A special program of the Hannover International Violin Competition was launched in 1999 – the »Musikalisches Collegium«. It addresses the demand for more instruction in contemporary and old music in between the competition years. Krzysztof Wegrzyn, the program's initiator, considers the »Musikalisches Collegium« to be a significant statement about the scope of musical activity within the Hannover Competition, and in Lower Saxony.
The »Collegium« is being presented by the Foundation of Lower Saxony for the fifth time in December 2008. Suyoen Kim (First Prize Winner 2006, Germany), Kana Sugimura (Third Prize Winner 2006, Japan), Zhijiong Wang (Finalist 2006, China), Artiom Shishkov (Semi-finalist 2006, Belarus) and Jung Yoon Yang (Sem-finalist 2006, Korea) will work together with Elizabeth Wallfisch (London), director of the »Collegium«. Their repertoire is a selection of works by Johann Sebastian Bach, which they will prepare from December 6th- 9th at the Federal Academy of Cultural Education in Wolfenbüttel.
The results will be presented in concert on December 10th at 7:30 p.m. at the Neustädter Hof- und Stadtkirche St. Johannis (Rote Reihe 8, 30169 Hannover).
Elizabeth Wallfisch · Director
Krzysztof Wegrzyn · Mentor
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The initiator and Artistic Director of the Hannover International Violin Competition was born in Danzig/Poland. He studied with Zenon Brzewski in Warsaw, Wolfgang Marschner in Freiburg and Yfrah Neaman in London. He was a laureate at renowned international competitions (e.g. Spohr, Montreal) and won the Szymanowski and Lipizer Competitions.
Wegrzyn performs in Germany and abroad, holds master classes in Europe, the USA and Asia and has served on numerous international competition juries (e.g. Kreisler, Sarasate, ARD, Stradivari, Osaka). In addition, he has been active in chamber music for years, for example as a founding member of the New Warsaw Piano Quintett. Since 1995 he has directed the Danzig International Music Seminars and the Danzig Spring Music Festival.
Krzysztof Wegrzyn was concertmaster of the Hannover Opera for many years and is a Professor at the Hannover Academy of Music and Theater Arts.