Violin comp raises the bar

• Published date: 01 June 2023
• Publication title: Mountain Scene

IT used to be held every two years, but, due to Covid, it’s been four years since the Michael Hill International Violin Competition was staged

However, going by what Arrowtown-based mega-jeweller Sir Michael Hill — its colourful founder and chief sponsor — has to say, it may have been worth the wait.

That’s because he reckons the standard of this year’s quarter-finalists competing in Queenstown this weekend — before the semis and finals are held in Auckland — has never been higher.

‘‘I think what’s happened, now we’re one of the first [international competitions] back on the road, we’ve had an enormous flood of entries of such unprecedented standard.’’ No fewer than 160 violinists aged between 18 and 28 have entered.

‘‘We’ve always managed to have one or two really great violinists, but this time they’re all good.

‘‘The competition, over 20-odd years, has developed into quite a significant competition that is particularly good on anybody’s list of things they’ve done.

‘‘It’s internationally recognised, and I think that’s something perhaps the locals don’t realise.’’

Hill says the 16 competitors will be ‘‘the up-and-coming next rung of famous violinists in the world — it’s bloody unbelievable, really, it’s so exciting’’.

Competition executive director Anne Rodda says Covid was tough on a cohort of talented violinists who were denied performance opportunities.

However, she believes her trust will look back on the pandemic as an opportunity ‘‘to really strengthen our foundations’’.

‘‘What we did is, instead of just hibernating or turning everything into a digital presentation, like some international events did, we decided to do live work benefiting New Zealanders instead.’’

In Queenstown, the organisers staged the Whakatipu Music Festival over the past two years — albeit with Covid restrictions — and established a string instrument bank for students.

The board’s now also decided to hold the competition every three years, rather than biennially, ‘‘so it creates space for these other things’’ — including a national string competition in Auckland.

Moving to a three-yearly cycle is also a response to the event’s huge cost increases, including flying in all the competitors from overseas.

A new feature this year is a fellowship programme, in which six up-and-coming, tertiary-aged Kiwi violinists will be doing a lot of...