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Sunday 30 September 2007
By Sasha Mäkilä on Sunday 30 September 2007, 11:09
At the closing ceremony of the competition. Filip, Jin, me, Ayyub
Afterparty at the hotel lobby. The winner is easy to tell apart by his
super-wide smile!
First Prize - Jimmy Chiang, UK
Second Prize - Eugene McDonough, USA
Third Prize - Hikaru Ebihara, Japan
Special prize for the best performance of "Sinfonietta" by Boris Papandopulo - Jin Suh, Korea
Saturday 29 September 2007
By Sasha Mäkilä on Saturday 29 September 2007, 01:55
Today I unfortunately had to move to the concert hall to follow the competition, since I was not amongs the six lucky ones chosen to the semi-finals.
Our jury at work in the Vatroslav Lisinski concert hall. They did not use
cameras so the back view of the participants was the only thing the jurors
could see
I anyway had very interesting time watching everyone and taking notes at the same time. There were some surprises of course, so this competition seems to be like every other competition. The jury always makes some compromises, and maybe technically more talented conductor has to make way for a more energetic one. It all depends on what kind of conductors the jurors themselves are.
The youngest participant, maestro Kihara from Japan conducting the Zagreb
Philharmonic Orchestra. I was the oldest...
Besides the competition going on, the organization has been taking really good care of us. With this friendly atmosphere it is no wonder the participants seem to be making great friends here!
Thursday 27 September 2007
By Sasha Mäkilä on Thursday 27 September 2007, 11:23
Filip lighting a candle at the Matacic family grave on our trip to Mirogoj
cemetery
All the competitors and almost all the jury at the gates of the
cemetery
Afterwards a reception at the palace of Zagreb's mayor. Sylvain, Michael,
Yannick, Zhiva
This morning I finally conducted my first round. I think the waiting is the worst thing in competitions, and this time I had to wait really long before I could conduct. And consequently, if I pass on to the second round there will be very little time to prepare...
With singer Ivanka Boljkovac after performing Leonore's recitativo and aria
from Fidelio
In the drawing I got Wagner "Rienzi" overture. Actually altogether six persons out of sixteen conduct Wagner, and nobody got Vltava by Smetana. The orchestra was one of the biggest I ever conducted, with 8 desks of first violins and eight basses!
Now I have to prepare a little bit for the second round, since nobody knows who are the lucky six to conduct tomorrow!
Wednesday 26 September 2007
By Sasha Mäkilä on Wednesday 26 September 2007, 00:03
The Lovro von Matacic competition in Zagreb, Croatia, started today. I got a big number in the initial drawing so I did not conduct today. Also the participants are not allowed to see others conduct before they are done, so I don't have much to tell about the orchestra either.
Maestros Yannick and Hikaru at our lunch restaurant "Radnic"
All the arrangements seem perfect, though. We are in a good hotel, all the meals are paid by the competition, everyone is concerned about us feeling like home... And the competitors seem to be a really nice bunch of people too!
At the opening ceremony: Jimmy, Jin and Robert
Filip, Sylvain, Yannick, Hikaru, Ayyub and Zhiva
A big factor in making the atmosphere here so relaxed is the fact, that everyone of us is allowed to stay here until the end of the competition. In most competitions when you go out, you go out, literally. Only in here and in the Vakhtang Jordania competition last summer I noticed such a collegial and nice atmosphere, due to the very fact that the participants are respected and they are well taken care of!
Mirko, Ludovic and Jimmy relaxing in the lobby of our four-star hotel
"International"
As usual, I have taken a lot of photos, but seems the connections here
are so slow that it is useless to put them on the net right now. So please come
back next week and you can actually see what happened...
The chairman of the jury, maestro Klobucar, madame ...hmm, forgot her
name Metoda Lhotka, maestro Benic, the president of the Matacic
Foundation. On the background maestro Muratovski
Tuesday 10 July 2007
By Sasha Mäkilä on Tuesday 10 July 2007, 23:28
Maestro Simonov and his translator Maria Antal
Today we had another fine day at the master class. It is so great to see how everyone here is making progress, no matter what their skill level is. I cannot but to recommend this master class to everyone who wants a week of technical discipline in his conducting as well as very good insights to the practical side of working with orchestras.
I got also some good news last night - I am invited to Poland, to the 8th Grzegorz Fitelberg competition in Katowice. I had to ask confirmation by email, since the web page still shows me as a reserve competitor. It will be great fun to go to another competition next autumn: First I will go to Croatia to the Matacic competition, where I will meet my new buddy Filip from this master class, and then I will compete with another new friend, Maja in Poland! And don't get me wrong, it will not be a bloody fight - I have noticed that competitions are a great way to meet nice people and have good time with your colleagues... ...if you are well enough prepared, so that you don't need to spend every night in bed with your scores!
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