Owing to increased demand from participants, the deadline to enter the Royal Northern College of Music’s (RNCM) Manchester International Violin Competition has extended.Now, skilled violinists have until September 30th to enter the competition and have the chance to win £12,000.
Not only is there a cash prize, but the winner will have the chance to perform a concert with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and give a recital at the 2012 Chester Summer Music Festival. They will also be presented with a gold-mounted bow by bowmaker Noel Burke.
Now in its second year, the competition will be held between November 26th and December 3rd and is open to violinists from all over the world aged between 20 and 30-years old.
Entrants will take part in five rounds, starting with a DVD preliminary round. Those that get through the round will be invited to the RNCM in Manchester to take part in three public rounds.
The Concerto Final will be the last test, in which the violinists will be accompanied by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and perform a piece composed by Edward Gregson, a composer and former principal of the orchestra.
With a lot to play for, the competition will hand a £6,000 prize to the second-best performer and £3,000 to the violinist in third place.
Additional prizes will be given to the violinist who had the best performance of a specific repertoire.
While the competition rounds are taking place, the RNCM will be getting into the violin spirit by holding a Violin Making Marathon. Four esteemed violin makers will be set the challenge to make a copy for the RNCM’s Brodsky Guadagnini violin, which will then be added to the school’s collection of musical instruments and loaned out to students.
Earlier this month, concertmaster of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Israeli violinist Gregory Ahss, was given the opportunity to play a rare Stradivarius violin during his tenure at the orchestra after it was loaned from an anonymous group of heirs.