White Rock Theatre, Hastings 7 March 2015
The culmination of a week of performances from pianists of many nations was witnessed by a large and enthusiastic crowd which filled the theatre. Each year this competition manages to build on its previous success. The standard of performance is very high and the reputation of the event continues to grow, thanks in large part to the enthusiasm and dedication of the Artistic Director, Frank Wibaut. Further publicity for the future should come about from the documentary being made of this year’s event and from plans to hold overseas auditions in the future.
This year’s competitors represented a total of 30 nations and were selected from an earlier audition process. A change in this year’s competition has added the requirement to play either a Mozart or Beethoven concerto at the second stage. For the third year running the finalists played together with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra under the baton of Brian Wright.
After introductions by Molly Townson, chair of Hastings Musical Festival (of which this competition is a part) and the Artistic Director, Frank Wibaut, the orchestra gave us a Mozart overture and then the competition got underway.
Garam Cho (South Korea) opened the proceedings with a spirited performance of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No 1. There was a surprising strength to this performance as well as some contrasted delicate playing.
Liszt’s Piano Concerto No 2 followed, performed by Scipione Sangiovanni (Italy). This was another committed performance of a very dramatic concerto. The dynamic range of this performer was very impressive.
The final performance, Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 3, was given by the youngest finalist, Alexander Panfilov (Russia). This was a well-rounded performance again showing contrast and expression throughout. As well as being judged the overall winner by the members of the jury, Alexander was also awarded the audience prize. Unusually the 2nd prize was awarded jointly to the other two contestants – a fitting outcome in my opinion.
Although a competitive event this was also an evening of great music, performed by musicians of great calibre and dedication. It is a real thrill to be able to welcome such talented musicians to the town and to hear them perform with the orchestra. The size and reaction of the audience prove that there is a real enthusiasm for quality music such as this in the Borough.
I look forward to next year’s competition. SP