The competition’s first viola edition since 2005 kicks off with an opening concert tonight, featuring Tabea Zimmermann and the Novo Quartet
The viola edition of the 79th Concours de Genève gets underway today, following the four days of the conducting edition of the competition.
An opening concert kicks off the festivities, with jury chair Tabea Zimmermann and winners of the 2023 string quartet edition, the Novo Quartet, giving performances from 7pm on 4 November, at Salle Franz Liszt.
The Novo Quartet will perform Haydn String Quartet in D minor, op.103 and Smetana String Quartet no.1 ‘From my life’, while Zimmermann will perform a recital with pianist Thomas Hoppe, a programme including works by Robert and Clara Schumann, Brahms, Yedid and Joachim.
The eight semi-finalists of the competition were selected earlier this year following an initial online round. From November 6 to 9, they will perform at the Geneva Conservatory in a three-part semi-final: Solo Recital, Chamber Music, and Artistic Project.
The semi-finalists are:
Alessandra Yang, 21 years old, US
Ayaka Taniguchi, 23 years old, Japan
Brian Isaacs, 25 years old, US
Emad Zolfaghari, 21 years old, Canada
Eric Seohyun Moon, 28 years old, Korea
Kinga Wojdalska, 26 years old, Poland
Sarah Strohm, 20 years old, Switzerland
Wassili Wohlgemuth, 24 years old, Germany
The selected finalists will perform a concerto on 12 November at Victoria Hall, along with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, conducted by Cornelius Meister.
The first prizewinner will receive CHF20,000 (£17,600), with second and third place receiving CHF12,000 (£10,500) and CHF8,000 (£7,050) respectively.
A host of special prizes, endowed with cash and concert engagements, are also up for grabs, including the Audience Prize, Students’ Prize, the Rose-Marie Huguenin Prize, Arts Society Prize, Concerts de Jussy Prize and Hindemith Prize.
This year’s competition jury is chaired by Zimmermann, and comprises Tomoko Akasaka, Ettore Causa, Pauline Sachse, Cynthia Phelps, Jean Sulem and German Tcakulov.
The Concours de Genève is held annually, rotating disciplines between piano, flute, clarinet, cello, viola, string quartet, voice and percussion, with composition offered every second year.
The first viola edition was held in 1942 and was won by Paul Doktor. Jury chair Zimmermann won first prize at the 1982 edition, while the last viola edition was held in 2005, with Ukrainian violist Maxim Rysanov and US violist Jennifer Stumm receiving joint second prize.
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