Second Round Kicks off at Classic Cello International Competition in London
For this Second Round, proceedings have moved to the Royal College of Music’s main performance space, the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall, offering both performers and audiences an expanded setting in which to experience the event at an even higher level. Seven of the candidates who successfully progressed to this stage performed in the stunning hall on this first day, presenting a programme that places a strong emphasis on both structure and individual freedom.
Indeed, for this segment of Classic Cello, competitors are required to interpret one major sonata selected from a distinguished list of works, including Henriëtte Bosmans’ Sonata for Cello and Piano in A minor; Ludwig van Beethoven’s Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 3 in A major, Op. 69; Sergey Prokofiev’s Sonata for Cello and Piano in C major, Op. 119; Henriette Renié’s Sonata for Cello and Piano in A-flat major; and Mieczysław Weinberg’s Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 2 in G minor, Op. 63. Alongside this, each contestant is also expected to present a free programme of their own choosing, with a maximum duration of 25 minutes. This combination allows participants not only to demonstrate their command of cornerstone repertoire, but also to express their music personality through selections that reflect their artistic identity.
“It’s a great privilege to be here”, said contestant Liav Kerbel after his performance. “To pass to the second round of any competition is always an achievement, and the first round here was tough; it was a tough programme but a very interesting one. It made us explore some very interesting repertoire. In every competition I apply to I try to look at the repertoire to see if it’s interesting, if it’s varied, and this competition was very, very attractive. There’s also the fact that it’s the biggest cello competition that has been held in the UK, as far as I know. I haven’t heard of a cello competition in the UK, and it’s very nice that such a big name of a competition is coming here.”
“I always try to include at least one new piece in every competition I do”, he continued, “so that I don't always repeat the same, and I usually try to go with pieces that I feel closer to in the moment, that inspire me to play them, and that I want to share with people, so that’s basically what informs my choice. Of course, you need to think of what shows which technical ability, so you have to try to make a mix, but yes, I’ve been very excited to perform this repertoire, both today and in the First Round.”
Classic Cello’s distinguished jury panel remains in place to assess each performance with the same rigour and insight that has defined the competition thus far, with Chairman and Artistic Director Alexander Chaushian being joined by Julian Lloyd Webber (UK), Florian Leonhard (UK), Deborah Borda (USA), Paul Hughes (UK), Dorran Alibaud (France), Ursula Haselböck (Austria), James Williams (UK), Kathryn Enticott (UK), Angela Dixon (UK), and Michael Haefliger (Switzerland), for this task.
“It’s been absolutely fascinating to hear such a huge variety of cellists from across the world”, Dixon said. “It goes without saying that the standard’s been incredibly high, and looking at it through the lens of a competition as well, which brings its own complications and joys, is an incredibly interesting process even when you listen to music everyday as I do, because you have that comparison, as you do in a competition with some set repertoire like this. In terms of the Second Round, I think that’s another level of interest. First of all, the standard goes up, of course, because you’ve lost half the competitors, but also the nice thing about this round is that they’ve brought into it their own choice of repertoire, and that tells us so much more about their personality, their musical background, and what they want to say about themselves.”
For the participants, meanwhile, the transition into this new phase brings both heightened pressure and opportunity, as they compete head-to-head for the many prizes and awards on offer, including a prize fund of more than €130,000.
Classic Cello’s Second Round will continue to unfold over the coming two days at the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall, before the cohort is cut down once again, with nine finalists then getting the opportunity to perform alongside the Philharmonia Orchestra, London and conductor Tomas Grau in the competition’s Final Round.
