Taiwan violinist tops Tchaikovsky competition

2015/07/03

A Taiwan violinist was top place-getter at International Tchaikovsky Competition July 1 in Moscow, earning the thumbs-up from judges for deeply emotive performances.

Tseng Yu-chien, who played Sibelius’s and Tchaikovsky’s violin concertos in the final round, finished second ahead of Moldova’s Alexandra Conunova and Russia’s Haik Kazazyan and Pavel Milyukov in equal third. No first place winner was selected this year.

“I am thrilled to be the first from Taiwan to join the ranks of previous competition maestros like Gidon Kremer in 1970 and Victoria Mullova in 1982,” he said. “My appreciation goes out to all who supported me along the way, and those who also defy the odds to realize their dreams.”

This was Tseng’s second attempt at ITC glory. The 20-year-old from Taipei City was among the eight finalists at the 2011 edition in St. Petersburg, and received a Jury Discretionary Award for his promising artistry.

Studying under professors Ida Kavafian and Aaron Rosand at Philadelphia-based Curtis Institute of Music, Tseng previously won the Isang Yun Competition in South Korea, while taking fifth place in the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Belgium.

The local youth’s rise to international fame is cited by music critics as testament to the depth of violin talent in Taiwan, as evidenced by past QEC winners Hu Nai-yuan and Tseng Keng-yuen.

Established in 1958, the quadrennial ITC is one of the most prestigious classical music contests worldwide. It awards top musicians aged 16-30 in cello, piano, violin and vocal arts.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=232151&ctNode=413)