Young violinists from all over the world, who wish to take part in the seventh Hannover International Violin Competition, are invited to submit their applications by June 1. The competition, presented by the Stiftung Niedersachsen (Foundation of Lower Saxony), takes place from September 27 through October 10, 2009. With a broadened structure of awards, including the design of a website for the artist, a photo shooting and the production of a CD for the First Prize Winner, the musicians are being afforded longer-term support. Furthermore, in order to attract even more public attention for the young violinists, the school and concert events that form part of the Complementary Program of the Violin Competition are to be extended to cover the whole of the State of Lower Saxony.
»It is our goal to strengthen the cultural profile of Lower Saxony and to support the musical development of upcoming artists on their way to an international career in an adequate way«, explains Dr. Dietrich H. Hoppenstedt, President of the Stiftung Niedersachsen. The cash awards for the first three prizes have therefore been raised to €50,000, €30,000 and €20,000 respectively. The finalists ranking fourth to sixth will each receive €8,000 and the title »Laureate of the Hannover International Violin Competition 2009«. Furthermore, the Stiftung Niedersachsen is arranging debut recitals and concerts with internationally renowned orchestras and ensembles. The First Prize Winner will be provided with a Giovanni Battista Guadagnini violin by the Fritz-Behrens-Stiftung on loan for three years. For the first time in the history of the competition, well-known representatives of the media will assign a Music Critics' Prize endowed with €5,000. The Audience Prize for the public's favorite participant has also been raised to €5,000. Through these measures the Stiftung Niedersachsen is enhancing the prestige of the competition and its importance for the State and worldwide, and is at the same time further emphasizing its leading position among international music competitions.
The Hannover International Violin Competition is at the heart of the Stiftung Niedersachsen's comprehensive program for the advancement of music and itscommunication to a wider audience. The schools program, which will involve considerably more schools, music schools and universities in 2009 than before, brings young violinists into the classroom, while the participating school classes for their part attend competition recitals live in the concert hall or watch them over the internet by live stream. The »Concerts in the Countryside« series will also be extended to include four additional concert locations, so that on October 7, 2009, participants of the Hannover International Violin Competition will now give concerts in eight different towns all over Lower Saxony, demonstrating musical quality and internationality on the highest level. As another highlight of this year's program, Gidon Kremer – newly won as a member of the Competition's International Honors Committee – will give a concert with the NDR Radiophilharmonic Orchestra conducted by Eiji Oue at the Lower Saxony State Broadcasting House on October 3.
Starting March 7, the Stiftung Niedersachsen in cooperation with the Herrenhausen Festival Weeks is setting the scene for this year's Competition with the new »Classic Lounge« series: DJ Raphaël Marionneau will be staging classical music in a »couch culture« style, to the accompaniment of unusual light projections created by Harm Bremer, in the Orangery of the Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen. Classical music and club culture will mix and mingle in a unique way, so that classical music can be experienced outside the concert hall as well.
The Hannover International Violin Competition – dedicated to Joseph Joachim – is a member of the Geneva-based World Federation of International Music Competitions. It has been presented by the Stiftung Niedersachsen and its partners every three years since 1991. With cash awards totaling €140,000, the State of Lower Saxony is host to the most highly endowed violin competition in the world. Violinists aged 16 to 27 can apply to take part up until June 1, 2009. An international Applications Jury will choose 35 talented young instrumentalists on the basis of their DVD recordings and invite them to Hannover. Information about the application procedure and the application form are available in several languages at www.violin-competition.de.
Further information is available at www.violin-competition.de. Media queries can be directed to Anke Schauer +49 (0)511 - 990 54 18 or by email to: schauer@violin-competition.de.