Centenary celebrations - Menuhin Competition

Yehudi Menuhin

The Menuhin Competition opens tonight (7 April 2016), adding to the celebrations for Yehudi Menuhin's centenary. The competition runs from 7 to 17 April 2016 and encompasses concerts and competition events. The opening concert sees four former winners of the competition, Tasmin Little, Jiafeng Chen, Rennosuke Fukuda and Ray Chen performing violin concertante works by Holst, Waxman and Brahms along with the premiere of Roxanna Panufnik's Hora Bessarabia for solo violin, with Kazuki Yamada and the Philharmonia at the Royal Festival Hall. Then on Friday 8 April it is the turn of another former Junior First Prize winner, Chad Hoopes who performs Michael Daugherty's Fire and Blood with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain conducted by Kristjan Järvi.

The events continue with a bewildering array of concerts and talks, with chances to hear former winners, concerts at the Menuhin School, tributes to Menuhin's teacher Enescu, masterclasses, and of course the competition itself with heats leading to the junior and senior finals. A concert on 14 April 2016 features the premiere of John Rutter's Visions for solo violin, choir and string orchestra performed by Kerson Leong (violin), Sainsbury Royal Academy Soloists, directed by Thomas Gould, violin.

The Junior finals are on Friday 15 April in the Dukes Hall at the Royal Academy of Music (where many of the earlier rounds are), whilst the senior finals are on Saturday 16 April at the Royal Festival Hall and then on Sunday 17 April there is the closing gala at the Royal Festival Hall with Diego Matheuz conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra, plus violinist Julia Fischer and the two competition winners.

Full information from the Menuhin Competition website.