Concours de Genève Prix international d’ interprétation & de composition Press Kit Composition Prize 2013 Partenaire principal Concours de Genève Prix international d’ interprétation & de composition Table of contents Introduction Page 2 Presentation and regulation Page 3 The Finalists and their works Page 4 Members of the Jury Page 12 Young Audience Prize Page 15 The Ensemble Contrechamps Page 16 Musical Director of Contrechamps Page 17 Partners Page 18 Organisation Page 19 Contact Page 20 Partenaire principal 1 Concours de Genève INTRODUCTION Prix international d’ interprétation & de composition A new discipline The Geneva International Music Competition is traditionally a competition of musical performance. Since 1939, nearly all disciplines have been represented, from orchestra instruments to chamber music, piano and voice. The only exception was composition, a discipline essential to performers but often ill regarded by the public. Now however, the two worlds cohabit in Geneva. By offering a Composition Prize, for which the award winning work will be compulsory for performers the following year, the Geneva Competition hopes to contribute to the emergence of a true musical modernity, whereby the creative act of the composer will be regarded with the same standards of respect and admiration as the re-creative act of the performer. The Geneva Competition’s Composition Prize follows the tradition started with the Prix Reine Marie José, which was awarded between 1958 and 2008 to more than 20 composers for works ranging from quartet to concertos, symphonies to pieces for solo and electronic instruments. With the support of the Fondation Reine Marie José, our audience now has the possibility of watching these works performed as Word Premiere, of awarding the Audience Prize to the piece of its choice and seeing the award-winning work performed again the following year as one of the competition rounds. For its part, the Jury, whose members are universally recognized composers, brings the prize-winner both prestige and international recognition. Composition Prize 2013 This year, the subject of the Composition Prize was a work for flute solo and small group of five musicians. Candidates had to select the five instruments from a restricted list inspired by Schoenberg’s Pierrot in the Moonlight, a classic piece for 20th century music ensembles: wind instruments (clarinet, oboe, bassoon), strings (violin, alto, cello), a piano and a percussionist. The different intrument groups did not necessarily have to be represented, but an instrument could only be used once. Our five finalists thus presented works with similar groups of instruments, although marked by subtle variations. In its selection, the Jury favoured works which enhanced the solo instrument, presented formal perfection, as well as remarkable artistry. The Jury selected five pieces by Italian, Korean and Japanese composers within the 35 compositions received from a dozen different countries. Through their aesthetic choices, marked by their origin and culture, the five young composers offer music representative of our contemporary world, which is more international and colourful than ever. These works will be presented as world Premiere at the public Final by the Ensemble Contrechamps, under the direction of Gregory Charette. The two soloists of the evening, talented performers and ardent promoters of the music of their time, are both well-known on the Geneva music scene: Felix Renggli for having been lead flutist for the Ensemble Contrechamps and Silvia Careddu for having started her career in Geneva where she won First Prize for flute in 2001. 2 Concours de Genève COMPOSITION PRIZE 2013 Prix international d’ interprétation & de composition Members of the Jury Ivan Fedele, Italy, President Toshio Hosokawa, Japan Magnus Lindberg, Finland Philippe Manoury, France Isabel Mundry, Germany Finalists selected Eunho Chang, South Korea Kwang Ho Cho, South Korea Gabriele Cosmi, Italy Andriano Gaglianello, Italy Chikako Yamanaka, Japan Subject Work for flute solo and small ensemble of five instruments. Choice amongst the following groups: Strings: violin, viola, cello / Winds: oboe, clarinet, bassoon (secondary instruments are allowed) / Piano/ Percussions: free choice of instruments. All groups must not necessarily be represented, but each instrument must be represented only once. The piece must not exceed 15 minutes. Calendar 31 March 2013 : registration deadline 29 April – 1 May 2013 : selection of the Finalists by the official Jury 1 December 2013 : Public Final with Contrechamps The Laureate’s work will be imposed for the semi-final of the Flute Competition 2014. Prizes attributed OFFICIAL PRIZE CHF 15’000.- (with the support of the Fondation Reine Marie José) A Breguet Watch will also be given to the Laureate. SPECIAL PRIZES Audience Prize CHF 1’500.- is awarded by the audience at the Final on December 1st Young Audience Prize CHF 1’000.- is given by Médecins Sans Frontières, charity partner of the Geneva Competition and awarded by members of the Young Audience Prize « Air France KLM » Prize The special prize «Air France KLM» consists in a return ticket towards one of the 230 destinations of the AIR FRANCE KLM worldwide network. 4 Concours de Genève PUBLIC FINAL Prix international d’ interprétation & de composition Sunday December 1st 2013, 5 pm, Studio Ernest-Ansermet PUBLIC FINAL OF THE COMPOSITION PRIZE Eunho Chang, South Korea, 30 years Gohok for flute solo and ensemble (clarinette, viola, cello, percussion and piano) Flute : Felix Renggli Adriano Gaglianello, Italy, 30 years Shrew ! for flute solo and ensemble (clarinette, bassoon, viola, cello, percussion) Flute : Silvia Careddu (1st Prize 2001) Chikako Yamanaka, Japan, 30 years Uminari for flute solo and ensemble (oboe, clarinette, cello, percussion and piano) Flute : Silvia Careddu (1st Prize 2001) Gabriele Cosmi, Italy, 25 years Geghard II for flute solo and ensemble (violin, viola, cello, percussion and piano) Flute : Felix Renggli Kwang Ho Cho, South Korea, 26 years Pneuma for flute solo and ensemble (clarinette, violin, cello, percussion and piano) Flûte : Felix Renggli With the support of the Fondation Reine Marie José In partnership with the Ensemble Contrechamps Direct broadcast on Espace 2 & video broadcast on www.rts.ch/dossiers/concours-de-geneve AROUND THE COMPETITION : Monday 2 December, 6 pm, Conservatory of Geneva CONCERT-PORTRAIT IVAN FEDELE Performance of pieces by Ivan Fedele, President of Composition Jury 2014 By students of the HEM - Geneva Tuesday 3 December, Conservatory of Geneva MASTER CLASS BY IVAN FEDELE Reserved for students of the HEM, closed to the public In partnership with the HEM-Geneva 5 Concours de Genève FINALISTS & THEIR WORK Prix international d’ interprétation & de composition Eunho Chang, South Korea, 30 years Born in 1983 in Daegu, Korea, Eunho Chang studied composition at the Kyongbook High School of Art, then at the Academy Chopin-Keimyung. He then continued his studies in Warsaw where he obtained a Doctorate in Philosophy with prof. Marcin Blazewicz at the Academy Fryderyk Chopin. He has won many composition prizes, both in Corea and internationally, including a 1st Prize at the Dong- A Music Compeition (2009), a 1st Prize at the Paderewski Competition (2008), a 1st Prize as well as special prizes at the Concours de composition pour ensemble de percussions VP 11 in France (2011), a 1st Prize at the George Enescu International Competition for composition Symphony section (2011) and recently, the Queen Sofia’s Prize for Music Composition (2013) in Barcelona. His works have been performed by prestigious musicians, such as the Arditi Quartet (UK), the Tactus Percussion Ensemble (FR), the Klagforum Wien, presented in Korea as well as in Europe (Poland, France, Great Britain, Czech Republic, Austria, Germany) and the USA. Gohok for flute solo and ensemble (clarinette, viola, cello, percussion and piano) Gohok means «fascination». The solo flute is indeed fascinatingly beautiful. The solitary melodic line amid the accompanying instruments exudes an entrancingly seductive aura. This piece is divided into three parts. The first begins with the solo flute which then, by blending with other instruments, becomes a member of the ensemble. The second might appear to be but a simple development of the first, but the ensemble is now focused on the flute. Stereo elements are played by certain instruments to maintain the unity of the piece. The third part consists of distinct elements such as glissandi by the strings or piano pizzicati. Generally speaking, the piece is more constructed around repeated elements rather than on thematic modifications. In order to understand it, one must first and foremost consider the sounds and the sound resonance, both horizontal and vertical. Rather than focusing attention on the linear discourse (development, opposition, modulation), one should consider the piece as an ambiguous, constantly changing whole, with a vague, complex structure, based on the perception of the moment, somewhat in the same way as with an impressionist work of art. Eunho Chang 6 Concours de Genève FINALISTS & THEIR WORK Prix international d’ interprétation & de composition Kwang Ho Cho, South Korea, 26 years Born in 1987 in Pyeong Taek, in Korea, Kwang Ho Cho started violin studies in 1993. In 2007, he entered the Music Faculty of the University of Yonsei, in Seoul, where he obtained his degrees in harmony, counterpoint and orchestration. In 2008, he founded a group of composers called