“It was a tough task to help select just three finalists to perform with the TSO this October – the depth of young solo talent in Australia right now is pretty darn exciting!”
– Anna Melville, TSO Interim Director Programming
The ANAM Concerto Competition is an integral part of ANAM’s performance training, providing our musicians with a supported understanding of the processes and rigour of solo performance with an orchestra. Held annually, the Competition began in Semester One where our musicians are asked to record a 20-minute excerpt of a concerto, or other substantial work for soloist and orchestra. Semi-finalists then perform their complete concerti with piano in front of an audience and a panel of judges across two days in August, before three finalists are chosen to perform with the TSO.
This year, our Round Two panellists were Philip Arkinstall (MSO Associate Principal Clarinet), Anna Melville (TSO Interim Director Programming) and Timothy Young (ANAM Faculty). All were incredibly impressed with the musicianship of the performers, and had the inenviable task of selecting just three finalists to perform with the TSO in October. Performances ranged from the contemporary (Lachlan Skipworth's Flute Concerto penned just last year, and Emmanuel Séjourné's Marimba Concerto), 20th Century masterpieces (Walton's Viola Concerto, Nielsen's Flute Concerto, Rubbra's Viola Concerto, Shostakovich's Cello Concerto no. 1, Gordon Jacob's Horn Concerto), through to well-known Classical and Romantic staples many of us recognise (Haydn's Cello Concerto, Mozart's Clarinet Concerto, Brahms' Violin Concerto, Richard Strauss' Oboe Concerto, Franck's Symphonic Variations).
Impressively, all three finalists this year are first-year musicians! We look forward to cheering on Felix Hughes Chivers (QLD), James Monro (SA) and Jamie Wallace (NSW) as they perform with the TSO conducted by Giordano Bellincampi.
James is particularly looking forward to sharing his chosen work, Shostakovich's First Cello Concerto. "It is such a visceral piece of music. The cello plays a desperate protagonist railing against the Soviet machine, and its ragged, haunting voice makes the concerto irresistible to me."
The Haydn C Major Cello Concerto is also special for Jamie. "It was the first concerto I ever learned, and remains one of my favourites," reflects Jamie. "The more I listen and perform the work, the more I learn how much character I can play with as I perform."
The finalists will spend a few days prior in Hobart rehearsing with the TSO and guest conductor Giordano Bellincampi (who coincidentally is making ANAM debut conducting the ANAM Orchestra at St Kilda Town Hall in November), leading up to a public concert at Hobart's Federation Concert Hall. They will perform in front of a full audience and a panel of judges including Simon Lord (Director, Artistic Planning, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra), Wilma Smith (Guest Concertmaster, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra) and Gary Wain (Principal Percussion, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra).
Busily preparing for the Competition alongside all his other ANAM performance activity, Felix is already considering how to focus his energies on the day of the big performance. "Leading up to this performance, I've been preparing for this exciting moment by plannign out how the day of the concert is going to look like for me," says Felix. "I'll make sure to schedule in a walk earlier in the day and try to enjoy Hobart's picturesque surroundings, as this will help me focus my mind, get into a sort of mediative state, and become more aware of my body. Also important for me is to think about how I will be able to connect with the audience during the performance, freeing up my mind and body so I can fell that I'm sharing the music with the audience as best as possible."
The ANAM Concerto Competition wouldn't be possible without our extraordinarily talented Associate Faculty - Aidan Boase, Louisa Breen, Berta Brozgul, Leigh Harrold and Daniel Le - who execute the superhuman feat of performing the piano reductions to these concerti, often performing for multiple finalists across the two days of concerti in Round Two and preparing many other works for all the ANAM Musicians who prepare for this Competition each year.
Before our three finalists head to Hobart, hear them perform their works in full with their Associate Faculty at Rosina Auditorium - a chance to wish them well before they debut with a professional orchestra, and to glimpse the mastery of these future orchestral soloists!
ANAM CONCERTO COMPETITION - MELBOURNE FINAL
Friday 16 October, 3pm
Rosina Auditorium, Abbotsford Convent
William WALTON Viola Concerto
Felix Hughes Chivers (QLD) viola
Daniel Le (ANAM Associate Faculty) piano
Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major, op. 107
James Monro (SA) cello
Louisa Breen (ANAM Associate Faculty) piano
Joseph HAYDN Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Hob. VIIb:1
Jamie Wallace (NSW) cello
Berta Brozgul (ANAM Associate Faculty) piano
Words by Laura Panther, Alumni Manager
ANAM Concerto Competition - previous winners
2009 Ashley Smith (ROSS EDWARDS Clarinet Concerto, co-winner)
Emma Sullivan (BOTTESINI Double Bass Concerto no. 2, co-winner)
2010 Jessica Fotinos (GINASTERA Harp Concerto)
2011 Thomas Hutchinson (R STRUASS Oboe Concerto)
2012 Jack Schiller (MOZART Bassoon Concerto)
2013 Anne-Marie Johnson (ELGAR Violin Concerto)
2014 Alex Raineri (BARTÓK Piano Concerto no. 3)
2015 Harry Bennetts (SIBELIUS Violin Concerto)
2016 Harry Bennetts (BRAHMS Violin Concerto)
2017 Alexander Arai-Swale (VANHAL Double Bass Concerto)
2018 Caleb Wong (PROKOFIEV Sinfonia Concertante)
2019 Johnny van Gend (BARTÓK Violin Concerto no. 2)
2020 [not awarded]
2021 Charlotte Miles (ELGAR Cello Concerto)
2022 Isaac Davis (SHOSTAKOVICH Cello Concerto no. 1)
2023 Joshua Jones (PROKOFIEV Sinfonia Concertante)
2024 Max Wung (TCHAIKOVSKY Rococo Variations)
2025 Theonie Wang (NIELSEN Violin Concerto)