Menuhin Festival On Violin Channel & Livestream Of Valentina Peleggi With Richmond Symphony Announced

The Violin Channel joins forces with the Menuhin Competition, the world's leading international competition for young violinists, and the Richmond Symphony, co-host of the Menuhin Competition Richmond 2021, to present a two-day festival in anticipation of the 2021 Competition to take place May 13-23 in Richmond VA.

Over two days, October 16 and 17, The Violin Channel will present six concerts from past Menuhin Competitions, featuring the remarkable young violinists who participated in the Competition in Cardiff (2008) , Oslo (2010), Beijing (2012), Austin (2014), London (2016), and Geneva (2018). The concert footage will be complemented by interviews and discussions with past participants who have gone on to successful careers as concert artists, educators and entrepreneurs; Menuhin jurors; members of the team bringing the Competition to Richmond in May 2021; and introductions by Gordon Back, Artistic Director of the Menuhin Competition.

The Menuhin Competition is held every two years in a different location and brings together 44 of the world's most extraordinary young violinists - 22 Juniors (ages 15 and under) and 22 Seniors (ages 21 and under). It was scheduled to take place in Richmond, VA in May 2020, but had to be rescheduled to May 13-23, 2021 due to the pandemic.*

The Competition offers the remarkable young musicians who participate an immersion in music-among peers, mentors and audiences-with concerts by jurors, past winners and guest artists; workshops and masterclasses; panel discussions; and the opportunity to share their music with the local community through a variety of engagement activities.

*All competitors in 2021 are competing in the same age divisions for which they were accepted, even if they have aged out in the intervening year.

The panel of esteemed jurors for 2021 represents the highest caliber of educational institutions, orchestras, and competition circuits: violinist Pamela Frank (Chair), violinist and conductor Joji Hattori (Vice-Chair), violinist Noah Bendix-Balgley, violinist and entrepreneur Aaron Dworkin, cellist Ralph Kirshbaum, pianist Piers Lane, violinist Soyoung Yoon, and violinist Angelo Xiang Yu. Violinist Ray Chen, who was to be part of the jury for 2021, had to withdraw due to scheduling conflicts.

The artists-in-residence are a critical part of the Competition, providing a diverse and complementary series of concerts and educational activities throughout the Competition. These established touring artists have all committed to participating in the Menuhin Competition Richmond 2021: the Sphinx Virtuosi, Mark & Maggie O'Connor and Regina Carter; wellness experts Howard Nelson and Intermission; and conductors Jahja Ling and Andrew Litton.

The consortium of local institutions that came together to host this international cultural event in Richmond enthusiastically recommitted to hosting the postponed Competition in 2021. Led by the Richmond Symphony the returning hosts are the City of Richmond, VPM, Virginia's home for public media, the University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University.

Richmond Symphony Presents First Livestream with New Music Director Valentina Peleggi, October 17 at 8pm
Tickets and More Information

The Richmond Symphony continues its Masterworks series with "Hymn to a New Beginning," presented at Dominion Energy Center, October 16-18, with COVID-19 health & safety procedures in place. The Saturday evening livestream of the concert takes place at 8:00 pm, just after the conclusion of the Violin Channel festival, and will be the first chance for online viewers to see the Symphony's new Music Director, Valentina Peleggi, in action with with the Symphony.

"Our 2020-21 season," says Peleggi, "is an inspired tribute to Richmond's spirit of resilience, hope, and connection as we navigate these unprecedented times. Now more than ever music has the power to heal, to inspire, and to connect all of us. We are excited to be offering live events and livestream experiences to connect us in these isolating times and hope you will be surprised and delighted by the program as it unfolds."

Joining the orchestra for Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, K. 219 ("Turkish") is violinist Melissa White. White is a member of the Harlem String Quartet and, as a member of the Sphinx Virtuosi, will be performing at the Menuhin Competition Richmond 2021 in May of next year; she will also be appearing as an artist in residence with Elena Urioste, leading Intermission workshops on wellness in performance.