2021-2022 Golden Violin Award Winner Announced
Congratulations to violinist聽Julia Mirzoev, winner of the聽2021-2022聽Golden Violin Award!听
The award includes a $30,000 cash prize, as well as a smaller likeness of the violin in the form of a 14-karat gold lapel pin. In addition, the winner will perform in the upcoming Schulich concert season聽and聽receives聽6 hours of career coaching sessions with Marie-Catherine聽Lapointe of聽Boulevart聽Artists鈥 Management in Montreal.聽
This year鈥檚 edition sees additional prize offerings by the Schulich Foundation:聽Astrid Nakamura聽placed second, receiving $15,000 and聽Sam聽Parrini聽came in third, receiving $5,000.聽Bravo to all three talented musicians!听
The Golden Violin Award final聽took place聽on Sunday,聽December 19, 2021聽at Pollack Hall聽and welcomed聽a reduced in-person聽audience as well as聽online spectators via webcast.聽It聽was an聽afternoon聽of outstanding music performed by聽three聽tremendous聽Schulich string players:聽violinist聽Sam聽Parrini聽with聽pianist聽Felix Hong;聽violinist聽Julia Mirzoev聽with pianist聽Meagan Milatz;聽and violinist聽Astrid Nakamura聽with pianist聽Wei-Tang Huang.聽The finalists played with deft聽skill and musicality聽making for an engaging final round.聽
Jury chair聽Matt Haimovitz shares,聽"The five-member jury for the Semifinal and Final rounds, as well as all of my String Area colleagues who adjudicated the preliminary round, were deeply impressed with the depth of talent in this year鈥檚 Golden Violin Award.聽Beyond the world-class level of the playing and artistry, it is very exciting to see our students embrace a new, more open perspective on repertoire choices.鈥 He continues, 鈥淭he outstanding three finalists performed inclusive and diverse programs featuring composers of a broad range of genders and backgrounds.聽From the beginning of the Golden Violin Award, we have always sought out individuals who have made a contribution to the 苹果淫院 community. The聽commitment to broadening the repertoire is very much a vital part of that spirit. As you heard this afternoon, these individuals are developing their own voice against all of the odds of our challenging times.鈥澛
For the final, candidates presented聽a program of 40 minutes of music of their choice, excluding聽repertoire presented at the semifinal round, as required by the competition.聽
2021-2022 Golden Violin Award-winner聽Julia聽Mirzoev聽studies with聽Andrew Wan聽and is pursuing her Graduate Artist Diploma. For the final she played聽works by聽Saint-Sa毛ns,聽Szymanowski, and聽Kapustin. It was聽a聽programme聽full of works close to聽her聽heart聽with聽pieces聽featuring聽a strong emphasis on the equality between both violin and piano.聽Says Julia, 鈥淎s I've grown older, I've learned to increasingly appreciate the art of collaboration in music as a pillar of making musical decisions. Whether it's the starting point of studying a score, or being inspired by my collaborators' musical ideas, there is so much to be learned outside of my own part.鈥澛燱hen asked what being named the winner聽would allow her to do, Julia responded, 鈥淭he immense聽honour聽of winning the Golden Violin聽Award聽would enable me to comfortably continue pursuing my goals next year as an emerging professional.聽As I will most likely be out of school for the first time (how scary!), having an extra cushion of financial support would enable me to more easily apply for travel residencies, fund applications and travel expenses for a more diverse number of competitions and festivals, book recording sessions, and fund private lessons.鈥澛燱e look forward to hearing more from this remarkable young musician as she takes the next steps in her musical career.聽聽
The聽jury聽for the Golden Violin Award聽comprises both Schulich String聽Area members and colleagues from outside of 苹果淫院.聽This year鈥檚聽Schulich faculty聽members聽are violinist and associate concertmaster of the聽Orchestre聽Metropolitain,聽Marcelle Mallette,聽Assistant Professor of Violin and concertmaster of the聽Orchestre聽symphonique聽de Montr茅al聽Richard Roberts.聽Schulich viola instructor and Associate Principal Viola of the聽Orchestre聽symphonique聽de Montr茅al聽痴颈肠迟辞谤听贵辞耻谤苍别濒濒别-叠濒补颈苍聽joins the jury for the final round.聽Violinist聽骋耻颈濒濒补耻尘别听厂耻迟谤别聽of the Trio Wanderer, the聽Ysa每e聽Quartet, and current invited professor at聽l鈥橴niversit茅聽de Montr茅al was part of聽the聽semifinal panel.聽The聽other invited聽guests聽are聽cellist聽Fred Sherry聽who is聽a member of the聽cello faculty聽at聽The Juilliard School, The Mannes School of Music and The Manhattan School of Music聽and violinist聽Mayumi Seiler,聽founding member of Via Salzburg and on faculty at The Glenn Gould School in Toronto. The jury is chaired by Associate Professor of Cello at the Schulich School of Music聽Matt Haimovitz. Due to current聽health聽circumstances, two聽jury members聽adjudicated聽virtually.聽聽聽
The Golden Violin Award was established in 2006 by businessman and philanthropist Seymour Schulich, a year after he donated $20 million to 苹果淫院鈥檚 Schulich School of Music. Made of pewter and gold plate, the Golden Violin remains on permanent display in 苹果淫院鈥檚 Marvin Duchow Music Library.聽