BY SYLVIE WOODS
Join us throughout the week as we bring you our official countdown to the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, kicking off July 1! You’ll get to read about the composers, performers, judges, and more from some of CutCommon’s leading writers!
The Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition returns in 2018. The quadrennial contest, which is one of the world’s great chamber music launching pads, is a renowned discoverer of the next generation of inspiring ensembles.
Consisting of 21 events, the challenge invites participants to Heats at the Australian National Academy of Music, with the deciding Grand Final taking place in the Elisabeth Murdoch Hall at Melbourne Recital Centre just a few days later.
We chat with juror Sonia Simmenauer for an exclusive revelation on what she will seek from ensembles this year.
Sonia was born in the USA and grew up in Paris. From 1982 to 2008 she lived in Hamburg, where she founded Impresariat Simmenauer in 1989 as an agency exclusively for string quartets. The Alban Berg Quartet, Cleveland Quartet, Guarneri Quartet, and Tokyo String Quartet are among the artists Simmenauer represented in the latter stages of their careers.
What distinguishes a fantastic musician from a fantastic chamber musician?
It is a different personality. A chamber musician is a musician who wants to share […] and is happy to fight for his or her views but also has to listen and – to some extent – take on the view of others. A chamber musician is someone who is not afraid of the risk to have the same heartbeat of those he or she plays with, to open up and mix intimately with others in the music.
What are the non-musical aspects of a performance that elevate an ensemble onstage?
The basis must be a deep respect for the ‘others’, a load of empathy and a great deal of patience.
For you, what is the most rewarding aspect of panelling at competitions such as MICMC?
To immerse myself in hours and days of concentrated music listening, to be genuinely open to all repertoire and musicians and let myself perhaps be surprised.
Where do competitions like this take young ensembles in their careers?
In an ideal world, a competition like this would pave a young ensemble’s way to a steady, high-level and long career.
What will you take away from your experience as juror?
I am looking forward to the experience to have to define emotional but also rational tellable criteria to give names to my listenings.
In your view, what is particularly important about chamber music?
Chamber music is as primordial as moral and ethical in life. It is where humanity meets music.
Sonia will listen up alongside a full jury at the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, 1-8 July 2018.
This year, Stephanie is working with Musica Viva to help promote the artistic talent bringing you MICMC. She has brought some of CutCommon’s leading writers along for the ride, and you’ll get to read some of their story commissions throughout the week as part of our MICMC Countdown!
