The Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy University Competition 2014 starts in a few days' time
Press release from 01/13/2014
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy University Competition 2014 organised by the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, the Rectors' Conference of German Music Universities and the Berlin University of the Arts
Following the great success of last year's reorganisation, the traditional Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy University Competition 2014 will once again be organised by the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation and the Rectors' Conference of German Music Universities. The competition will take place from 15 to 19 January 2014 at the Berlin University of the Arts. Over five days, the best musical talents from German music academies will compete in four disciplines: Singing, Constrabass, Ensemble New Music and Composition. This year's competition will once again be under the artistic direction of Dr Dieter Rexroth, with Kurt Masur as patron.
The competition entries will be judged by internationally renowned musicians under the chairmanship of Helen Donath (vocals), Peter Riegelbauer (double bass) and Prof. Konstantia Gourzi (Ensemble Neue Musik). The prizewinners of the Ensemble Neue Musik will present themselves in a concert on 18 January 2014, while the final concert on 19 January 2014 will be performed by the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie under the direction of Prof. Steven Sloane together with the prizewinners of the vocal and double bass sections. The final concert will be broadcast via live audio stream. In addition to the concert, viewers of the "digital concert" can experience the protagonists of the competition in conversation as part of the live stream programme.
The winners in the composition category were announced in mid-December: the jury, chaired by Prof Jan Müller-Wieland, awarded first prize to Eunsung Kim (Franz Liszt University of Music Weimar) for his competition composition "mobile Elemente". Francisco Concha Goldschmidt (Cologne University of Music and Dance) was awarded second prize for his work ";;". Third prize went to Josep Planells Schiaffino from the Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin. His composition is entitled "triosatz".
The prize-winning works will be premiered by the ensemble "Studio musikFabrik" as part of the prizewinners' composition concert on 17 January 2014.
The Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy University Competition is the result of two important competitions: the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Competition of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, the oldest German classical music competition, and the University Competition of German Music Universities. The competition was given a new artistic profile in 2012 when they were merged.
Prize money totalling over 50,000 euros is awarded in three annually changing competition subjects and the subject of composition. The concept also includes long-term support for the prizewinners with scholarships, follow-up performances and CD productions.
In addition to the organisers' prizes, the "Prize of the Federal President", which has existed in the form of a scholarship since 1989, is also awarded as part of the competition. The "Friends of Young Musicians Germany" award a sponsorship prize for a participant under the age of 25. In addition, they organise follow-up concerts by the prizewinners in each of their eight member associations (Berlin, Bremen, Düsseldorf/Meerbusch, Frankfurt am Main, Kassel, Cologne/Bonn, Mainz/Wiesbaden and Munich).
The competition's funding instruments also include follow-up concerts at renowned German festivals such as Young Euro Classic or the Kasseler Musiktage.
The first prize winners also receive follow-up funding in the form of a CD production, which is released on the Berlin University of the Arts label. The Mendelssohn vocal production will be supervised by the Kulturradio des rbb. The recordings in the double bass and new music ensemble subjects will be produced by the sound engineering department at the Berlin University of the Arts. These productions are supported by the association "Freunde Junger Musiker Berlin e. V.".
Further information and press tickets from:
Claudia Assmann
Tel. 030 3185 2456
presse(at)fmb-hochschulwettbewerb(dot)de
www.fmb-hochschulwettbewerb.de
The dates at a glance:
15 to 17 January 2014, from 10.00 a.m.
Public auditions
Vocal auditions: Kammersaal der UdK Berlin
Double bass auditions: Carl-Flesch-Saal der UdK Berlin
Ensemble Neue Musik auditions: Konzertsaal der UdK Berlin
Admission free
17 January 2014, 20:00
Prizewinners' concert Composition
World premiere of award-winning works with announcement of the prizewinners for voice, double bass and Ensemble Neue Musik
The ensemble "Studio musikFabrik" will perform.
Berlin University of the Arts, Joseph-Joachim-Konzertsaal, Bundesallee 1-12
Admission: 6 euros, reduced 4 euros
18 January 2014, 17:00
Prizewinners' concert Ensemble Neue Musik
Joseph-Joachim-Konzertsaal der UdK Berlin, Bundesallee 1-12, Berlin-Wilmersdorf
Admission: 6 euros, concessions 4 euros
19 January 2014, 7.00 pm
Prizewinners' concert for voice and double bass
With the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie, conducted by Prof. Steven Sloane
Concert hall of the UdK Berlin, Hardenbergstraße / corner of Fasanenstraße
Admission: 6 euros, concessions 4 euros
Tickets: Concert hall box office of the Berlin University of the Arts,
Tel. (030) 3185 2374 or at
www.reservix.de
With the kind support of:
Stiftung Deutsche Klassenlotterie Berlin
Berlin Hyp AG
Deutscher Sparkassen- und Giroverband
Freunde Junger Musiker Deutschland
Freunde Junger Musiker e. V. Berlin
Elsa-Wera-Arnold-Stiftung
Prof. Jan Müller-Wieland Jan Müller-Wieland
Sikorski Musikverlage
Bärenreiter Verlag Kassel
Young Euro Classic Berlin
Kasseler Musiktage e. V.
Junge Deutsche Philharmonie e. V.
Studio musikFabrik
Kulturradio vom Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg
Deutschlandradio Kultur
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