Armenia moves violin contest to China – with predictable results

Armenia moves violin contest to China – with predictable results

News

norman lebrecht

December 31, 2023

This year’s Khachaturian violin competition was moved, for unspecified reasons, from Erevan to Beijing.

The results?

1st prize: Zou Meng (China)
2nd prize: Zeng Nigodemu (China)

3rd prize: -not awarded-
4th prize: Zhao Yinan (China)

5th prize: Bobiljun Eshplatov (Uzbekistan)
6th prize: Zhang Haoya (China)
Winner of the Best Chinese Work Award: Zou Meng (China)
Special Award: Ovsanna Harutyunyan (Armenia)

Comments

  • David A. Boxwell says:

    But! Without Asia, Western Classical music would die!

    • Ex-conductor says:

      Season 9, episode 106:
      1. Western music will die without China
      2. Western music will die without Russian music (there is no Ukranian music, which could be compared to former)
      3. Western music will die without Jews (one of them holds this website)
      4. Western music will die with these prices for shows (hello Salzburg)
      5. (Space to add smth)

      • Guest says:

        Western classical music will die without more women on the podium

      • Larry says:

        It was the wonderful pianist Charles Rosen who once said: “The death of classical music is, perhaps, its oldest continuing tradition.”

      • M2N2K says:

        Fortunately, 1) there are still about 1.5 billion Chinese people on this planet, 2) plenty of Russian music is still available to be performed anywhere, 3) Jews are still here – alive and reasonably well, 4) average prices for “classical” concerts are still lower than those for popular entertainment including professional sports and pop-music shows – so “Western” music is not about to die anytime soon.

  • Robert Holmén says:

    The fourth placer has got to be pissed.

    How do they not award a “third prize”?

    What is the fine distinction between third and fourth they imagine they are upholding?

    Is it possible there were only five contestants for the six prizes?

  • Donald Hansen says:

    It would be interesting to know how many competitors there were and their country of origin before we jump to conclusions.

  • Artavazd Alexanian says:

    Khachaturian competition has a long history of being rigged. Just Google it!
    I wonder if prisoning of Smbatyan and son has anything to do with moving of the competition!
    On the other hand, it’s great to see two fine violinists (Soyoung and Jarek) are jury members.

  • Gerry Feinsteen says:

    This was a clever publicity move on the part of the competition. How else would anyone have known of its existence without this SD post? Before this post, this competition was little more than a glorified violin meetup. Can anyone name a previous winner? I rest my case.

  • Guest says:

    Although their nationality is Chinese, the 1st Prize is educated in Singapore and the 2nd is educated in Munich. Only the fourth and sixth Prize winner received music education in China…

  • Dani says:

    So much racism in these comments

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