate the recording artifacts from the actual playing, the overall impression is greatly affected by poor recording quality.

Also, if a piece is meant to be played with a piano accompaniment, try to record with piano - it is always easier to make a stronger impression with a piano support than playing solo.

Danielle Belen

Associate Professor of Violin at University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance

I want to be able to see someone’s face and fingers visibly.

When the camera is too far away, if the violinist looks like a small little bug in the distance, there is an instant disconnect in the way I listen.

Most student recordings are under-recorded as well (mic too far away).

At all costs, dress up and record in a professional looking space: a recital hall, a nice teaching studio, or even a church can work really well!

I don’t want to see your bedroom or a sloppy couch and TV in the background.

I once received a video where the student is in their living room and then yelled at their mom to “press record!” right before they starting playing Bach.

Oops.

Hans Jørgen Jensen

Professor of Cello at Northwestern University Bienen School of Music

For me, personally, I can evaluate a video performance no matter the recording quality, but I care very much that all the works are equally well prepared.

If the solo works are well prepared but the etudes are not, this raises a red flag to me.

Of course, I encourage my students to always record their audition material in a nice hall with professional recording equipment.

Paul Kantor

Professor of Violin at the Rice University Shepherd School of Music and the Royal Conservatory Glenn Gould School

Common sense and respectfulness rule the day.

Assume that your competition will spare no expenditure of time, resources and effort in creating a world-class performance.

While it may have “only” a subliminal effect, poor sound quality or a sound that is distant or thin will not help your cause!

Inevitably, the decisions made will be highly subjective – in fact, subliminal.

Ida Kavafian

Professor of Violin at the Curtis Institute of Music

Absolutely no tuning should take place.

Decent appearance and well recorded sound is important, but will not make or break a decision.

Let’s face it, a great player is going to get in regardless of how poor their recording is, and a poor player will not no matter how professional, but I do appreciate some care shown in the process.

Lewis Kaplan

Professor of Violin at the Juilliard School

The sound quality should be good, this can act favorably for the applicant.

I haven’t noticed that lighting or camera shots have influenced me or my colleagues.

It’s about the music and the talent.

Boris Kuschnir

Professor of Violin at the Vienna University of Music and the Graz University of Music and Performing Arts

Often the recordings are made in rooms with very bad acoustics, bad lightning, and unfortunately bad sound equipment.

Also here, it’s never bad to be well dressed.

Pierre Amoyal

Professor of Violin at the Salzburg Mozarteum University

Pre screening recordings are very important for competitions, I notice that many good schools like the Mozarteum in Salzburg provide a beautiful surrounding studio and assistance from professionals to make a good recording.

Charles Castleman

Professor of Violin at the University of Miami Frost School of Music

The audio equipment must project your personal sound in the most flattering way.

Do you have a question you’d like our network to answer? Simply email: hello@theviolinchannel.com

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Common Mistakes That Jury Members See When Sitting on a Competition Jury

THE VIOLIN CHANNEL — Fri, 13 Jul 2018 20:14:28 +0000

Lucie Robert

Professor of Violin at the Manhattan School of Music

How a candidate walks on stage sets the tone for the performance.

A performer who comes in projecting confidence, security and personality will grab our immediate attention.

Those who do not seem more “student-like”.

I find it disturbing when a candidate takes too long before starting to play, fidgets or tunes excessively on stage.

Pavel Vernikov

Professor of Violin at the Vienna Conservatory and the University of Lausanne

I think that besides the performance the most important thing is the behavior on stage.

This expresses in what the candidate wears, how he/she bows, and tuning too long and too loud.

One of the most important mistakes is when the candidate looks at the reaction of the audience or jury … what that tells me is that he/she is not focused on the music ... he/she is not playing at this moment.

Dong Suk Kang

Professor of Violin at Seoul’s Yonsei University

Although it doesn’t influence my voting, the way competitors dress and conduct themselves on the stage can be revealing.

One thing I noticed is that the dress code has changed over the years. It used to be that the boys wore a suit and the girls wore a simple dress.

Nowadays the boys tend to be underdressed and the girls are overdressed.

The girls wear very fancy dresses and it looks as if they are making a Carnegie Hall debut.

They do that from the very first round and I hate to think how much money they spend on their dresses.

It is only a competition and they haven’t won anything yet.

Some dresses look so uncomfortable and they have a hard time moving around freely on the stage. They should feel at ease to be able to give a good performance.

Mihaela Martin

Professor of Violin at the Cologne University of Music, Geneva Conservatory and the Kronberg Academy

The first impression of a candidate is very important... before she/he starts to play.

Some of them seem lost on stage, walk without a purpose (that makes me nervous) ... or choose inappropriate attire ... or tune for a very long time or look every now and then at the jury - kind of checking their reaction.

My advice would be to train oneself to look forward to the performance and to walk on stage with some kind of energy ... and friendly and focused.

Both girls and boys should wear decent clothes, they should feel good about themselves and show understanding for the occasion.

Tuning can be done off stage and if tuning on stage, it’s also partly a way to push aside the nervousness, I believe one can get rid of that habit.

And don’t check on the jury! Mind your business from before the first note you play until after the last note!

Then you can look at the whole audience (including the jury), smile, bow graciously and walk off stage.

Martti Rousi

Professor of Cello at Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy

I feel a lot of competitors are practicing too much ... and in a stressful way during the competition.

Many times tuning on stage is a problem, it seems most tune their cellos way too flat against the piano ... better to tune beforehand.

Ulf Wallin

Professor of Violin at the Academy of Music "Hanns Eisler" Berlin

Is there really anything that is ‘outside’ the performance? That would be like the actors in a play only thinking about the words...

How one dresses, how long one spends tuning the instrument and how you do this are certainly important.

And one has to think about how to behave ... and how to act towards the pianist, orchestra, conductor ... and to the audience.

But in the final analysis, it is the interpretation, the level of perfection, the performer’s ability to express and communicate the music and his or her musical personality that is fundamentally important.

Yair Kless

Professor of Violin at Royal Northern College of Music

Is the performer communicating between the composer and the audience-means: we should be humble and give honor to both composer and public – this should dictate our behavior

Dmitry Berlinsky

Professor of Violin at Michigan State University

When I listen to young players at a competition, I personally would love to hear some passionate and meaningful interpretations.

It's not enough to try to impress the jury with impeccable technique and my hope is that every contestant will present their genuine interpretation and the listener will be completely taken by their unique artistry.

Koichiro Harada

Professor of Violin at the Manhattan School of Music

I'm able to focus on the performance itself, but I sometimes see candidates loudly tuning their instruments upon walking onstage.

I don't think this helps.

Do you have a question you’d like our network to answer? Simply email: hello@theviolinchannel.com

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Cello Pedagogue Hans Jørgen Jensen on Competitions and How to Prepare for Them

The Violin Channel — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 17:03:55 +0000

Musicians and athletes share many similarities in our respective professions — the numerous hours dedicated in training, practicing, and preparing, all for mastering and achieving optimal performance in the craft. Competitions are an essential component in learning and also a great way to motivate students to set aspirations and goals. VC reader Hasan wanted to know how to determine when students are ready for competitions and preparation tips.

Are you planning to take part in any music competitions soon? What are some helpful strategies you use while preparing for a competition? Please let us know in the comments below. We're all keen to learn more from you.

Cellist Hans Jørgen Jensen Shares Advice on Preparing for Competitions

Dear Hasan,

Competitions are a great way to motivate students and give them a sense of purpose in their individual studies. More than anything it provides an opportunity to create and work towards clearly-defined goals, which is an essential component of learning. As a teacher, however, it is important to guide students so that they only enter competitions that align with their level of playing. Younger students should start with smaller local competitions; as they gain more experience, they could then enter state and regional competitions. International competitions, I think, should only be attempted after having gained extensive experience as a soloist, both in recital and with orchestra.

It can often be difficult for students to understand that there are actually significant benefits to be gained even when one doesn’t win a competition. Sure, we should enter competitions with the goal to win, but ultimately, the experiences of winning or losing are both equally important for an individual’s growth and training.

In my own teaching, I often use sports analogies to illustrate this point. Being from Chicago, it is of course impossible to have escaped Michael Jordan’s impact during his career. It is interesting, however, that in actuality it took him and the Bulls a number of years to build a true winning team. In the same way, competitions are all about the long-term process. For example, winning a job in a top orchestra can sometimes take 10 to 30 attempts before one succeeds. I have personally only had one cello student who won his first audition for a major orchestra, and two other students who won on their second attempt. Most other students that I have worked with have had to take a number of auditions before succeeding. The lesson here is that if students start competing early they realize that losing is part of the game. Learning to navigate these experiences in a positive and constructive way goes a long way towards eventually succeeding.

One crucial aspect of competitions that is often overlooked is feedback, both from the audience and from judges.

When musicians are playing and performing for an audience it is important to know the difference between what they themselves are feeling and perceiving vs. what the audience is experiencing and perceiving. Competitions are very helpful tools that can be used towards developing this ability, for they give students the chance to receive feedback from a number of different judges, all of whom often share valuable insights and opinions. I also encourage my students, if they have been eliminated, to stay and listen to all the other contestants in the following rounds. Doing this with a very clear and objective mindset can be a wonderful learning experience, and can add a great deal of motivation and inspiration to one’s practice routine in the time period following the competition.

While competitions undoubtedly have many benefits, it is also worth noting some of their drawbacks. Turning music into a competitive sport in many ways diminishes the art form and can take away an individual’s creative desire for free expressive playing. Music is so much more than what can be measured in a competition setting. In fact, I often find that truly unique musicians do not always succeed in an international competition’s measuring system. I remember a time when Channing Robins, one of my wonderful teachers at the Juilliard School, advised me before entering a competition, “Hans don’t do that slide or that rubato. If you do, you will not win.” With a twinkle in his eye, he then said, “if you win you can do it in the prize winners concert!”

Afterward we both laughed. Jokes aside, however, Channing Robins really meant what he said, and I have actually repeated those exact words a number of times to my own students over the years. Unfortunately, this does put a limit on creativity, particularly if a performer has a strong conviction about a piece of music but is afraid to present it that way simply because he or she thinks the judges would not like it. It is important to understand this aspect of the competition experience and to know that the idiosyncrasies of an individual’s style can sometimes work against them in such a setting.

That being said, there is no question that the competitive process has become an integral part of the music profession. We musicians inevitably find ourselves having to take auditions at some point down the line, whether that be to win a job in an orchestra, chamber music group or teaching job. Therefore, as musicians, it is important to learn to be able to perform our best in a competitive situation, under extreme pressure.

How to prepare for bigger competitions:

In bigger international competitions, a lot of repertory has to be mastered at the same time. This requires a good plan that should be started at least one year before the competition.

Here I will show an example of how to prepare for a big competition that has 4 rounds.

When selecting repertory, choose works that you love and that you know fits your style of playing. Make sure to include pieces that you have already performed a lot.

I recommend dividing the preparation into 5 periods:

1. First period. 8 months. Spend approx. two months on each round with the goal of performing the complete round a few times in a concert situation after having learned the music.

2. Second period. 2 months. Spend two weeks on each round and end each two-week period with a performance of the music for the whole round.

3. Third period. 1 month. Spend one week on each round and perform the music for that round at the end of each week.

4. Fourths period. Prepare for one week and perform each round over 4 consecutive days. I have also had students do super long recitals where they perform all the rounds over one or two days.

5. Fifth period. One or two weeks just before the competition. Focus on the first round but include a shorter amount of daily practice time on going over the more difficult parts of the repertory in the other rounds. Having to perform the music so close together makes it more difficult than the competition itself and is a great way to prepare.

At the competition itself, it is best to focus on each round as it comes.

-Hans

Do you have a burning question for one of the pros? Simply email: hello@theviolinchannel.com

A graduate of the Juilliard School where he studied with Leonard Rose and Channing Robbins, and a private student of Pierre Fournier, Hans Jørgen Jensen is long time cello professor on faculty at Northwestern University and the Meadowmount School of Music. His students have won prizes in numerous national and international competitions. Hans Jørgen Jensen's new cello method book 'Cellomind' was released by Ovation Press in November 2017 - and is available at cellomind.com

The post Cello Pedagogue Hans Jørgen Jensen on Competitions and How to Prepare for Them appeared first on World's Leading Classical Music Platform.

Violinist Qian Zhou Shares How to Create the Best Audition Tape

The Violin Channel — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 17:22:15 +0000

Hours after hours of practice each day leading up to this very moment – to record an audition tape which could determine your future career. With a myriad of factors at play, such as what repertoire to pick, what venue to record in, or even worrying about what quality of instrument you'd need, recording audition tapes can be a daunting experience without proper guidance. What are the key factors to ensure your tapes have a higher chance of being accepted? VC reader Zhao Tang was keen to know.

What are some recording experiences that you have, if any? How would you handle recording sessions? Please leave a comment below, we are keen to know your thoughts.

Violinist Qian Zhou on Ways to Increase the Chances of Your Audition Tape Being Accepted

Dear Zhao,

Thanks for your question.

We received more than a hundred applications from the world’s best young violinists who wish to compete at the Singapore International Violin Competition.

The best tapes we have listened to all have the following elements:

Beauty of Sound

It is important to use a good instrument, or else you won’t achieve truly beautiful sound. You then need to play beautifully as well, of course. The sound quality of an audition tape is also key; use a professional recording studio and heed their advice. Be in a soundproof room, with excellent acoustics.

Technical perfection

There should be no mistakes at all in an audition tape. If you slip up, you should record the piece again. Mistakes are very noticeable in recordings.

Exaggerate musical phrasing

In a recording, you must ensure you emphasize your musical phrasing. Exaggerate how one phrases and structures, more than you would in a live performance.

Review!

It is very important that you review your tape in full, and make sure it is free of mistakes and that it is your best work. You can also learn from listening to yourself on tape, and work on perfecting any issues. It is important to study yourself and then implement the learnings so you can improve.

Top Tips:

DO:

- Be daring with your playing

- Try to relax when doing your recording

DON’T:

- Practice during recording: it can be exhausting and frustrating

- One should not record more than 3 takes for best results

Wishing you all the best

–Qian

Do you have a burning question for one of the Pros? Simply email: hello@theviolinchannel.com

Qian Zhou, Chinese- born American violinist Qian Zhou is recognized internationally as a violinist, recording artist, and teacher of the first rank. She had her early training at the Shanghai Conservatory, winning first prize in the China National Competition in 1984. She completed her studies with Berl Senofsky at the Peabody Conservatory in the United States, before being also personally mentored by Piero Weiss and Isaac Stern.

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