SAN FRANCISCO, APRIL 4, 2023 – Celebrating 38 years of championing the world’s best younger string gamers, the thirty eighth Irving M. Klein Worldwide String Competitors returns June 3-4 to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The semifinal spherical begins at 10AM Pacific Sat June third and finals begin at 3PM Pacific Solar June 4th. Audiences worldwide will view contestantsby way of livestream on the Violin Channel compete for money prizes and efficiency contracts in entrance of a reside viewers, as a distinguished jury of seven convenes to find out this yr’s winners.
Chosen from 111 entrants, the semifinalists are:
• VINCENT GARCIA-HETTINGER, cello, 17 (TX). Attends Brandeis HS, and research with Kenneth Freudigman
• AUDREY GOODNER, violin, 17 (VA). Attends Langley HS; she is a pupil of Ryan Meehan and Jing Qiao
• MEI HOTTA, cello, 20 (CA). She attends the Colburn Faculty, and is a pupil of Clive Greensmith
• HADDON KAY, cello, 23 (IL). He attends the Bienen Faculty of Music at Northwestern, and research with Hans Jørgen Jensen
• BLAIRE KIM, violin, 19 (KOREA). Attends the Juilliard Faculty; she is a pupil of Li Lin and Itzhak Perlman
• ZECHARIAH MO, viola, 21 (IL). Attends the Colburn Faculty; he’s a pupil of Tatjana Masurenko
• RAY USHIKUBO, violin, 21 (CA). Attends the Colburn Faculty; he’s a pupil of Robert Lipsett
• SOPHIA WERNER, violin, 20 (NY). Attends the Juilliard Faculty; she research with Laurie Smukler
• EMAD ZOLFAGHARI, viola, 18 (CANADA) attends the Curtis Institute of Music; he research with Hsin-Yun Huang (Ages are at time of Competitors 6/3-4/23)
Cellist Coleman Itzkoff, 2016 Klein prizewinner, is that this yr’s mentor and co-hosts with Klein Inventive Director Mitchell Sardou Klein who famous, “Number of this outstanding group of younger musical artists was particularly difficult this yr, with so many impressed software performances to select from. It’s actually thrilling to see and listen to the extent of musicianship that this new era of string gamers is exhibiting.”
The grand prize consists of $5,000 money and efficiency contracts with the Peninsula and Santa Cruz Symphonies, Gualala Arts Chamber Sequence, amongst others, and is valued at $13,000. The second prize of $3,500 money and efficiency contracts is valued at $5,500, features a efficiency with the San José Chamber Orchestra. Ruth Brief provides this prize in reminiscence of Elaine H. Klein. A 3rd prize of $2,500 is given in reminiscence of Milton Preves by Judith and David Anderson. Two fourth prizes of $1,500 every are awarded., one given by Maria Klein in reminiscence of Jerry Lee Klein. Every semifinalist not awarded a named prize will obtain $1,000. Awards of $500 every are given for greatest efficiency of the commissioned work by Gity Razaz, and of the solo Bach.
Concerning the Composer
Hailed by New York Instances as “ravishing and engulfing” and named a 2022 “Rising Star” by BBC Music Journal, Gity Razaz’s music ranges from live performance solo items to massive symphonic works. Her music has been commissioned and carried out by Seattle Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Washington Nationwide Opera, Nationwide Sawdust, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and violinists Jennifer Koh and Francesca DePasquale (each high Klein prizewinners). Current highlights embrace a 2021 fee from BBC Symphony Orchestra beneath Sakari Oramo for the Final Evening of the BBC Proms. Presently a member of the composition college at Mannes Faculty of Music prep-division, Ms. Razaz acquired her Bachelor and Grasp of Music in Composition beneath the tutelage of Samuel Adler, Robert Beaser and John Corigliano on the Juilliard Faculty.
The Jury Panel
The distinguished jury will embrace Glenn Dicterow, former concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic and on college on the USC Thornton Faculty of Music; violist Karen Dreyfus, who additionally teaches on the Thornton Faculty; cellist and 2014 Klein first prizewinner Zlatomir Fung; this yr’s commissioned composer, Gity Razaz;Harold Robinson, former principal bass for Philadelphia Orchestra and on college on the Curtis Institute; Daniel Stewart, Music Director of the Santa Cruz Symphony, and the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra; and Barbara Day Turner, Music Director of San José Chamber Orchestra.
Concerning the Klein Competitors
The Irving M. Klein Worldwide String Competitors, produced by the California Music Middle, is open to musicians between ages 15 and 23. The Klein Competitors has achieved worldwide recognition as one of the prestigious classical music competitions, acknowledged for the excessive caliber of the contestants; its distinctive, nurturing atmosphere; and its dedication to the commissioning of recent works.
Its award carries the status that has helped many high soloists acquire prominence within the aggressive world of classical music, together with Jennifer Koh, Mark Kosower, Vadim Gluzman, Jennifer Frautschi, Alban Gerhardt, Nikki Chooi, Teng Li, Francesca dePasquale, Oliver Herbert, Frank Huang, Tessa Lark, and Robert deMaine.
California Music Middle, the producer of the Klein, was based in 1974 by Irving M. Klein, a virtuoso chamber musician and grasp cello trainer, because the sponsoring group for a summer season music institute and chamber music collection for younger artists. Following Mr. Klein’s passing in 1985, CMC inaugurated the Irving M. Klein Worldwide String Competitors (“the Klein”) in 1986; since then, the Klein has grow to be one of the prestigious occasions of its form, serving to to boost the growing careers of outstanding younger gamers who’ve gone on to grow to be famend soloists, chamber musicians, lecturers, and outstanding members of the world’s best orchestras.
The Klein Competitors is supported partially by the Mervyn L. Brenner Basis, the Sam Mazza Basis, and San Francisco Grants for the Arts; and is introduced in partnership with the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the Violin Channel.
