Ami Oike Wins RNCM Manchester International Violin Competition
Japanese violinist Ami Oike is the winner of the 2011 RNCM Manchester International Violin Competition.
The 23-year-old, who began playing the violin at the age of three, produced an outstanding performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op 35, alongside the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (RLPO) and Polish conductor Michal Dworzynski in Saturday’s final, securing a first prize of £12,000, performance opportunities and a gold-mounted bow by Noel Burke.
She says: ‘I’m really happy to have won. I enjoyed the week because the atmosphere of the Competition and the College was relaxed and friendly so I went through each stage without feeling too nervous. The final was fantastic because it was the first time I’d ever played with a European professional orchestra, so it was an amazing experience and I love the Tchaikovsky concerto.’
Twenty-six violinists aged between 20 and 30 from across the globe travelled to Manchester to take part in the competition, held at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and kindly supported by media partner Classic FM. Four public rounds took place between November 26 and December 3, with competitors performing set pieces to a panel of internationally renowned violinists. The semi-final, featuring eight violinists, included performances of Triptych, the competition commission piece by distinguished composer and former Principal of the RNCM, Edward Gregson.
The RNCM’s International Artist Diploma student Sophie Rosa, aged 23, secured the second prize of £6,000 and the Audience Prize with a dazzling performance of Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D major Op 77, while third place and £3,000 was awarded Russian virtuoso Artem Naumov who performed Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor Op 64.
Malcolm Layfield, Joint Artistic Director of the Competition and the RNCM’s Head of Strings and Dean of Performance Studies, said: ‘We had an incredibly successful week with some wonderful performances from all the competitors. The final was a very special occasion with three fine interpretations from these outstanding young artists, accompanied superbly by the RLPO and Michal Dworzynski.’
During the competition the RNCM also hosted an impressive Violin Making Marathon, kindly supported by the Thomas Jellis Bequest, where four violin makers (William Castle, Helen Michetschlager, Kai-Thomas Roth and Marc Soubeyran) made a copy of the RNCM’s Brodsky Guadagnini violin. The violin was set up in full playing condition and was played by two of the competitors at a special event prior to the final. It will be varnished subsequently, after which, it will become part of the RNCM collection for loan of RNCM students.
The competition also included a series of masterclasses with jury members.
