Colburn School Announces Primrose Competition Live Round Competitors

The Colburn School and the American Viola Society today announced the 24 live round competitors for the 2018 Primrose International Viola Competition. During the pre-screening round that took place in the fall of 2017, 157 applications were received, the most in the competition's history. The 2018 Primrose International Viola Competition takes place at the Colburn School, June 10-16, 2018.

The 24 live round competitors come from all over the world, representing 12 countries. The average age of participants is 23, with the youngest aged 18 and the oldest 28.

"The Colburn School is proud to co-present the Primrose International Viola Competition in collaboration with the American Viola Society," says President and CEO Sel Kardan. "We look forward to welcoming 24 extraordinarily gifted young violists from all over the world, who convene to not only compete, but to celebrate the legacy of William Primrose and the instrument he championed throughout his remarkable career. It promises to be an inspiring week of music-making."

Each of the 24 live round participants will compete in the quarter-final round on June 12 and 13, 2018, and eight competitors will advance to the semi-final round, taking place on June 14, 2018. During the quarter-final round, competitors will perform a work that demonstrates the musical strengths of the competitor, and a work that demonstrates the virtuosic strengths of the competitor. During the semi-final round, competitors will have the freedom to choose their repertoire, including original works. Competitors will also have the option to perform a transcription in this round. The transcription can be the competitor's own or a Primrose transcription of a work not originally for viola. A special ranscriptions prize will be awarded for the best performance in this round.

During the final round on June 16, 2018, the final three competitors will perform Brahms Trio in A Minor, Op. 114, accompanied by Lynn Harrell (cello) and Jon Nakamatsu (piano); and Bartók-Serly's Viola Concerto or Walton's Viola Concerto with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO), conducted by Ruth Reinhardt. The winner will be announced during the awards ceremony held shortly after the final round. The first prize winner will receive $15,000; the 2nd prize winner will receive $10,000; the 3rd prize winner will receive $5000, and the transcriptions prize winner will receive $1,000.

The competition jury includes Lynn Harrell (Jury Chairman, U.S.), David Dalton (U.S.), Roland Glassl (Germany), Kazuhide Isomura (Japan), Jon Nakamatsu (U.S.), Nokuthula Ngwenyama (U.S.), Xidi Shen (China), and Lars Anders Tomter (Norway). For full biographies, please visit http://www.primrosecompetition.org/meet-the-jury/.

The 15th Primrose International Viola Competition is presented by The Colburn School and American Viola Society in conjunction with the American Viola Society Festival, taking place from June 13-16, 2018. Established in 1979 by David Dalton to honor the legacy of William Primrose, the Primrose Competition is heralded as the world's premiere viola event, and features the most talented young violists from across the globe competing for cash prizes and concert engagements. The competition was last held at the Colburn School in 2014.

The American Viola Society (AVS) has sponsored and organized the Primrose International Viola Competition since 1986 through an endowment established by memorial contributions made by friends, colleagues, artists, and admirers of William Primrose. The competition continues to function as an inspiration to young artists and over the last thirty-seven years attracts distinguished jurors and talented participants worldwide. The competition has an international reputation for identifying the talent of tomorrow and is respected for its artistic and professional integrity.

Laureates occupy principal seats of renowned symphony orchestras, act as professors in major centers of education, and have achieved success as international soloists. Previous prize winners include newly appointed Los Angeles Philharmonic principal violist Teng Li, as well as accomplished violists Ayane Kozasa, Antoine Tamestit, David Aaron Carpenter and Lawrence Power. The 2017 Primrose Competition winner, Zhanbo Zheng currently studies with Kim Kashkashian at the New England Conservatory.

For more information about the Primrose Competition, please visit http://www.primrosecompetition.org/.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit http://www.americanviolasociety.org/Events/Registration.php.

List of live round competitors:

For more information, please visit http://www.primrosecompetition.org/competitors/.

• Jordan Bak (The Juilliard School, U.S., 23)
• Juan Du (Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, China, 22)
• Ricardo Gaspar (International Menuhin Music Academy, Portugal, 26)
• Erika Gray (Curtis Institute of Music, U.S., 22)
• Qian Hui Ho (Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, Singapore, 21)
• Marthe Grimsrud Husum (The Royal Danish Academy of Music, Norway, 26)
• Aiden McKenzey Kane (Colburn Conservatory of Music, U.S., 21)
• Haeji Kim (Curtis Institute of Music, U.S., 20)
• Kyuri Kim (Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin, South Korea, 25)
• Yana Kucherova (Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, Russia, 24)
• Hae-Sue Lee (Curtis Institute of Music, South Korea, 18)
• Wenguan Li (Mannes College of Music, China, 28)
• Zoe Harumi Martin-Doike (Indiana University, Jacobs School of Music, U.S., 28)
• Meguna Naka (Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin, Japan, 24)
• Johanna Cecilia Nowik (Colburn Conservatory of Music, U.S., 20)
• Daniel Theophilus Orsen (New England Conservatory, U.S., 23)
• Leonid Plashinov-Johnson (New England Conservatory, United Kingdom, 22)
• Muriel Garnet Razavi (Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Hochschule für Music and Theater Leipzig, U.S., 25)
• Tobias Reifland (Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin, Germany, 23)
• Mathis Rochat (Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Hochschule für Music and Theater Leipzig, France (secondary Switzerland), 23)
• Lisa Sung (The Juilliard School, Australia, 22)
• Kunbo Xu (Curtis Institute of Music, China, 23)
• Sohui Yun (New England Conservatory, South Korea, 22)
• Sarina Zickgraf (Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin, Germany, 26)

About the Colburn School
The Colburn School comprises four academic units united by a single philosophy that all who desire to study music and dance should have access to top-level training. The degree-granting Conservatory of Music, the Community School of Performing Arts, the Music Academy for pre-college musicians, and the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute provide performing arts training to over 2,000 students from the Los Angeles area and around the world. The renowned teachers, performers, and scholars that make up Colburn's dedicated faculty serve as invaluable mentors to guide students' artistic development.

The Community School of Performing Arts acts as an entry point to performing-arts education, offering beginning to pre-collegiate training in music and drama to students of all ages and skill levels. The Trudl Zipper Dance Institute includes dance instruction for young people and adults in ballet, tap, modern, and musical theater. Also part of the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute is the pre-professional Dance Academy, which prepares a select class of young dancers for careers in ballet.

Young musicians from around the world study at the Music Academy, which prepares high-school aged students for further training at the world's top conservatories. Finally, the Conservatory of Music is one of the preeminent training grounds for classical musicians, with undergraduate and advanced degrees in music performance.

A robust community engagement initiative delivers performing arts education to low-income students in the surrounding areas through outreach and scholarship programs. Located in downtown Los Angeles, the Colburn School's campus boasts state-of-the-art performance and rehearsal spaces. Each season, the school presents over 300 concerts and performances, many of which are free and open to the public, at its downtown home and throughout Southern California.

About the American Viola Society
Since 1971, the American Viola Society has been dedicated to promoting excellence in every facet of the instrument through its many activities, including international gatherings, research, commissions, publications, educational opportunities, competitions, and local community initiatives. Equally dedicated to fostering communication and friendship among violists of all skill levels, ages, nationalities, and backgrounds, the nonprofit organization's diverse membership of viola enthusiasts includes leading soloists, orchestral players, chamber musicians, jazz and world music performers, teachers, adult amateurs, luthiers, composers, and students of all ages from around the world

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