The International Anton Rubinstein Competition 2020 - CELLO

27. & 28. Март 2020, Dusseldorf

The International Anton Rubinstein Competition for Violoncello 2020 supports and promotes talented, young musicians, music students, soloists, and prospective orchestral musicians by providing a platform for competition and with its prestigious awards.

Venue: Internationale Musikakademie Anton Rubinstein, Flingerstr. 1, 40213 Düsseldorf

 Jury

Lisa Franken
Gabriele Leporatti
Gilad Kaplansky

 Competition awards

  • 1. Prize - 1000€
  • 2. Prize - 750 €
  • 3. Prize - 500 €
  • Special Prize for the best interpretation of a work by J. Brahms

 Winners

Sam Lucas, Australien

1. Prize - 1000€
Biography 

Sam Lucas 126 Narrows Road Montville 4560 Queensland Australia. Huettenstrasse 93 40215 Duesseldorf Germany. A.Mus.A – L.Mus.L D.O.B 21.2.1996

2020 (February) Shostakovich Cello Concerto nr.1 performances – Uniorchester Bonn — Camerata Musicale

2019 1st Prize — Pro Artists International Music Competition — Winter Edition. 2nd Prize — Gisborne International Music Competition. Gold Medal — Vienna International Music Competition.

2018 1st Prize — Sieghardt-Rometsch Competition in Duesseldorf. Düsseldorf Tonhalle/Wuppertal Stadthalle — Robert Schumann University Symphony Orchestra — Elgar Cello Concerto. Recording and tour in Australia with concert pianist Anna Fedorova.

2017 1st Semester Bachelor — Robert Schumann Hochschule under Professor Wispelwey. Finalist/4th Prize — Rubinstein International Cello Competition. Saint Saens Cello Concerto nr.1 — Uniorchester Bonn — Camerata Musicale. Debut — Wigmore Hall London.

2016 Soloist Specialisation Diploma — Waikato University New Zealand and Recipient of the Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship since 2014. 1st Prize — National Concerto Competition in New Zealand Semi-finalist — Brahms International Cello Competition. Bloch Schelomo — Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.

Dominic Seunghyun Lee, Neuseeland

2. Prize - 750 €
Biography 

Dominic Lee is a young cellist from New Zealand, quickly gaining attention for his impressive virtuosity, sensitive musicianship, and intense performances. Dominic made his first appearance as a soloist at the age of 13 and has since performed with orchestras and ensembles across the globe. Dominic was invited to study under renowned cellist and pedagogue Steven Doane and Rosemary Elliot at the Eastman School of Music as a Howard Hanson Scholar, George Eastman Scholar for performance, where he gained his Bachelor of Music, and gaining the prestigious Performer’s Certificate, while pursuing his Masters in Cello Performance serving as a Teachers Assistant. He has garnered numerous prizes; including First Prize and Monterosa Kawai Prize in the 2013 Valsesia International Music Competition. Top prize in the 2013 Padova International Music Competition in Italy, and first in the 2015 American Protégé International Music Competition. The later providing his American debut in New York City’s Carnegie Hall. Shortly followed by a first prize in the MTNA Foundation’s Young Artist Competition. He has served important principal positions with recent highlights including with the Eastman School of Music (Graduate) orchestra for the opening of the renowned Beal Institute, and also leading the grand finale of the Heifetz Festival Orchestra. At the age of 16, he began studies at the New Zealand School of Music (Victoria University of Wellington) under cellist Inbal Meggido, as a recipient of the Director’s Scholarship. From 2011-2013, he studied with Edith Salzmann at the Pettman Academy of Music. In his final year of study, Dominic was awarded the Pettman Special Scholarship, which enabled him to perform and compete internationally. In 2018, he attended the Heifetz Institute as an Ueno scholar, performing in the “Stars of Tomorrow,” and “Celebrity Concert Series.” Most recently, he had been concertizing throughout the United States performing as a “Heifetz on Tour artist” for the 2019 season. Last month Dominic has had the honor of being invited as an Artist Fellow in Residence at the 2019 International Heifetz Festival where he performed in a series of recitals and important events.

Connor Kim, USA

3. Prize - 500 €
Biography 

Praised by the San Francisco Classical Voice as to having “one of the more vigorous and expressively varied performances… that I’ve heard”, cellist Connor Kim is quickly gaining wide- spread recognition as a humble musician. Inspired by his kindergarten teacher to play the cello, Kim started studying at the age of seven under the tutelage of Kyeong Hwa Kim. He quickly learned of his life passion at that young age, and amongst many awards he had earned, was a winner of the Schadt National Competition for Strings, Menuhin-Dowling Young Artists Competition, and recipient of the Margaret Brady Study Grant at the Y.E.S. Foundation Competition, to name a few. Connor debuted with the Fremont Symphony Orchestra after winning first prize at the Young Artist Competition, and was invited to perform Dvorak Cello Concerto at their 50th Anniversary Gala under the baton of Greg Sudmeier.

A passionate chamber musician, Kim has participated in various chamber music festivals and has shared stages with many respectable musicians. He has attended the Hotchkiss Summer Portals Chamber Music Program, where he worked with members of the Brentano, Shanghai, Miami, and Miro Quartets, and was re-invited to attend for three years in a row, upon which his last year, was fortunate enough to solo alongside violinist Ida Kavafian in Astor Piazzola’s Otoño Porteno. He also participated in Yellow Barn’s Young Artist Program, Kneisel Hall, International Masterclass Series Prussia Cove of the UK, the Perlman Music Program Chamber Music Workshop, and was most recently an International Program participant at Music@Menlo. He was also invited to participate in the Winter Residency for Music@Menlo in 2019. This summer, he will be attending Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute.  Throughout the various programs, Connor has had the chance to perform with world- renowned artists such as Itzakh Perlman, Hsin-Yun Huang, Roger Tapping, Vivian Hornik Weilerstein, and more. Kim is currently a member of the Kila Quartet (formerly Lauder), and as a group, they are members of the Juilliard Honors Chamber Music Program, where they were given the opportunity to debut at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall amongst many other engagements. They have participated in the Robert Mann Chamber Music Institute, and were also invited as a preformed group to participate at the Perlman Music Program Chamber Music Workshop, upon which they were further asked to perform in the Stire-Stark Alumni Concert Series, and have traveled to Sarasota for PMP SunCoast, a community engagement program established by the Perlman Music Program. Connor has also played for the Semplice Players at Brooklyn’s Bargemusic, where he performed with acclaimed clarinetist Alex Fiterstein, and was most recently showcased by the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players.

Connor is currently completing his Masters Degree at The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Joel Krosnick and Timothy Eddy with a full tuition scholarship as an Irene Diamond Graduate Fellow, and through the generosity of the George L. Shields Memorial Scholarship and Mari Brown Scholarship.

Jeongheon Nam, Südkorea

Special Prize for the best interpretation of a work by J. Brahms
Biography 

Jeongheon Nam was born in Incheon (South Korea) in 1993 and began playing the
cello at the age of six.
His musical education as a junior student at the School of Music under St.Petersburg
Rimsky — Korsakov Conservatory Russia with Professor Elena Dernova.
After returning back to Korea, studied the Korea National University of Arts, studied
under Myung — wha Chung and Hyoung — won Chang.
As a soloist, he has performed with the National Philharmonic Russia, Incheon
Philharmonic Orchestra , Vivaldi Chambe r Orchestra , 21century Baroque.
He has been a performer at the Great Mountains Music Festival, Stravinsky
International Festival Cellista Cello Ensemble, Knua Cello Series, Heiri Camerata ,
Cello project Bach&Beethoven series, Nostalgia concert and Baroqu e Concerto Series.

He has taken part in masterclasses with Frans Helmerson, Louis Claret, Arto Noras,
Tilmann Wick, Laurence Lesser, Young — Chang Cho and Tamas Varga.

Currently he belongs to the artist the Cello Project, Soloist Vin, Cellista Ensemble in
Korea.
He has won numerous renowned awards including third p rize a nd Special prize in the Salieri Zinetti International Competition , first prize in The Music Association of Korea Competition, third prize in the Joongang Music Concours, and first prize in The Strad Competition.
Since 2018, Jeongheon Nam has been studying at Mannheim University of Music and
Performing Arts with István Várdai. And now he study at Robert Schumann hochschule Düsseldorf with Pieter Wispelwey.

 Participants - Final Round

  • Hyazintha Andrej, Österreich
  • Junyoung Ann, Südkorea
  • Barnabás Baranyai, Ungarn
  • Miguel Braga, Brasilien
  • Balasz Dolfin, Ungarn
  • Lucas Henry, Frankreich
  • Tung-Lin Hsieh, Taiwan
  • Connor Kim, USA
  • Dominic Seunghyun Lee, Neuseeland
  • Sam Lucas, Australien
  • Maria Clara Mandolesi, Italien
  • Keisuke Morita, Japan
  • Sarah Moser, Österreich
  • Jeongheon Nam, Südkorea
  • Sung Geun Park, Südkorea
  • Hyunah Pyo, Südkorea

 Participants - I. Round

  • Hyazintha Andrej, Österreich
  • Junyoung Ann, Südkorea
  • Yun Ju Bae, Südkorea
  • Barnabás Baranyai, Ungarn
  • Evgeniia Boginskaya, Russland
  • Miguel Braga, Brasilien
  • Theo Brits, Südafrika
  • Alexandre Bughin, Belgien
  • Elena Cappelletti, Italien
  • Roman Cazal, Frankreich
  • Begonia Chan, Neuseeland
  • Tzu-Shao Chao, Taiwan
  • Guanlin Chen, China
  • Pin-Jyun Chen, Taiwan
  • Yeon Jae Choi, Südkorea
  • Jungwoo Choi, Südkorea
  • Maria Coll Torra, Spanien
  • Ània Custodio Folch, Spanien
  • Ilay Dahan, Israel
  • Natalia Dauer, Deutschland
  • Daniel Davies, Vereinigtes Königreich
  • Amina Davilbekova, Kazakhstan
  • Judit Diaz Alvarez, Spanien
  • Balasz Dolfin, Ungarn
  • Niklas Erpenbach, Deutschland
  • Daniel Hamin Go, Südkorea
  • Lucas Henry, Frankreich
  • Seungyeon Hong, Südkorea
  • Tung-Lin Hsieh, Taiwan
  • Xiaoxie Jiang, China
  • Agata Jonczak, Polen
  • Yugyung Kim, Südkorea
  • Connor Kim, USA
  • Young Ju Ko, Südkorea
  • Che-Wei Kuo, Taiwan
  • Giovanni Landini, Italien
  • Paula Lavarias, Spanien
  • Dominic Seunghyun Lee, Neuseeland
  • Julia Lee, USA
  • Sam Lucas, Australien
  • Giorgio Lucchini, Italien
  • Maria Clara Mandolesi, Italien
  • Rafael Menges, Deutschland
  • Mariya Mikhaylova, Russland
  • Keisuke Morita, Japan
  • Sarah Moser, Österreich
  • Ah-Yeon Nam, Südkorea
  • Jeongheon Nam, Südkorea
  • Jan Nečaský, Tschechische Republik
  • Sung Geun Park, Südkorea
  • Lluc Pascual Sarret, Spanien
  • Lukas Plag, Deutschland
  • Hyunah Pyo, Südkorea
  • Julien Siino, Kanada
  • Romana Simbera, Slovenien
  • Sang Won Son, Südkorea
  • Wei-Cheng Wang, Taiwan
  • Yoojung Won, Südkorea
  • Yin-Yin Wu, Taiwan
  • Xiaotang Xu, China
  • Meli Yamashita, Japan
  • Mingyue Zhao, China
  • Rongding Zhu, China
  • Anzhe Zuo, China

 Conditions and FAQ

  1. The International Anton Rubinstein Competition for Cello 2020 is organized by the International Music Academy Anton Rubinstein in Düsseldorf and will take place in International Music Academy Anton Rubinstein in Düsseldorf, Flingerstr. 1, 40213 Düsseldorf, Germany on March 27th & 28th, 2020.
  2. Cellist of all nationalities and ages may take part in this competition.
  3. The competition will take place in two rounds, from which the Jury will decide the winners.
  4. The first round will be completed via video link on YouTube. The results will be announced via email on February 28th, 2020.
  5. The final will take place in the International Music Academy Anton Rubinstein in Düsseldorf, Germany.
  6. The final of competition is open to the public.
  7. A maximum of 20 candidates will be advanced to the final. This decision will be made by the International Music Academy Anton Rubinstein, using the recordings from the first round.
  8. The International Music Academy Anton Rubinstein will determine the order in which the competitors perform.
  9. The repertoire for the first round can be freely chosen by the candidate, but must max. 30 minutes long.
  10. For the final, the candidates must present a program max. 30 minute time limit.  The repertoire choice for the final is free and may include works from the first round.
  11. In the second round, the jury has the right to interrupt any performance that exceeds the 30-minute time limit.
  12. The candidates are allowed to bring their own accompanists. However, if need be, and with prior arrangement, the International Music Academy Anton Rubinstein will also appoint a pianist for the competitors. The fee for the pianist is 100€, (to be paid after selection in the Final Round), and includes a 20 minutes rehearsal and the competition performance.
  13. The final results will be announced on Saturday, March 28th, 2020 about 7:30 pm.
  14. All participants must be present when the competition results are announced.
  15. With their registration, participants authorize the organizer, i.e. the International Music Academy Anton Rubinstein, to use all photo, video and audio material of the competition at its discretion.
  16. The decision of the jury is final and incontestable.
  17. With his or her registration, the candidate and his or her legal guardian agree to the rules and regulations of the competition.
  18. Registration Deadline: February 20th, 2020
    Registration fee: 75€ before January 20th, 2020 and 100 € thereafter.
  19. The registration fee is non-refundable.