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http://www.accordions.com/news.aspx?d=07-Jul-2017&lang=en&s=13291
http://www.accordions.com/news.aspx?d=07-Jul-2017&lang=en&s=13291
07-Jul-2017
Unprecedented $100,000 Prize Awarded in Chamber Competition - USAby Kevin Friedrich, CIA Ambassador |
 The 2016 CIA Coupe Mondiale Champions in the International Competition for Chamber Music, 'Russian Renaissance' have won the world's largest cash competition prize, winning the 2nd M-Prize organized by the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theater and Dance. Accordionist Aleksandr Tarasov was joined by fellow musicians Ivan Kuznetsov (balalaika), Anastasia Zakharova (domra) and Ivan Vinogradov (Contrabass balalaika).The quartet of Russian Renaissance captivated the audience and jury on Thursday, May 4, inside Hill Auditorium to capture the second M-Prize chamber music competition. At $100,000, it is the largest chamber music prize in the world. In addition to their cash prize, they also will receive important performance opportunities as well as being invited to teach at the school of music, theatre and dance at the University of Michigan during their 2017-18 School year. Aside from the unprecedented prize money, the M-Prize Competition is renowned for the breadth of music that is welcomed as part of the competition. In addition to the traditional winds and strings categories in both senior and junior divisions, the main Category is an open category: a musical catch-all for ensembles that don’t fit cleanly into the more customary instrumental combinations. Coming out firing behind a ferocious interplay between the strings of a balalaika, performed by Ivan Kuznetsov, and domra from Anastasia Zakharova, Russian Renaissance executed their program with speed and precision, garnering loud applause following their 25-minute performance. Russian Renaissance competed for the $100,000 grand prize with Senior Strings division winner, the Argus Quartet and Senior Winds division winner the Donald Sinta Quartet. The ensemble, Russian Renaissance, debuted in October 2015, performing with world-renowned director Emir Kusturica, two-time laureate of the Cannes Film Festival and the No Smoking Orchestra. In Russia, the ensemble has performed in Tchaikovsky Concert Hall and Gnesins' Academy Concert Hall in Moscow; Yota Space concert hub in St. Petersburg; and the Youth Theatre in Rostov-on-Don. In Serbia, they have performed in the National Theatre of Uzice and the Concert Hall of the Russian House in Belgrade. The group describes their style as bringing together tradition and modernity, in unique crossover and fusion styles. The M-Prize competition, hosted by UM's School of Music, Theatre and Dance, received attention during its inaugural running last spring for its format and large cash prize offerings, with the Calidore String Quartet taking home the $100,000 Grand Prize. The International Jury included former New York Philharmonic concertmaster Rodney Friend, Juilliard String Quartet cellist Astrid Schween, Swiss saxophonist Lars Mlekusch, renowned flautist Carol Wincenc, multi-genre cellist Jeffrey Zeigler and Grammy Award-winning soprano Dawn Upshaw. Complimenting the grand prize, three $20,000 prizes are awarded to winners of three different categories of strings, winds and open competition, as well as junior strings and winds categories for ages 18 and under. In addition to the accordion being represented in the winning ensemble, the accordion was also featured in the 3rd place ensemble 'Avido Duo' comprising Alvaro Collao Leon (sax) and Djordje Davidovic (accordion). Djordje was the winner of the CIA Junior Coupe Mondiale in Spoletto, Italy in 2012. Next year's M-Prize 2018 Competition will be held from May 3-6, 2018. For more information and competition guidelines, please visit: http://mprize.umich.edu. |