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Masterprize
Tel: +44 (0)20 7233 0111 Masterprize site designed by Room101 Ltd |
MASTERPRIZE 2003 ANNOUNCES CHRISTOPHER THEOFANIDIS AS WINNER
Following an outstanding performance of the six finalist pieces of MASTERPRIZE, the world's leading competition for composers, by the London Symphony Orchestra under star conductor, Daniel Harding, Secretary of State for Media, Culture and Sport, Tessa Jowell, MP announced at 10.30pm on October 30th that the winner of MASTERPRIZE 2003 is American Christopher Theofanidis. His winning work is Rainbow Body. With 81,297 votes world-wide via Classic FM Magazine, Gramophone, Classic FM, on-line and from the audience on the night, Christopher Theofanidis received a cheque for £25,000.
The SIX finalists of Masterprize 2003, listed in alphabetical order, were:
- Nicolas Bacri (France), Symphonie No 6 (Opus 60)
- Bechara El Khoury (France/ Lebanon), Les Fleuves Engloutis (Eternal Rivers)
- Robert Henderson (USA), Einstein's Violin
- Arturs Maskats (Latvia), Tango
- Anton Plate (Germany), You Must Finish Your Journey Alone
- Christopher Theofanidis (USA), Rainbow Body
CHANGING ATTITUDES TO NEW CLASSICAL MUSIC
Masterprize was established in 1996 to bring living composers and the music-loving public closer together by offering a unique platform of exposure for composers and to give concert-goers around the world a voice in the development of new music. It is a partnership between Classic FM, EMI, Gramophone, London Symphony Orchestra and NPR of the USA. World-renowned conductor, Mariss Jansons is Artistic Director. The 2003 competition attracted a staggering 1,000 entrants from 65 countries. The six finalist pieces were chosen earlier this year by an international jury panel which included celebrated musicians such as, Marin Alsop, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Gerry Goldsmith, Jon Lord and Antonio Pappano.
The recordings of the six finalist pieces then appeared as a cover-mount CDs on the October issue of Classic FM Magazine and the November issue of Gramophone and the works were broadcast on Classic FM. The release of these magazines marked the start of the worldwide public voting.
Masterprize 2003 culminated in the Gala Final on the 30th October at London's Barbican. The Gala Final was broadcast live around the world on Classic FM and NPR stations of the US. It was also streamed on www.classicfm.com
Voting
- 45% came from the public by either listening to the cover-mount CDs, taking part in the listener votes organised by Classic FM, or voting on-line through http://www.masterprize.com. Masterprize received 81,297 votes from the public around world.
- 40% came from the Gala Jury members of which included Peter Alward of EMI, conductor Christoph von Dohnanyi, Michael Haefliger of the Lucerne Festival, violinist Gidon Kremer, flautist Emmanuel Pahud, Martijn Sanders of Amsterdam's Concertgebouw and horn player, Barry Tuckwell
- 10% from members of the London Symphony Orchestra
- 5% from the audience present at the Gala Final at the Barbican
BUILDING AUDIENCES FOR THE FUTURE
In addition to the main competition, Masterprize built on the success of its education programme in 2001 to create the most ambitious project for British youth orchestras yet. The programme involved 13 of the UK's leading youth orchestras playing and enjoying contemporary classical music. At its core the programme had performances and recordings of the Masterprize 2003 finalists' works. The youth orchestras received specialist coaching from members of partners, London Symphony Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony, and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. They then gave performances of their chosen Masterprize pieces at Birmingham's Symphony Hall, Liverpool's Philharmonic Hall and LSO's St Luke's. Members of each of the participating orchestras then attended the Masterprize Gala Final on 30th October. Vladimir Ashkenazy, who had listened to the recordings of the youth orchestra performances, awarded 3rd prize to Northampton County Youth Orchestra, 2nd prize to Hampshire County Youth Orchestra and 1st prize to Liverpool Youth Orchestra. On behalf of Maestro Ashkenazy, Daniel Harding, conductor for the evening gave the youth orchestras cheques for £500, £1,000, £1,500 respectively.
Details on the Finalists and their pieces
- Nicolas Bacri's piece was commissioned by Radio France and recorded by l'Orchestre National de France under Leonard Slatkin. Nicolas Bacri is published by Salabert. Full details can be found at www.nicolasbacri.com
- Bechara El Khoury's piece was commissioned by Radio France and performed and recorded by l'Orchestre National de France under Laurence Petitgirard. Naxos has recently released some of El Khoury's other orchestral works. "A powerfully committed new voice. This is a composer to be reckoned with" Gramophone, Feb 2003. He is presently working on his second symphony and third piano sonata, as well as on a cantata for tenor and orchestra comissioned by Cantor Joseph Malovany of New York. El Khoury is published by Editions Max Eschig, Paris.
- Robert Henderson's piece was commissioned by the Utah Festival and premiered in 1998 by Utah Symphony. He started his career as a horn player and performed with the LA Philharmonic, San Francisco Opera and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. He also frequently conducts and has conducted, among others, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Houston Symphony, and the Iceland Symphony.
- Arturs Maskats is Artistic Director of the Latvian National Opera. In 2002 he was appointed professor of composition at the Jazeps Vitols Academy of Music. His work to date includes over 30 chorus works, ten orchestral works, music for cinema as well as music for over 90 theatre productions. Swedish label, BIS has recently released a CD of his music (available on Amazon).
- Anton Plate's piece was recorded by the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg under Ingo Metzmacher and released by EMI Classics on a CD entitled 'Who is Afraid of 20th Century Music'. Ince 1982 he has taught as Professor for Music Theory at the Hochschule four Musik und Theater n Hanover, Germany.
- Christopher Theofanidis's piece was recorded by Atlanta Symphony under Robert Spano and released in June this year by Telarc Records on a CD-8059. Christopher Theofanidis was born in Dallas, Texas in 1967 and currently lives in New York. His studies have included a DMA and MMA from Yale University, an MM from the Eastman School of Music and a BM from the University of Houston. He has held the positions of composer-in-residence for the California Symphony and the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. He is also on the faculties of the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University and the Juilliard School in New York City. His compositions have won numerous awards, including the Prix de Rome, a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Barlow Prize, a Charles Ives Fellowship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Columbia-Bearns Prize, a Fulbright Fellowship to France, and six ASCAP Morton Gould Prizes.
For further editorial information or photos: Madeleine Milne
Tel: +44 (0)20 8727 2371 / madeleine@masterprize.com