G.P. - Tag - competition

Looking Back at the Conducting Year 2007

Sasha Mäkilä — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 18:10:00 +0100

On the first day of 2008 it is nice to look back at the events of the past year! My year was so exhausting and eventful - I had some 15 concert performances in Finland, Russia and USA, took part in 3 international conducting competitions, took part in two master classes, organized some myself, and won an audition in France! Anyway the thing I am most happy about is the fact that this year I quit my day jobs (sorry all ex-colleagues!) and became a full-time professional conductor! I had felt for some time already that working weekly with young students and amateurs was holding back my progress (a topic for a whole post later, I can assure). Now, though financially much more insecure, I feel better because I am able to concentrate 100% in becoming a better conductor!

Even though not a full-time position, the assistantship I won with maestro Kurt Masur and the Orchestre National de France was the most important single factor in making my decision. And the encouragement I got from maestro Yuri Simonov on his masterclass kind of sealed it off! I am forever grateful to both of them, and to a big bunch of other people, including my conducting teachers in Finland and Russia, my supportive friends and colleagues, and my family of course.

The coming year seems, if possible, even more interesting and challenging than the previous one. Some concerts have already been planned, and I have applied to a couple of competitions too. On top of that I have to settle in a completely new environment and learn a new language! I foresee a lot of hard work, but I am sure with that I will also reap a lot of rewards and be wiser and richer at the end of the road!

Summarizing my Conducting Year 2007

JANUARY
3 children's concerts with Pori Sinfonietta, Kapsäkki, Petri Ikkelä and Kosti Kotiranta. 2 concerts with Saimaa Sinfonietta (combined Lappeenranta and Mikkeli orchestras), soloist Olli-Pekka Tuomisalo.

FEBRUARY
Diploma concert with Pori Sinfonietta, soloist Olli Leppäniemi. Master class and concert with the Orchestra of the Estonian Defence Forces.

MARCH
Opera gala of the Sibelius Academy conducting class, soloist Hedvig Paulig. Singing in the choir for Sibelius Academy 125-year jubilee concert. Audition at Radio France for the assistantship with Kurt Masur at the Orchestre National de France.

APRIL
Mostly studying, plus some choral singing with Veli-Antti's choir and orchestra...

MAY
Concert with Finnish Guards Orchestra, soloist Eero Saunamäki. Concert at the 4th Nordic Music Festival, with Hermitage orchestra and Kari Kriikku. Evgeny Svetlanov Conducting Competition in Luxembourg.

JUNE
Hot Springs Music Festival in USA.

JULY
Yuri Simonov Master Class in Budapest, Hungary.

AUGUST
Working at "Hausmusikwoche". Organizing a Master Class for maestro Leonid Korchmar.

SEPTEMBER
Lovro von Matacic competition in Zagreb, Croatia.

OCTOBER
A project with a flute ensemble, preparing for Fitelberg competition...

NOVEMBER
Fitelberg competition in Katowice, Poland.

DECEMBER
A concert in Petrozavodsk, Russia. Two concerts with St Michel Strings, in Hirvensalmi and Mikkeli.

Some reflections after the Fitelberg competition

Sasha Mäkilä — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 20:08:00 +0100

Now it is exactly two weeks after the Fitelberg conducting competition finished in Poland. I have been thinking a lot about all the things I saw and heard and learned there, and concluded that again it really was an experience worth living. I feel that after doing these two competitions (Matacic and Fitelberg) this autumn I am much better conductor already, have much wider repertoire than before, and am many many new friends richer!

The friends you get and the contacts you make in these occasions are the single most important thing you can get out of them. In fact, next week I will have a concert in Russia, which is possible only because I took part in a competition in South Korea two years ago, where I met a friend who helped me, which then resulted in me meeting new friends who then gave me a chance to conduct one Russian orchestra last year, and that one led to this engagement... So when you go to competitions, go there with open mind and heart - don't just lock yourself in the hotel room and pretend to be important!

For those who never saw a conducting competition before, here a couple of videos from Katowice. Enjoy!

Haydn Symphony No. 104 rehearsal 1/2

Haydn Symphony No. 104 rehearsal 2/2

Berlioz Roman Carnival Overture rehearsal 1/2

Berlioz Roman Carnival Overture rehearsal 2/2

Competition results & other things

Sasha Mäkilä — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 17:20:00 +0100

On the audience side: Viswa concentrates on Lutoslawski

Friends despite competition: Viswa, Yannick, Yuri, Marzena, Stas and Kasia

It is my last day in Katowice, and it has been so intensive here that I absolutely had no time to update the events here. First of all, I unfortunately did not make it to the finals on Friday, but I of course went follow them with great interest. Afterwards we heard the results and at least for me there was a couple of surprises in the order of the candidates. Anyway the order was as follows:

3rd honorary distinction and 2000 Euro Dainius POVILIONIS Lithuania
2nd honorary distinction and 3000 Euro Ghun KIM USA
1st honorary distinction and 4000 Euro Shizuo KUWAHARA USA

3rd Prize - the Bronze Baton and 5000 Euro founded by the Mayor of Katowice Sean NEWHOUSE USA
2nd Prize - the Silver Baton and 8000 Euro founded by the Marshall of the Silesian Voivodship Lin CHEN China
1st Prize - the Golden Baton and 10000 Euro founded by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage Eugene TZIGANE MCDONOUGH USA

Dynamic maestra Lin Chen in the finals

Maestro Gene McDonough fully focused

Yesterday we went to hear the winners rehearse for the concert and today we had a sightseeing day. The original plan was to go to Cracow, but because the weather was really depressing we went to see an old silver mine first and then visited the Auschwitz extermination camp. Tonight the competition week will end with the winners' concert. ~~I will add more photos of all of that later!~~ Actually, I forgot to take my camera to the final party, so I will post something only in the case I receive some photos from other participants! Until then enjoy these!

From Moria (the old silver mine)...

...to Mordor (Auschwitz extermination camp)

Going to the Semi Finals

Sasha Mäkilä — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 21:10:00 +0100

Gene and Stas waiting for the first round results

An hour ago we heard the results of the first round of the Fitelberg conducting competition. I was among the 12 "lucky ones" (many times it really is about luck) who will continue in the competition. My turn will be tomorrow at 6 PM, so I will have a little more time to prepare... At the moment I cannot spend much time writing about the details here, but I can say it has been great, I have made new friends, met some old ones, and conducted a very good orchestra!

Time to relax! Luke and Yannick show a good example

The Fitelberg Competition has Started

Sasha Mäkilä — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 16:28:00 +0100

Danuta (right) is helping maestra Lin (left) to register in the competition office

At the opening ceremony: Sebastian Perlowski, Marcin Dobrzanski, Anja Bihlmaier, Hikaru Ebihara, Shizuo Kuwahara, Yannick Paget, Luke Dollman

Last night we had the opening ceremony and opening concert of the Fitelberg conducting competition here in Katowice. Due to some cancellations we are not 40 but 35 competitors. Now I can honestly say that I know more than half of the competitors! Unfortunately a couple of my friends also did not arrive... So, we listened to some welcoming words and then there was the drawing for the starting alphabet of the competitors. The youngest participant, Andrea Battistoni had the honor to draw - B his very own alphabet! So this morning he had to start...

The cellists of the Silesian Philharmonic Orchestra...

...and their chief conductor Miroslaw Jacek Blaszczyk

The Philharmonic Choir

In the concert we heard three first performances of modern Polish works performed by the Silesian Philharmonic Orchestra and the Philharmonic Choir. The orchestra must be really happy to have a good dose of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven during the following days! After the concert there was a nice banquet that most of my colleagues missed. Perhaps they were already hurrying to their hotel rooms to study!

Anja conducting on the first round

So, this morning I went to listen to three first competitors just to get an idea how the situation is and how the orchestra sounds. I must say it is a really good competition orchestra. It sounded always nice, but when someone really wanted to polish some bits, they were able to do everything the competitors asked. I also saw some very interesting conducting today - in my opinion there is something to learn from every participant.

My turn to conduct will be only on Monday, so there is more than enough time to prepare.