This past week was the 15th International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Making Competition held in Poznan, Poland. I love watching and listening to the competing violins, seeing if I can tell any nuances that make them the best. Of course, I am far from an expert compared to those that are judging the instruments.
I wish that I could enjoy the entire competition live, but there are a lot of factors that are against me. First, it is during the evening in Poland, so it is broadcast in the afternoon here in Detroit, so I can only catch bits and pieces while I am at work, Fortunately, the entire stream is posted on the Wieniawski Society YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@WieniawskiSociety). When I do catch a bit at work, I have to keep it really low volume, as earphones are frowned upon.
I had talked a lot about this competition in a blog four years ago (https://luegra.design.blog/2021/05/15/the-14th-international-henryk-wieniawski-violin-making-competition/), so I will not go into details here. This year, 85 violins from 18 countries were in competition. Polish luthier Paweł Kubaca won both First and Second Place with his Sona and Luna violins, respectively. Third Place went to Liu Zhaojun from China for the Sunrise violin.
There are two longer videos on the YouTube channel showcasing the finalists and winners, as well as a third video highlighting a quartet performance of the winners. Even if you are not into classical music, you may enjoy listening to the instruments and why each one was put into the finalist positions. It is truly amazing to see how such intricacies can make or break a choice when most of us just see a simple violin. Musicians who base their life on a quality instrument to continue their careers are stringent, and as a guitar player for over 40 years, I can understand.
The next competition for violin making will be in May of 2029. In the meantime, the 17th International Wieniawski Violin Performance Competition will be scheduled within the next wto years. I recommend that you continue to check both the YouTube channel and the Wieniawski Society website (https://www.wieniawski.com/) for updates.
People who know me know that I am a big supporter of young people learning music. Whether for enjoyment, performance, or eventual teaching, seeing a child or young adult playing an instrument or singing and continually improving is a blessing. It does not matter the genre of music, only that the young student is passionate about it and wants to improve on him/herself to be the best that he/she can be.
That is why, when I read this article a few days ago online, my heart sank into my stomach with sadness, hurt, and grief.
Veronika Jugasová was a young violin prodigy from Czechia. She started playing the instrument around 6 years of age, and was trained by some of the best violinist/instructors in the country, including at the renown Prague Conservatoire. Even in her youth, she was winning many competitions, receiving international acclaim.
Her death has been determined a suicide, and while it was a shock to so many who loved and admired her, many of her peers and instructors fear that the pressure and stress of performing and heavily disciplined practice was a psychological strain on the girl. Veronika was scheduled to perform at the Prague Music Festival this coming week.
Social media related to classical music has been abuzz regarding this tragedy, with so many other young performers inferring in their comments that they can somewhat understand how Veronika felt. Classical music and opera are genres that require immense determination and extreme hard work. Not only does a passion need to be there, but there is that beyond-normal exertion to become the best, just as what one would see in someone striving to be a professional sports athlete. Unfortunately, young performers in this position sometimes find it hard to balance their time and efforts, and are often surrounded by parents and instructors that pressure them even more. These young people are still children in many ways, and are not fully developed to handle the stress and difficulties of being an adult.
I will not go on about this subject too much. What I will say is that, like a child wanting to be a baseball player, a tennis pro, or a professional musician, give them room to learn, and compassion when they falter. These children have a passion, but they are still human, not something that we can mold into super-humans. Let them know that we are there for them whatever happens, and offer that hug and shoulder to lean on.
Dearest Veronika, you are in so many hearts at this time. Know that you are still loved by so many, that you are still a star in our eyes, and we know that The Lord is enjoying you perform for Him and has given you the most cherished award, the angel wings.
First off, congratulations to Hina Maeda, the winner of the 16th International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition, which I covered more in last week’s blog (https://luegra.design.blog/2022/10/15/the-16th-international-wieniawski-violin-competiton/). Again, I could have never judged any of these amazing performers. However, I can fully understand why she was chosen — her dynamics in playing and her energy, as well as her true appreciation for Wieniawski’s work, the orchestra that backed her, and her love of the audience. I implore you to go to the Wieniawski Society’s channel and watch Hina as well as the many others that competed (https://www.youtube.com/c/WieniawskiSociety).
I don’t think that I ever mentioned Jeremy Sheppard “The Guitar Hunter” and his YouTube channel in one of my blogs before. So here it is! The guy has a passion for Martin guitars, but also covers other acoustic guitars, as well as visits luthiers in the Nashville area. He did some great videos of his visit to this past month’s IBMA World of Bluegrass convention in Raleigh. I loved how he described bluegrass music as an “ox bow,: like an ox-bow body of water that has life in it, but is not the main part of a moving river. Check out his channel.
Another great YT channel is The Acoustic Shoppe. (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgToABlTkcQP-ojGXd1g1SA). This channel is based on a music store in Missouri by the same name, run by members of the bluegrass band The Chapmans. They don’t record and tour like they used to years ago (I was a big fan), but the brothers still post videos of their performances at the store, as well as have well-known bluegrass artists, like Rhonda Vincent and The Isaacs, visit the store, talk, and perform on the channel. The best part of the channel is that these brothers have a great sense of humor. Besides slamming each other about playing skills, they post videos on how they test the strength of travel cases, and even a pseudo game show.
I kept this short, as it has been a busy week. Chew on it and comment.
I know that I could never judge one of these events. The competition began with Stage 1 all of last week, with the results announced of the 14 musicians that would advance to Stage 2 announced on October 11. As I watched this YouTube stream, I was heartbroken in a way. So many of these young violinists have devoted a lifetime of energy and stress to get to this competition, only to learn that they did not make the cut. To see their faces distraught and tears of loss come from their eyes is disheartening. In my eyes, they are all so extremely talented, but again, I could never judge such an event, and those that are qualified to judge have made the decisions.
Between watching these performances, and becoming acquainted and a patron the violinist Esther Abrami, I have learned to truly appreciate classical music again. I enjoyed it back about 30 years ago when Detroit actually had a radio station devoted to classical music, but faded away from it, moving into roots music again. YouTube sort of sparked that interest again, and after closely observing the Wieniawski Violin Making Competition, and having email conversations with Esther, I have learned to enjoy it and get emotional by the music.
I do not root for any of the performers like I would for a baseball team or a pro golfer on the circuit. They are all amazing performers. This Stage 2 competition includes each contestant performing in an orchestra setting and duetting with a concert viola player. Even after just one or two performances, I am totally knocked out. So far, the favorite is a young girl from the US named Hana Chang. The comments in the chat session when she performs all seem to agree that she is the best out there. Again, I have no way of judging and not nearly enough experience to say which one of these performers are the top.
I hope that you can take some time and check out the performances on the Wieniawski Society YouTube channel to follow the competition. Even if you have just a little appreciation for classical music, you will not be disappointed.
Last week, I received my copy of the debut album from classical violinist Esther Abrami. I have mentioned her a few times in previous blogs, and I wanted to talk more about her and her recording.
I came across one of Esther’s YouTube videos about four years ago, and have been in love with her spirit ever since. What first caught my attention about her physical appearance is that she looks so much like Audrey Hepburn, one of the most beautiful women to have ever been captured in motion pictures. Of course, Esther has done some professional modeling in her still young career, and she comes across so photogenically. She truly looks like a princess the way she holds herself.
Then I heard her playing. Amazing, to say the least! She was putting so much emotion into her bow technique that you would have thought that she had been playing the violin for 30 or 40 years. But no, this was a young woman of about 22 years of age! I had to see more of her videos, and almost immediately, I subscribed to her YouTube channel.
With each new video that Esther posted, I learned so much more about her personally. She comes across so beautifully for the camera. Although she is French, she has a wonderful control of the English language. This is due to the fact that she has done most of her musical studies in England, including at the Royal College of Music in London.
Esther’s passion for the violin and classical music began at the age of 3, and it was non-stop from that point. She was teased and made fun of by her school classmates for her intense interest and rigid practice schedule on the violin. It had an emotional effect on her growing up, yet she persevered.
Along with her musical education, Esther took a great interest in social media, promoting herself on all of the major outlets. This has resulted in gathering a large fan base in just a few years. She is often open about her dreams, hopes and fears as she progresses in her career. Her fan base has learned so much about her, and with that, has become her personal support group with whatever direction she takes. In 2019, she became the first classical musician to be nominated in the Social Media Superstar category at the Global Awards.
Her YouTube videos not only show her performances and practice sessions, but she also does reviews of violins and bows, as well as has some fun with the camera, including performing a duet with her “twin sister.” She recently started a vlog on her channel in which she interviews other women in classical music. We also learn of what a big and warm heart she has. She is a lover of animals, especially kittens. She has served as a foster parent for stray kittens and they have often appeared in her videos. One video went extremely viral, in which a kitten that is being held in the fanny pack around her waist is watching her practice the violin, then slowly falls asleep.
We have also learned how sensitive and emotional Esther can become in times of stress. We saw her sad and nearly broke down when the COVID lockdowns began, and she had to decide whether to continue to live and study in London or return to her family in France. We have also seen how the stress of a perfect performance can have an such a young yet talented musician. However, the reward of her work has shown in the past year, when she was signed to Sony Classical Entertainment Records, and most recently, being selected to perform at the Royal Albert Hall in London on April 11. Not bad for a girl of 25!
Since I have been following her, I have done what I can to help support her career. A few years back, I became a patron of hers on the Patreon website. In the short amount of time that I have been following her, we have also emailed each other a number of times, and she always thanks me for my continued support. She sent me a beautiful Christmas/New Year card recently that I will cherish immensely.
Yes, I have a crush on her. Not just because of her beauty, but because of her passion for music. Through her videos, I have seen a little girl of 10 years of age mature into a beautiful and extremely talented performer. There is no one that I know of that deserves the attention and accolades that she has received the past year or two. With every email that I send her or comment that I post on YouTube, I always sign it with “Je t’adore.” and I do, I truly adore this young lady. I am sure that she knows that she can call on me if she is ever in need of something that I can do for her. I also truly hope that 2022 is her year for amazing success, as I have seen how hard she has worked for it.
I implore you to get a copy of Esther Abrami on CD, vinyl, or download. The music is light classical, easy on the ears, and is performed by a beautiful young lady that knows her way around the violin fingerboard. I also ask you to check out her website, as well as her YouTube channel. You will fall in love with her as well.
A few years back, I came across a video of Amira Willighagen, and my jaw dropped. Here was a nine-year-old girl singing “O Mio Babbino Caro” as if she was blessed with an operatic voice at birth. She was performing on the program Holland’s Got Talent. The judges were knocked over, and as expected, she was the winner for that year (2013). At 17, she has been performing professionally since that win and has toured the world. I still get goose bumps when I see that original video clip of her audition.
Writing for Fiddler, I like to look out for up-and-coming talent. I often stray away from the roots-music genres and dive into classical violin. Scanning through YouTube has allowed me to come across some amazing talent. I have mentioned French violinist/model Esther Abrami in a previous post regarding Glarry beginner violins (https://luegra.design.blog/2020/05/03/violin-vs-fiddle-its-all-about-attitude/). I have followed her for a few years, have become a patron of hers, and we have become friends (albeit through the internet), emailing and chatting every so often. She has an album coming out in February, and from what I have heard of some of the songs, it is absolutely beautiful work. Find out more from her website at http://www.estherabrami.com/, and/or subscribe to her YouTube channel.
I recently came across two young violinists that brought me to tears of joy. To see such talent in teenage students is beyond belief. The first artist is Julia Majewska. She is now 13 years old, comes from Poland, but has studied in London (which shows in her wonderful control of the English language). She has won numerous international awards, and has been a part of the prestigious London Young Musician program. To see someone like her perform Paganini seems unreal, but it is. Check out her YouTube channel. Here she is performing “Chaccone” by Vitali for one of her exams.
The other young artist that I found is Christian Li. He is 14 years old, from Australia, and at 10 years was the youngest winner of the Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists. He has been winning competitions since the age of seven, and is extremely humble about his talent. Like any kid, he enjoys kids’ activities, but to see his dedication to the violin is heartwarming. Again, check out his YouTube channel, and watch this 2018 video of his entry at the Menuhin Competition.
I am so glad that music is in good hands for the future generations. I know that I could never have been this good when I was young, even if I practiced 12 hours per day. There is a gift from God that is given to such individuals to be this good at this young age. It is a beautiful thing to see.
After the last few weeks of writing about musical artists that have left this world, it feels nice to write about something positive, or at least thought-provoking. This is another installment of a perfect song. I go a bit further from the basic roots music (although I did go pretty far off with John Philip Sousa a few weeks back), looking at what I consider the best in American classical music.
“Rhapsody in Blue” is often described by scholars as “orchestrated jazz.” True, when it first debuted in 1924 as part of Paul Whiteman’s “An Experimentation in Modern Music” concert in New York, it was performed by a medium-sized jazz ensemble. It received mixed reviews after the first performance, and carried on as a jazz piece until 1942, when Ferde Grofe arranged it for a symphonic orchestra. It was then that it became a true American classical masterpiece.
However, to fully understand this masterpiece, one must step back to when it was first created. Whiteman commissioned George Gershwin to compose a concerto for an upcoming jazz performance. With five weeks to finish, Gershwin created most of the music on a train ride to Boston. His brother, lyricist Ira Gershwin, suggested the title.
For the first performance, as well as the debut performance in England, Gershwin played the piano. It has been arranged for solo piano as well as ensemble, but most know it from its symphonic arrangement. It is there that one can hear what pictures were going through Gershwin’s mind while writing. That opening upward glissando performed on clarinet tells you that this is no ordinary classical piece, but it is not trad jazz either. There is a lot of blues thirds and seventh flats throughout, along with numerous slurs and roller-coaster dynamics. It is all of this that makes classicla and jazz slam into each other to create a unique aural experience.
Just listen to it. Close your eyes and listen. From the opening, what do you see in your mind? I see a 4-in-the-morning New York City street, just waking up with perhaps a street cleaner doing his business and a truck dropping off a stack of newspapers at a stand. As the song progresses, the streets get busier. Taxis and busses speeding around, people rushing to get to work, vendors selling fruits and flowers. There’s the hustle and bustle of the office workers, as well as cooks and waitresses getting ready for the lunch crowd. That’s when the tempo slows a bit, some people eating their lunch fast, while other are lounging in the park, savoring the brief rest period. Again, it speeds up for the afternoon work and then the homeward bound rush.
Finally, there is that powerful, nine-note slow climax, followed immediately by the pounding chords of the piano. Think about the nighttime in NYC, especially Broadway! The bright lights, the people dressed in their best going to shows, wanting to be seen. It drops off a bit, just for a few moments, as if there may be trouble, like a traffic accident or a lost child, but it is momentary, and goes back into that fabulous strong ending.
Gershwin was a genius in my ears. He truly heard “scenery” in music. He could create washes of life and living with his songwriting. No words needed, only sounds, and it motivates the listener to interpret those sounds into visuals. “Rhapsody in Blue” is probably his best example of this technique. I just feel that it is disheartening that very few American composers such as Gershwin, Aaron Copeland (whom I will cover in a later blog), and Leonard Bernstein do not get the same overall respect that the European composers of the earlier centuries do.
I implore you to take time to listen to this work of art. I guarantee that you will be moved, or at least understand why others such as myself are moved.
Luegra 