The 1997 Hannover International Violin Competition has been officially launched. The Foundation of Lower Saxony (Stiftung Niedersachsen) calls on young violinists world-wide to apply for next October's competition.
»The Violin Competition is a consistent international calling-card for the Foundation,« said Dominik von König, its Secretary General. »It provides genuine encouragement to young artists on their way to solo careers.«
The Hannover International Violin Competition was founded by the Stiftung Niedersachsen in 1991 and is dedicated to Joseph Joachim, who was royal concert director in Hannover for many years. Its cash awards of some $100,000 make it one of the most lucrative competitions of its kind.
With this sum, as well as scholarships, debut concerts and a CD production, the Foundation makes a unique contribution to young musicians' futures. For Antje Weithaas and Robert Chen, the winners in 1991 and 1994, the First Prize in Hannover was a big step on the path to international careers. Both soloists have since been enthusiastically recieved in concert halls at home and abroad.
Artistic Director Krzysztof Wegrzyn, presenting the 1997 jury and the program of the 1997 competition, stressed: »This Competition is looking for artistic personalities, whose technical ability blends with interpretative qualities and sensibility for musical presentation«. The program spans from Baroque to New Music.
In the words of Linda Anne Engelhardt, the Executive Director of the Violin Competition: »The Stiftung Niedersachsen and its partners -- the Hannover Music Academy, the Opera House and the North German Broadcasting Corporation -- also see the Competition as a wonderful opportunity for Lower Saxony to extend its hospitality to guests from around the world«. The participants stay with families in Hannover during the entire competition.
Application materials can be obtained from the Stiftung Niedersachsen, Ferdinandstrasse 4, D-30175 Hannover. The Foundation has supported the arts and sciences in Lower Saxony since 1985. The Violin Competition is one of the outstanding programs on its agenda.