WCoMC Music Interest Group at The Barbican on the 12th of May 2014.
Three exceptional finalists for the Guildhall School of Music and Drama’s Gold Medal Event
What an outstanding musical treat for the first event of the Company’s newest Interest Group!
Cellist Michael Petrov was the winner of this year’s Gold Medal, the School’s most prestigious prize for outstanding soloists - this year for instrumentalists. The prize was £1,000, with the gold medal generously donated by The Worshipful Company of Musicians.
Cello concerto No 1, opus 107 , the compelling artistry of Max Reusen ( Copland’s concerto for the Clarinet and string orchestra with harp and piano ), and a dramatic interpretation by Rose Hsien (of Karngold’s Violin concerto in D Major, opus 35 ).
Jonathan Vaughan, Chair of the Jury, said “ What an extraordinary night for the Guildhall. Our three soloists all played with the certainty of seasoned veterans but the exuberance of youth, producing three exquisite performances… Bravo, too to Dominic Wheeler and the Guildhall Symphony whose refinement and subtlety were matched by their wonderful responsiveness.”
Whatever misgivings voiced by some on the sophisticated nature of the programme, the unanimous feeling at the end was summed up by Drewe -“Every piece was both compelling and inspiring! “
A long day for some with lunch at Home House Club, pre-event champagne and canopies at the Johnsons and a nightcap, too. Entirely rewarding!
Michael Petrov wins the 2014 Gold Medal 
The Guildhall School of Music and Drama awarded this year's Gold Medal to Bulgarian cellist, Michael Petrov. This is the School’s most prestigious prize for outstanding soloists - this year for instrumentalists. The prize is £1,000, with the gold medal generously donated byThe Worshipful Company of Musicians.
The three Gold Medal finalists each performed a concerto with the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dominic Wheeler in the Barbican Hall on 12 May 2014.
Michael Petrov’s winning performance was Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto no.1, op. 107.
The other two finalists were violinist Rose Hsien, from Taiwan, and clarinettist Max Mausen, from Luxembourg. Runner up Max Mausen was presented with the Glass Trophy, generously donated by The Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers.
Michael Petrov commented, ‘I am ecstatic to have won the Gold Medal. It certainly wasn’t easy; the others gave me a run for my money! I’d like to thank the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra, Dominic Wheeler and especially my teacher Louise Hopkins.’
The final took place before a distinguished panel of judges including Tasmin Little, renowned violinist and previous Gold Medal winner; Ivan Hewett, Chief Music Critic at the Daily Telegraph; Dominic Wheeler, conductor of the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra for the Gold Medal and Jonathan Vaughan, Director of Music, Guildhall School.
Jonathan Vaughan, Chair of the Jury said, ‘What an extraordinary night for the Guildhall. Our three soloists all played with the certainty of seasoned veterans but the exuberance of youth, producing three exquisite performances. Many congratulations to Michael, Max and Rose. Our two runners up should not feel too disappointed - in Michael Petrov I felt that history was being made last night and I am certain we will be seeing plenty more of him in the coming years. Bravo too to Dominic Wheeler and the Guildhall Symphony whose refinement and subtlety were matched by their wonderful responsiveness - one of the finest Gold Medal orchestras I've heard.’
The Gold Medal award was founded and endowed by Sir H Dixon Kimber in 1915. Since 1950 it has been open to singers and instrumentalists in alternate years. Previous winners include William Primrose (1922), Jacqueline du Pré (1960), Patricia Rozario (1979), Tasmin Little (1986) and Bryn Terfel (1989). The 2010 prize was awarded to pianist Martyna Jatkauskaite, who has appeared as a soloist with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, Lithuania Chamber Orchestra, Kaunas Symphony Orchestra and the London Festival Orchestra. Natalya Romaniw won the 2011 singer’s Gold Medal and is currently on Houston Grand Opera’s Young Artist Program. 2012’s winner Ashley Fripp also won a Diploma of Outstanding Merit at the 8th Hamamatsu International Piano Competition and first prize at the Brant International Piano Competition in 2012. Last year the prize was won by soprano Magdalena Molendowska, who spent the 2012/13 season with Teatr Wielki Opera Narodowa performing the title role in Halka by Stanislaw Moniuszko. She has also sung with the Wroclaw Opera House, Glyndebourne Festival and Clonter Opera.
Biographies
Michael Petrov studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School and, since 2009, at the Guildhall School with Louise Hopkins. In 2013 Michael was selected for representation by Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT) and has been selected as an ECHO Rising Star for the 2014/15 season. During his studies Michael has won numerous prizes and awards including 2nd Prize in the 2012 International Brahms Competition in Austria and 1st Prize in the 2011 International Suggia Competition in Porto. In 2012 he performed at the Weill Recital Hall as part of Guildhall Artists at Carnegie Hall and as a soloist he performed Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante at the Barbican, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda, Saint-Saëns’s Concerto No.1 at St. John’s Smith Square. Michael is currently on the Guildhall Artist Masters programme of Advanced Instrumental Studies and is generously supported by The Derek Butler Scholarship, the Hattori Foundation and the Martin Musical Scholarship Fund.
Rose received her Masters Degree from the Guildhall School in 2013 and is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma there studying with David Takeno. In March 2011 she was selected to represent the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory in a concert in Carnegie Hall and recently she has been invited to give a European tour after being selected for 'New Masters on Tour' at the International Holland Music Sessions, which includes a debut in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. Successes in international competitions include a Bronze medal in the 6th International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians as well as the First Grand Prize in the Grand Final of the Annual Conservatory Concerto Competition in Singapore and First Prize in the international Debussy competition in Salzburg. Rose is generously supported by the Guildhall School Trust, the Martin Musical Scholarship Fund, the Hattori Foundation and the Tillett Trust.
Max Mausen
Having recently finished his undergraduate studies at the Guildhall School, Max is currently studying with Andrew Marriner, Julian Farrell, Andrew Webster and Nicholas Carpenter on the Guildhall School's Orchestral Artistry Masters specialism, delivered in association with the London Symphony Orchestra. Max is a keen performer of contemporary music, working together with young composers and performing regularly throughout Europe with the contemporary music ensemble 'United Instruments of Lucilin'. He is a member of 'Sudden Junction', a young group performing a mixture of Electronica, Jazz, Early Music and New Music and is generously supported by The Leverhulme Trust, as a Leverhulme Arts Scholar.
The Guildhall School is provided by the City of London. www.gsmd.ac.uk
FOR ORGANISATION IN THE FUTURE - A QUESTIONNAIRE FOLLOWS FOR YOUR COMPLETION – would interested persons please send theirs to Drewe Lacey.
Herewith, an analysis of those received to date: -
Question / % response/ Proposed Action
Q1 Types of musical genre -
Classical 100 – therefore to include
Orchestral 100 - include
Choral 80 - include
Opera 60 - possibly include
Jazz 80 - include
Others Carols 60 - possibly include
Rock 20 - exclude
Q2 Type of event - stand alone or combined with meal
stand alone - 100
combined 80 - BOTH types
Q3 Frequency of events
stand alone - majority for 2, 1 for3, 1 for4.
combined 100 for 2 - Two of each
Q4 Timing of events
Anytime – 40
Spring & Autumn - 40 - Primarily October
October to April 20 - through to May
Daytime or Evening
Q5 Other Suggestions
With the combined event the meal should be part of the gathering beforehand - so ‘close’ to the performance.
CONCLUSION
We will look at both daytime and evening events and for both to be either stand alone or combined. In number two of each and primarily between October and May.
Liveryman Drewe Lacey