about

• Dates : May 20-28,2011
• Appliced Ensembles : 230 Ensembles
• Venue : Izumi Hal (Osaka,Japan)
• Participated Ensembles : 42 Ensembles

SectionI String Quartet

First Prize
Doric String Quartet / UK

The Doric String Quartet was formed in 1998. Recent performances include their debut at the Edinburgh International Festival (broadcast on BBC Radio 3), regular concerts at Wigmore Hall and a tour of Indonesia. They will return to Wigmore Hall to give the closing concert of the 2007/8 season and will appear three times in the 2008/9 season including an evening recital in the hall’s Haydn celebrations. Future plans also include their Paris debut at the Auditorium du Louvre, concerts in Germany, Indonesia, Israel and Switzerland.

Second Prize
Cecilia String Quartet / Canada

Praised for their ‘extraordinary commitment and maturity’ (Montreal Gazette) and ‘talent, passion and mastery’ (Jacques Robert, JR Multimedia), the Cecilia String Quartet is one of Canada’s most promising emerging ensembles today. Participants of the 5th Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition and winners of the 2007 Galaxie Rising Stars award in Canada, they are currently recipients of the Joseph Fisch and Joyce Axelrod String Quartet residency at San Diego State University in association with the La Jolla Music Society.

Third Prize
Galatea Quartet / Switzerland

The Galatea Quartet was founded in 2005. In 2006 they won the third prize as well as the audience prize at the Geneva International Music Competition and the first prize at the Migros Chamber Music Competition in 2007. The Quartet has been participating in ECMA (European Chamber Music Academy) with professors such as Hatto Beyerle, Johannes Meissl, Christoph Richter etc. In Zurich the quartet took lessons with Stephan Goerner (Carmina Quartet) and with the Artemis Quartet in Berlin.

Third Prize
Novus Quartet / South Korea

Novus Quartet was formed by four students studying at the Korea National University of Arts in 2006. The Quartet has studied with a Korean cellist and professor at the university, Sang Min Park. They have also attended masterclasses of Nobuko Imai and Koichiro Harada. The Quartet performed in KNUA Chamber Recital in 2006 and in 2007 they performed in Rodin Gallery Recital for a tribute to Beethoven series in Seoul and also had a recital in the National Assembly of Korea. They had a concert at Kumho Art Hall in Seoul in March this year.

SectionII Piano Trio

First Prize
Dali Piano Trio / France

Prizewinner of the Young Concert Artists auditions in New York City in 2008, the Dali Trio is resident at the Queen Elisabeth College of Music in Belgium with the Artemis Quartet and M. Pressler. The recent highlights include concerts at the Autumn Chamber Music Days in Riga (Latvia), the Aix-en-Provence Festival (France), the Bozar Palace, the Flagey Concert Hall (Belgium) as well as tours in United States, Lybia, Italy, France and Switzerland. They regularly broadcast for international radios such as France Musique and Latvian National Classical Radio. To be released in December 2008 is a CD with the Ravel chamber music works under the label Fuga Libera (Harmonia Mundi).

Second Prize
Saguaro Piano Trio / USA

The Saguaro Piano Trio was formed in January 2007 at the Colburn Conservatory of Music. Coached by Paul Coletti and Ronald Leonard, this group has reached the finals of the Coleman Chamber Music Competition and the semifinals of the Fischoff International Chamber Music Competition in Spring 2007. The Saguaro Piano Trio has performed in the USA and Canada.

Third Prize
Kirishima Trio / Japan

The Kirishima Trio was founded by three students each of whom took solo class in the 27th Kirishima International Music Festival in the summer of 2006. They attended lessons of chamber music and by Honorary Music Director Gerhard Bosse’s advice, started musical activity as a trio. In November they were engaged in outreach activities and held concerts in Hokkaido. In 2007, after a debut concert in February, they performed in “Young musicians’ concert” at the 28th Kirishima International Music Festival and received a scholarship from the Festival. Also they have performed in a NHK-FM programme called “Meikyoku Recital”. The Trio have studied in lessons and masterclasses with Gerhard Bosse, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, Shigeo Neriki, Masahiro Tanaka, Katsuya Matsubara, and Keiko Urushihara.

Festa Ensembles consisting of 2-6 performers. The combinations are free.

Menuhin Gold Prize
Folkloric Music Special Prize
Moscow Quartet / Russia

Moscow Quartet was founded in 1997. All the members teach students at the Gnessin’s Academy of Music, which have opened excellent opportunities for students to play different music: from folk music to classical and original chamber music. The Moscow Quartet is an ensemble of soloists who are very famous in Russia and the presence of those four excellent soloists makes this ensemble unique and distinct from the others. The quartet has performed concerts around the world including Sweden, France, USA, and Japan.

Silver Prize
Solisti di basso / Czech Republic

Ensemble Solisti di basso was founded in 2004 while both members of the duo were students of the Prague Conservatory. Coached by Prof. Valenta (member of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra) and Prof. Kolhan (cellist of the Panocha String Quartet), they started their concert appearances a year later. Recently they have finished recordings for the Czech Radio, which has been broadcast already. Because the repertoire for cello and contrabass is not really wide, with a lot of success they arrange other pieces and perform works which has been composed specially for them.

Bronze Prize
Trio “Mirage” / Russia

Trio Mirage was founded in Novosibirsk State Conservatoire named by M. Glinka in 2005. The ensemble started their career under the guidance of Andrei Kugaevskiy (ensemble class) and Andrei Romanov (arrangement class). Each member of the trio is a winner of the All-Russian and International Music Competitions (including Grand-Prix) different time since 2002 until now. In 2005, the Trio was awarded the Bronze Prize of the All-Russian Competition of the folk instruments performers (Khanty-Mansiysk Russia). Since then the creativity of the Trio has been reflected in their regular concerts held in Russia. The repertoire of the ensemble includes masterpieces of the folk music in original arrangements by these musicians.