The winners of the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy University Competition 2020 in the subjects of singing and string quartet
Press release from 01/21/2020
The Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy University Competition 2020 ended yesterday evening with a spectacular finale. This year, the competition was held in the fields of singing and string quartet.
The Konzerthausorchester Berlin played under the direction of Julien Salemkour. This year's prizewinners are:
VOCAL
- First prize (Mendelssohn Prize, EUR 4,000): Carmen Artaza (Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts)
- Second prize (Prize of the Federal President, EUR 2,500): Freya Apffelstaedt (Munich University of Music and Theatre)
- Third prize (Prize of the Elsa-Wera-Arnold Foundation, EUR 1,500): Ekaterina Chayka-Rubinstein (Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media)
- Third Prize Interpretation Commissioned Work (Prize of the Elsa-Wera-Arnold-Foundation, 500 EUR): Mengqi Zhang (Berlin University of the Arts)
- Prize of the Friends of Young Musicians Germany (EUR 4,000): Ekaterina Chayka-Rubinstein (Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media)
- Prize for piano accompaniment in singing (Prize of the Friends of Young Musicians Germany, EUR 1,000): Not awarded
STRING QUARTET
- First prize (Mendelssohn Prize, EUR 4,000): Baum Quartet (Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media)
- Second prize (Prize of the Federal President, EUR 2,500): Cheng Quartet (Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media)
- Third prize (Prize of the Elsa-Wera-Arnold Foundation, EUR 1,500): HANA Quartet (Munich University of Music and Performing Arts)
- Prize for interpretation of a commissioned work (EUR 500): Baum Quartett (Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media)
The competition is organised by the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, the Rectors' Conference of German Music Universities and the Berlin University of the Arts. The artistic director is Prof Dr Sebastian Nordmann, director of the Konzerthaus Berlin. The patron of the competition is Andris Nelsons, Gewandhauskapellmeister of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra.