XV International Tchaikovsky Competition Live on medici.tv (June 15–July 3)
In a new relationship with the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition, medici.tv will be the official webcast partner of the competition, offering 18 days of nonstop free live webcasts from June 15 to July 3. These webcasts will present the performances of 120 candidates from around the globe, available to a worldwide audience live from Moscow (piano and violin competitions) and St. Petersburg (cello and voice competitions). The coming weeks bring the launch of a dedicated platform for the competition webcasts, of which a preview is available here. A brand name for this year’s events – #TCH15 – has been created to galvanize the passionate social-media communities that follow this preeminent international classical competition. The new medici.tv online destination will webcast the Opening Gala concert in Moscow on June 15. The complete competition rounds will air between June 16 and June 30, with the climactic Award Ceremony on July 1. Winners will then perform at Gala Concerts on July 2 in Moscow and July 3 in St. Petersburg, where a Grand Prix Winner may be declared. The appointment of Valery Gergiev as chairman in 2011 and the presence of exceptional jury members have resulted in the rebirth of the International Tchaikovsky Competition. The competition’s unique international influence was illustrated by the rocketing ascent of pianist Daniil Trifonov, winner of the 2011 Competition, a feat reminiscent of Van Cliburn’s dazzling success at the inaugural Tchaikovsky Competition in 1958.
Held once every four years, the International Tchaikovsky Competition has helped launch the careers of an all-time who’s who of classical music, including pianists Van Cliburn, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Grigory Sokolov, Mikhail Pletnev, Boris Berezovsky, Nikolai Lugansky, Denis Matsuev, and Daniil Trifonov; violinists Viktor Tretiakov, Gidon Kremer, Viktoria Mullova, and Akiko Suwanai; cellists Natalia Gutman, Mischa Maisky, David Geringas, Boris Pergamenschikov, Antônio Meneses, Ivan Monighetti, and Alexander Kniazev; and singers Deborah Voigt, Paata Burchuladze, Evgeny Nikitin, Mikhail Kazakov, and Jongmin Park, among others. (Trifonov will be webcast live and free at medici.tv on June 19, from the new Philharmonie de Paris.)
“We live in the Internet era,” explains Valery Gergiev, artistic and general director of the Mariinsky Theatre and co-chair of the organizing committee of the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition. “The International Tchaikovsky Competition is already 57 years old – it is a significant age with a remarkable history. Thanks to this competition, the world has been introduced to some exceptional talents. Our partners from medici.tv share this passion with us and with our audience, whom I would even venture to call our ‘Internet audience.’ Nowadays, both amateurs and professionals of classical music are ready to join us via the Internet, TV broadcasts, or any other form of media communication that one might only imagine. This audience truly wishes to be part of this musical adventure. We want to offer them the possibility of becoming part of the online audience of the Tchaikovsky Competition. Our main goal today is to increase the size of this audience, in partnership with medici.tv.”
Hervé Boissière, founder and managing director of medici.tv, says: “To every musician, being selected and later awarded by a competition such as the Tchaikovsky is a dream come true. It is a crucial step that rewards many years of solitary hard work and opens the doors to a rich career, filled with magical encounters with the public and many other artists. We at medici.tv are very happy to make all these wonderful musicians known worldwide, as they will give their best during 18 days before prestigious and demanding jury members. We wish them the best and are proud to contribute to the blossoming of their careers. It will also be a wonderful opportunity for medici.tv to honor the 175th anniversary of Tchaikovsky’s birth with a complete month of celebration on our channel, featuring archival performances by such artists as Valery Gergiev, Claudio Abbado, Yuri Temirkanov, Evgeny Mravinsky, Martha Argerich, Daniil Trifonov, Denis Matsuev, Joshua Bell, and Mstislav Rostropovich.”
Following each live webcast, free replay of the various rounds and gala concerts will be available online at the new website until the next Tchaikovsky Competition, playable worldwide on all Internet-enabled devices, including computers, smart phones, tablets and TV (Chromecast, AirPlay). To launch the festivities, medici.tv looks forward to webcasting a gala concert celebrating the 175th anniversary of Tchaikovsky’s birth on May 7 from the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall of the Moscow Philharmonic, where pianist Denis Matsuev will perform with the Mariinsky Orchestra under Gergiev.
Schedule and jury members of the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition
June 15: Opening Concert of the competition at the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory
June 16 to June 30: Competition rounds (see details below)
July 1: Awards Ceremony at the Moscow Philharmonic’s Tchaikovsky Concert Hall
July 2: Winners Concert at the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory
July 3: Winners Concert at Mariinsky-II in St. Petersburg
Piano Rounds
Round I: June 16 to June 20, Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory
Round II: June 21 to June 25, Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory
Round III (Finals): June 28 to June 30, Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory
Jury members: Dmitri Bashkirov, Michel Béroff, Boris Berezovsky, Sergei Dorensky, Peter Donohoe, Barry Douglas, Vladimir Feltsman, Klaus Hellwig, Denis Matsuev, Vladimir Ovchinnikov, Menahem Pressler, Alexander Toradze, and Martin T. Son Engström, founder and executive director of the Verbier Festival.
Violin Rounds
Round I: June 17 to June 20, Small Hall of Moscow Conservatory
Round II: June 21 to June 25, Small Hall of Moscow Conservatory
Round III (Finals): June 28 to June 30, Tchaikovsky Concert Hall of Moscow Philharmonic
Jury members: Salvatore Accardo, Yuri Bashmet, James Ehnes, Maxim Fedotov, Liana Isakadze, Ilya Kaler, Leonidas Kavakos, Boris Kuschnir, Vera Tsu Wei-ling, Mihaela Martin, Vadim Repin, Roman Simovic, Viktor Tretiakov, Maxim Vengerov, Nikolaj Znaider, and Michael Haefliger, artistic and executive director of the Lucerne Festival.
Cello Rounds
Round I: June 17 to June 20, Small Hall of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic
Round II: June 21 to June 25, Small Hall of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic
Round III (Finals): June 28 to June 30, Great Hall of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic
Jury members: Mario Brunello, Myung-wha Chung, David Geringas, Lynn Harrell, Alexander Kniazev, Mischa Maisky, Ivan Monighetti, Sergei Roldugin, Martti Rousi, Jian Wang, and Clive Gillinson, executive and artistic director of Carnegie Hall.
Voice Rounds
Round I: June 23 to June 25, Chamber Hall of Mussorgsky in Mariinsky-2, St. Petersburg
Round II: June 27 and June 28, Chamber Hall of Mussorgsky in Mariinsky-2, St. Petersburg
Round III (Finals): June 30, Concert Hall in Mariinksy-3, St. Petersburg
Jury members: Olga Borodina, Mikhail Kazakov, Dennis O’Neill, Mikhail Petrenko, Thomas Quasthoff, Samuel Ramey, Júlia Várady, Chen-Ye Yuan, and Sarah Billinghurst, artistic manager of the Metropolitan Opera; Eva Wagner, co-director of the Bayreuth Festival; Larisa Gergieva, artistic director of the Mariinsky Academy of Young Singers; Tobias Richter, general manager of the Grand Théâtre de Genève; Christina Muti, artistic director of the Ravenna Festival; and John Fisher, opera director and producer.
About the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition
June 15 to July 3: Moscow (piano, violin); St. Petersburg (cello, voice)
This year’s competition features 623 applicants from 45 countries: Russia, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Colombia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Korea, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. In the qualifying round, the jury accepted a total of 62 pianists, 50 violinists, 48 cellists, and 79 vocalists (40 male, 39 female). The list of participants selected for preliminary auditions has been published on the official site of the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition: tchaikovskycompetition.com/en/contestants.
In addition, the selection commission may invite directly to Round I those applicants who have won First Prize in the World Federation of Music Competitions, the Alink-Argerich Foundation competitions, and the All-Russian Music Competition. For Round I, the XV Competition has accepted two pianists, one violinist, three cellists and two vocalists (one male, one female). After the preliminary auditions, the total number of contestants accepted by the Competition will be 30 pianists, 25 violinists, 25 cellists and 40 vocalists (20 male, 20 female).
The XV International Tchaikovsky Competition welcomes musicians from any country in the world. The piano, violin, and cello competitions are open to contestants aged between 16 and 32 on June 15, when competition opens. The vocal competition is open to contestants aged between 19 and 32. The maximum number of contestants is limited to 30 pianists, 25 violinists, 25 cellists and 40 vocalists (20 men, 20 women). Prior to the preliminary auditions, for which a schedule will be announced separately, the judges will draw up a shortlist of applicants, based on the video recordings submitted.
The XV International Tchaikovsky Competition will award six prizes for pianists, six for violinists, six for cellists, four for male singers and four for female singers. From among the First Prize winners, one will be singled out to receive the Grand Prix, a prize of $100,000 USD in addition to the winner’s First Prize. The XV International Tchaikovsky Competition will offer the following prizes in each category: First Prize of $30,000 and a Gold Medal; Second Prize of $20,000 and a Silver Medal; Third Prize of $10,000 and a Bronze Medal; Fourth Prize of $5,000 and a diploma; Fifth Prize of $3,000 and a diploma; and Sixth Prize of $2,000 and a diploma. There will be additional prizes of $2,000 and a diploma for the best concerto performance with a chamber orchestra in Round II – one prize each for a pianist, a violinist, and a cellist. The two best musicians in each category from Round II who are eliminated in Round III will receive a diploma and a runner-up prize of $1,000. Depending on the outcomes of the competition and the number of available prizes, the judges may choose not to award all prizes or to divide them among the contestants (except for the Grand Prix). In addition, the jury may award diplomas and a prize of $1,000 to the best accompanists in the competition (no more than two awards in each category).
Follow the International Tchaikovsky Competition:
www.tchaikovskycompetition.com
www.facebook.com/InternationalTchaikovskyCompetition/timeline
About medici.tv
Since its official launch in May 2008, medici.tv has gained international recognition, bringing together a community of 230,000 music and arts lovers from 180 countries each month. In addition to offering live concert hall events that music lovers can experience on their computers and entertainment systems (Chromecast, Airplay, Smart TVs), medici.tv offers a free application (available at the Apple App Store and at Google Play for Android) that makes it possible to experience world-class artistry on all mobile devices. In addition, more than 80 client universities around the world take advantage of medici.tv, including Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia University, the Juilliard School, and the Manhattan School of Music.
New partnerships include the distribution of a selection of medici.tv content through major digital platforms including iTunes, Samsung, Amazon, Canal+, GVT in Brazil, and Shanghai Media Group, confirming medici.tv’s role as the leading digital provider and aggregator of audiovisual classical music programs worldwide.
In addition to webcasts of more than 100 live events each year, medici.tv has partnered with the world’s top artists and music institutions to offer subscriptions that give music lovers the opportunity to watch some 1,500 video-on-demand programs. These include concerts, operas, recitals, documentaries, masterclasses, artist portraits, and archival material featuring such legendary musicians as Maria Callas, Glenn Gould, Yehudi Menuhin, David Oistrakh, Sviatoslav Richter, Mstislav Rostropovich, Arthur Rubinstein, Georg Solti, and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.
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© 21C Media Group, April 2015
