뉴질랜드 최고의 음악 경연 대회, 2019 마이클 힐 국제 바이올린경연대회(Michael Hill International Violin Competition)​ 본선이 오는 5월 31일 부터 남섬 퀸스타운과 오클랜드에서 열린다. 이번 대회 본선에 진출한 16명 중 한국 국적으로 출전하는 연주자 1명이 진출해 교민들의 눈길을 끌고 있다. 또한 한국인으로 2010년 Indianapolis 국제 바이올린 콩쿨 등 여러 대회의 우승자인 클라라 주미 강(Clara-Jumi Kang)이 대회 심사위원​으로 참여한다.

당초 두명의 한국인이 예선에 통과했지만  한국 국적자인 송지원 참가자의 퀸 엘리자베스 국제콩쿨 결승 진출하며 이번대회를 포기하는 관계로 현재는 임도경 연주자 혼자 한국인으로 출전하게 되었다.
 

마이클 힐 국제 바이올린 콩쿨은(Michael Hill International Violin Competition) 뉴질랜드를 대표하는 세계적인 음악경연대회로 세계적으로 두각을 나타내는 차세대 바이올린 대가들이 이 대회를 위해 노력하고 있다. 본선에 진출한 한국 국적의 임 도경(Im Do Gyung, Anna) 연주자는 지난 2018년 빅토르트레 티아 코프 국제 바이올린대회(Victor Tretyakov International Violin Competition) 및 2016 년 Menuhin 국제 바이올린 공모전에서 준결승에 올랐던 실력 있는 연주자로 우승 후보 중 한명이다. 

대회 진행은 5월 31일 퀸즈타운에서 시작으로 6월 3일까지 16명이 참여한 가운데 6명을 선정하는 준결승이 진행된다. 선발된 6인의 연주자들은 오클랜드에서 뉴질랜드를 대표하는 연주자 3인과 함께 모차르트의 현악 4중주를 리더로 연주를 하게 된다. 단 90분의 주어진 연습 시간과 함께 하는 뉴질랜드의 대표적 연주자들로, 제2 바이올린에는 Andrew Beer(APO 악장), 비올라엔 Gillian Ansell(뉴질랜드 현악사중주단) 와 Julia Joyce (NZSO 수석주자) 그리고 첼로에는 Ashley Brown (NZ Trio) 등과 연주를 하게 된다. 최종 결선에 진출할 연주자 발표는 6월 6일 저녁 공연과 함께 발표하며 6월 8일 토요일 오클랜드 필하모니아와 협주곡으로 최종 승자를 가리게 된다.

(사) 한국음악협회 뉴질랜드 지회 왕주철 회장은 “뉴질랜드 최고의 음악콩쿨인 마이클 힐 국제 바이올린 콩쿨은 이제 세계적으로 손색이 없는 국제 콩쿨로 우뚝 섰다”며 “교민들의 많은 응원으로 이번대회에 출전한 한국 연주자의 우승을 기대한다”또한 “세계적인 젊은 음악인들의 연주를 우리 교민들도 꼭 감상하기를 기대 한다”고 밝혔다.  

16명의 본선 진출자 명단

Jacqueline Audas (USA), whose previous acknowledgements include First Prize in both the 2018 North International Music Competition and the Mika Hasler Young Artist Competition 2015.

Rimma Benyumova (Russia) who received Laureate, Special Jury Prize at the Victor Tretyakov International Violin Competition 2018 and Second Prize at the Anton Rubinstein International Competition in Dusseldorf 2017.

Jevgēnijs Čepoveckis (Latvia) who took out Third Prize in the Louis Spohr Violin Competition 2013 and Second Prize David Oistrakh Violin Competition 2009.

Angela Sin Ying Chan (China) whose awards include First Prize and Best Concerto Prize at the Louis Spohr Violin Competition 2016 and Third Prize in the Andrea Postacchini Competition Junior Division in 2008.

Hannah Cho (USA) who received Third Prize in the 2018 Schadt String Competition, Third Prize in the Maurice Ravel Foundation Competition 2018, and Third Prize in the Alice & Eleonore Schoenfeld International String Competition 2016.

Do Gyung (Anna) Im (South Korea) who was a semi-finalist in the Victor Tretyakov International Violin Competition in 2018 and in the 2016 Menuhin International Violin Competition.

Tianyu Liu (China) who took out Grand Prize in the Ronald Sachs International Music Competition 2018 and First Prize at the 2015 Cremona International Music Festival Competition.

Ashley Park (USA) who was a semi-finalist in the Washington International Competition 2018, won Second Prize in the Andrea Postacchini International Violin Competition 2016 and was a semi-finalist in the Schoenfeld International String Competition 2016.

Mairead Hickey (Ireland) One of Ireland’s most accomplished violinists, Mairéad Hickey was NCH Irish Young Musician of the Year 2010 – 2012. She won third prize as well as a Special Prize for the best interpretation of a virtuoso work at the 2016 International Louis Spohr Competition and first prize in the Jeunesses Musicales Violin Competition, Romania 2012. In 2017 she was awarded a Special Prize in the Berliner International Music Competition and the Manhattan International Music Competition.  

Choi Tung Yeung (Hong Kong) Cherry studies with Ms. Ida Kavafian at The Juilliard School. She has been admitted to the highly selective accelerated program, where she will finish both Bachelor’s and Master’s Program in four years. She is a scholarship recipient of the C.V. Starr Scholarship, the Samuel Simon Scholarship as well as the winner of the Jessica Hung Scholarship from the Lin Yao Ji Music Foundation.

Emmalena Huning (Australia) attained her Associate in Music Diploma at 11 and Licentiate in Music Diploma at 15 with Distinction, and was awarded the Best LMusA Candidate prize by AMEB.

She has won many awards, including the two most prestigious awards in WA; Open Concerto at Fremantle Eisteddfod and Most Outstanding Performer's Award at North Of Perth Music Festival in 2016.

Eric Tsai (USA) who took out First Prize at the New York International Artists Violin Competition in 2014.

Sophie Wang (Taiwan) who received First Prize at the Concourso Andrea Postacchini in 2014, First Prize in the Louis Spohr International Violin Competition 2013, and First Prize in the Paul Hindemith International Violin Competition in Berlin 2011.

Harry Ward (Australia) who was a finalist in the ABC Young Performers Awards 2013, and won First Prize in the National Youth Concerto Competition in 2012.

Matthias Well (Germany) whose acknowledgements include First Prize in the Fanny Mendelssohn Preis 2017, Special Prize Wettbewerb um den Kulturkreis Gasteig 2016, and Second Prize in the Instrumentenwettbewerb der Hochschule München 2014.

Victoria Wong (Australia) who took out Third Prize at the International Arthur Grumiaux Competition for Young Violinists in 2018, First Prize at the XXV Violin Competition of the Ibolyka-Gyarfas-Foundation 2017, and Best interpretation of the compulsory work by Sören Nils Eichberg at the International Max Rostal Competition 2015. 

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