Menuhin Competition London 2016 11-Day Festival to be Held in April

The classical music world will shine on London in April 2016 as it celebrates Yehudi Menuhin's Centenary, with the MENUHIN COMPETITION LONDON 2016's 11-day Festival (Thursday 7 April 2016 - Sunday 17 April 2016) celebrating all things Menuhin!

The host city of London will be filled with world class music over the Competition's 11-day Festival with major concerts from some of the capital's best orchestras, a host of internationally acclaimed soloists, world premieres, exhibitions, family concerts (Lemony Snicket's The Composer Is Dead - a real who-dunn-it of the orchestra! 16/4), masterclasses and outreach programmes - with the MENUHIN COMPETITION LONDON 2016 at its heart. The 44 young competitors come from across the Globe to compete in the world's most famous classical violin competition - known as the Violin Olympics.

Three new compositions will have their world premieres during the 11-day Festival. JOHN RUTTER composes his first work for violin, with choir and string orchestra, to be premiered at the intimate Temple Church 14/4. ROXANNA PANUFNIK, god-daughter to Yehudi's daughter (Zamira), will compose a new work for solo violin inspired byMenuhin's love of Eastern European gypsy music, premiering at the Opening Concert at the Royal Festival Hall 7/4. The third new composition will be composed by Spanish composer OSCAR COLOMINA I BOSCH, a young teacher at both the Menuhin School and Royal Academy of Music, whose new work will be played by the Junior Finalists 14/4. All three composers had close connections with Yehudi Menuhin, so it is particularly poignant that their works will premiere during these Centenary celebrations.

Whilst the 44 exceptional young violinists participate in the world's leading violin competition they will all be involved in the full and exciting programme to celebrate the life of the Competition's founder.

The Duke's Hall at the Royal Academy of Music (the host conservatoire) houses the free daily heats from 8/4 with the Junior finals on 15/4, which is one of the most memorable events in the calendar to see such young talent scale such heights.

The Opening Concert 7/4 at the Royal Festival Hall, stars four former winners of the MENUHIN COMPETITION, who are now all internationally acclaimed violinists in their own right: Tasmin Little, Ray Chen, Jiafeng Chen and teenager Rennosuke Fukuda with the Philharmonia Orchestra. And on through to the heady Senior Finals on 16/4 and the Closing Gala concert of the MENUHIN COMPETITION LONDON 2016 on 17/4; when The Philharmonia Orchestra presents the winners of both the Juniors and Seniors alongside dazzling virtuoso and 1995 winner Julia Fischer playing Bartók's haunting First Violin Concerto.

Grandson and trustee, Aaron Menuhin says: "When witnessing these young violinists play one cannot help but repeat what Einstein said upon hearing my grandfather play, " And now I know there is a God in heaven".