55th Annual Competition – $5,000 in prizes
On Sunday, March 8, 2009 at 7:00 pm, Friends of Chamber Music hosted the 55th annual Young Musicians Chamber Music Competition in the Koerner Recital Hall at the Vancouver Academy of Music, 1270 Chestnut Street, Vancouver. We were pleased again this year to foster young musicians’ interest in this wonderful music through this FREE public concert. This is also a great way for people of all ages to come out and hear chamber music from the classical, Romantic and modern periods for the first time! Year after year, the quality of the music-making is very high! Acclaimed pianist Robert Silverman was the adjudicator this year, and he awarded the prizes (with his comments) at the end of the concert.
Pianists, string and wind players from Metro Vancouver and as far afield as Bellingham, WA played together in groups to compete for cash prizes. Each member of a “Junior” group cannot be over age 18, and each member of a “Senior” group cannot be over age 26. This year’s finals featured an interesting variety of ensembles playing music by composers ranging from Beethoven and Schubert to Villa-Lobos and Etler. These ensembles were selected to compete from the earlier elimination play-downs.
The Chan Prize was given to the first prize Senior category ensemble, a wind quintet:
Jacques Ibert – Trio Pièces Brèves
1. Allegro
Alvin Etler – Quintet No. 1
Andante
Allegro
Emily Hopkins, oboe
Joanna Tse, flute
Connor Learmonth, clarinet
Selina Kuo, bassoon
Neil Jongbloed, horn
The other 2009 Senior finalists were:
Heitor Villa-Lobos – Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 for Soprano and Celli
Adagio (1st movement)
Dora Brooks, soprano
Nicholas Epperson, cello
Ja Young Oh, cello
David Shin, cello
Ji Won Yoo, cello
Tung Hsin, cello
Peter Hwang, cello
Shi Un Kim, cello
Diane Yeo, cello
Caroline Chu, cello
Antonin Dvorak – String Quartet No. 3 in E Flat Major, Opus 51
Allegro ma non troppo (1st movement)
John Schindler, violin
Whitney Wynn, violin
Gentry Hill, viola
Samantha Gribble, cello
Eduard Toldra – Sardana – II. Puig Nculos
Brent Heisinger – Three Episodes
Movement I: Allegro con spirito
Movement II:
Movement III: Allegro
Selina Kuo, bassoon
Silvia Tang, bassoon
Carrie To, bassoon
Min-Ho Kim, bassoon
All the 2009 Junior competing ensembles were awarded prizes. The first prize was shared by:
Ludwig van Beethoven – Piano Trio No. 1, Opus 70
Allegro con brio (1st movement)
Jessy Kim, violin
Ji Won Yoo, cello
Benjamin Woo, piano
Franz Schubert – Piano Trio in B flat major, Opus 99
Allegro moderato (1st movement)
Adora Wong, violin
Ja Young Oh, cello
Jocelyn Lai, piano
The second prize was shared by:
Anton Arensky – Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Opus 32
Allegro moderato
Esther Hwang, Violin
David Shin, violin
Emma Woo, piano
Jaoquin Turina – Piano Trio No. 2 in B flat minor, Opus 76
Largo (1st movement)
Holland Ninow, violin
Tung Hsin, cello
Benjamin Woo, piano
