Menuhin Competition - originally scheduled for May 2020 in Richmond, Va. and then postponed for a year - announced Friday that the competition will now occur as a virtual event May 14-23, 2021.
The"When we postponed the event last March, we never imagined that we wouldn’t be able to bring the competition to Richmond a year later," said Artistic Director Gordon Back. "We made the difficult decision to hold the Competition virtually because the COVID pandemic would have made it impossible for us all to travel to Richmond from so many different parts of the world. We are determined to celebrate these incredibly talented young people, and to provide as much of the ‘Menuhin experience’ for them as we possibly can. Our wonderful partners in Richmond and the London team are working together to create a very special virtual event this May. We are all passionately committed to keeping the spirit of the Competition alive in this exciting new format.
While the event will be virtual, it will still include many of its originally planned collaborations with American orchestras and artists, as well as its collaboration with the community of Richmond, Va. with performances by the Richmond Symphony, Sphinx Virtuosi, Mark and Maggie O’Connor, Chloe Chua and Christian Li. There were also be recitals, masterclasses, panel discussions and engagement programs for and with the Richmond community.
Jury members will include Pamela Frank (chair); Joji Hattori (vice chair); Noah Bendix-Balgley; Aaron P. Dworkin; Alf Richard Kraggerud; Piers Lane; Valentina Peleggi; Soyoung Yoon; and Angelo Xiang Yu.
The Menuhin Competition, founded in 1983 by the late violinist Yehudi Menuhin, is held every two years in a different location, with 44 young violinists - 22 Juniors (ages 15 and under) and 22 Seniors (ages 21 and under). Beyond the competition rounds, the event also includes concerts by jurors, past winners and artists-in-residence; workshops and masterclasses; panel discussions; and local community outreach activities.
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