The Week in Reviews, Op. 371: Indianapolis Violin Competition Finalists; Joshua Bell; Randall Goosby; Augustin Hadelich

September 27, 2022, 1:48 PM · In an effort to promote the coverage of live violin performance, Violinist.com each week presents links to reviews of notable concerts and recitals around the world.

Indianapolis Violin Competition 2022 Laureates

L-R: Indianapolis Violin Competition laureates Sirena Huang, Julian Rhee, Minami Yoshida, Claire Wells, SooBeen Lee and Joshua Brown. Photo by Denis Kelly.

Sirena Huang, Julian Rhee, Minami Yoshida, Claire Wells, SooBeen Lee, and Joshua Brown performed in the Classical and Concerto Finals of the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis.

Violinist.com (series of live reviews and articles): "'The Indianapolis' is one of the few major international violin competitions that takes place in North America, and its reputation for excellence consistently draws the best-of-the-best violinists from all over the globe."

Joshua Bell performed the Sibelius Violin Concerto with the Houston Symphony.

Texas Classical Review: "Bell gave gleam and spontaneity into the ethereal beginning, but he soon threw himself into the first movement’s mercurial shifts, changing in moments from lyrical expansiveness to virtuoso abandon. His most forceful strokes had a punch and robustness that would have suited Shostakovich."

Randall Goosby performed Florence Price's Violin Concerto No. 2, with the San Francisco Symphony and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen.

San Francisco Chronicle: "At times Price seems to be picking up where Brahms and Tchaikovsky left off. Sometimes she goes Hollywood, sometimes she dabbles in Debussy. And sometimes she just forges her own weird and electrifying path....the performance was never less than riveting. Goosby...gave the piece a dynamic and virtuosic rendition."

Augustin Hadelich performed the Brahms Violin Concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

The Sydney Morning Herald: "His tone on the violin is like no other – a perfectly rounded sound of glowing warmth with complex depth and alluring after-shades. Where some violinists cultivate glistening clarity like a silver thread, his sound is generous and rich, like a golden band which he spins with the greatest elasticity, refinement and control."
Limelight: "The opening moments of the solo after the orchestral introduction were like a silk ribbon unfurling, the tone of his 1744 Guarneri sweet, smooth and elegant under his bow. His playing is seemingly effortless with subtle use of vibrato, impeccable intonation and attack, as well as nuanced, intelligent phrasing with attention to not only what he is doing but also the orchestra."

Anne Akiko Meyers performed Arturo Márquez's Violin Concerto "Fandango" with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra.

Arizona Daily Star: "Most of the heavy lifting was on Meyers, from long solo lines in the sultry and sublime 'Plegaria' movement to the rush of the finale where her fingers danced over the fret at a pace that at times seemed almost a blur from the audience.."

Sarah Chang performed Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1, with the Grand Rapids Symphony.

Revue: "Dressed in sparkling purple, she performed with technical brilliance and passion, tilting her head back and forth and sometimes mouthing along to the music played by the musicians behind her."

Yi-Jia Susanne Hou performed the Sibelius Violin Concerto with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra.

Daily Maverick: "Her sound was strong and clear, and she and the orchestra played the late-romanticism of the piece to the hilt. She tore into each phrase with a sharp attack and mighty arm swing, as if Achilles himself were bowing for her."

Richard Lin performed in recital with pianist Thomas Hoppe at the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis.

Violinist.com: "Lin absolutely sang (Igor Frolov's 'Concert Fantasy on Themes from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess') and proved a master of melody-making; all the impressive tricks, the harmonics, came off as seemingly effortless and served the music beautifully."

Please support music in your community by attending a concert or recital whenever you can!

You might also like:The Week in Reviews, Op. 370: Anne Akiko Meyers; Colin Jacobson; Nemanja Radulovic The Week in Reviews, Op. 369: Vadim Gluzman; Randall Goosby; Anne-Sophie Mutter

The Week in Reviews, Op. 368: Lisa Batiashvili; Gil Shaham; Daniel Lozakovich

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