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Comprised of prominent violinists from New Zealand and Australia, this panel has convened to assess the recordings of every applicant with the task of selecting the 18 semi-finalists that will be invited to compete in New Zealand in June 2009.
The competition's management has ensured the eligibility of the applicant, verified the authentication of the recording, and the robustness of the recommendations prior to the listening by the Preliminary Panel.
This panel spent 21.5 hours listening to 90+ recordings. The identities, nationalities and qualifications of the applicants were unknown to the panel until it reached its determination.
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Born in 1970, Bulgarian violinist Dimitri Atanassov gave his first public performance at the age of six. After many years studying with his father, the renowned Bulgarian violinist Joachim Atanassov and later with professor Anna Ivanova, Dimitri excelled in his studies at the Prague Academy of Arts under the guidance of professor Vaclav Snitil, completing his masters degree (graduating with honours) in 1994.
Having participated in master classes with violinists Alberto Lysy and Victor Liberman, Dimitri was selected as leader of the RIAS Youth Orchestra in Berlin from 1992 until 1994. As soloist and chamber-musician, he performed in Austria, Germany, Greece, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Italy, Yugoslavia, Russia, Holland and Israel, before arriving in New Zealand in 1995 to take up the position of sub-principal second violins with the Auckland Philharmonia.
In New Zealand he performs regularly as a chamber musician and soloist. In 1996 he became a member of the Ogen trio, and took up the position of violin tutor at Waikato University in 1999. In early 2003 he also became a violin tutor at Auckland University. His students have participated with great success in many National and International Competitions (Gisborne International Competition, Rotorua Concerto Competition, Young Musicians Competition, Kloster Schontal in Germany, Junior Tchaikovski Competition in Japan).
Dimitri is also co-founder and artistic director of the Rotorua Chamber Music Festival.
He has played with some of New Zealand and Australia’s leading musicians, including the New Zealand String Quartet, The Goldner Quartet, Patricia Wright, Donald Armstrong, Deborah Wai Kapohe, Piers Lane (England),Roy Goodman (England), James Tennant, Katherine Austin and many others.
Dimitri has recorded two CD’s – one with the Ogen Trio and also “The Soldiers Tale” by I. Stravinsky. A new CD of New Zealand music, with the Ogen Trio was completed in January 2007.
Dimitri is currently the Concertmaster of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, a role to which he was appointed in 2005.
A graduate of the University of Canterbury, studying with Jan Tawroszevicz, Justine went on to complete a Master of Music degree at the San Francisco Conservatory with Isadore Tinkleman and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the State University of New York at Stony Brook under Joyce Robbins and Mitchell Stern. She has taught violin at Wellington’s University of Victoria and she now balances her role as performing artist with that of teacher within NZTrio’s capacity as Ensemble in Residence at The University of Auckland.
Justine has been singled out for many awards, including a TVNZ Young Achievers Award, two QEII Arts Council Grants, a Fulbright Scholarship, and an NZSO Alex Lindsay Memorial Award and was runner up in the 1990 TVNZ Young Musicians’ competition.
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National success in violin and chamber music competitions helped launch an active career as both soloist and chamber musician. Leppänen has performed throughout Scandinavia with several chamber music groups and appeared as concerto soloist throughout Finland including a performance of the Sibelius concerto in Sibelius' home town of Jarvenpaa. He has been guest concertmaster of many orchestras and chamber ensembles such as the highly regarded Avanti Chamber Orchestra and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Leppänen moved to New Zealand in 2000, working first as Assistant Concertmaster before his appointment in late 2003 to NZSO Concertmaster. Since his arrival, Leppänen has been active in the chamber music scene, with his popular 'Felix the Quartet' and the contemporary music group 'Stroma'. He has also performed several concertos and solo pieces with the NZSO. Leppänen is an artist teacher at the NZ school of music.
Vesa-Matti Leppänen plays 1770 Gennaro Gagliano violin, on loan from his chair sponsor Diessl Investments.
As a soloist he has worked with all of the Australian Symphony and Chamber Orchestras in a range of repertoire. Dene attended the Juilliard School In New York from the age of fourteen as a scholarship student of Ivan Galamian and Margaret Pardee. He was Laureate of the Queen Elisabeth of Belgium International Violin Competition.
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Concertmaster of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra since 2003, Wilma Smith combines her love of the symphonic repertoire with a busy chamber music life both in her adopted home of Melbourne and in New Zealand, where she was raised.
After leaving Fiji, her birthplace, as a small child, these two musical strands have been a constant in Wilma's musical life. She was founding first violinist of the Naumburg Award-winning Lydian String Quartet in Boston and the New Zealand String Quartet in Wellington, both of which continue actively on the international scene. In 1993 she was appointed Concertmaster of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and on leaving for Melbourne was named its Concertmaster Emeritus.
Her current chamber music partners include Ian Munro (piano) and David Berlin (cello) in the Piano Trio repertoire and Melbourne's Ensemble Liaison. Recently she collaborated with Steven Isserlis (cello), Melvyn Tan (piano), Michael Houstoun (piano) and Carolyn Henbest (viola) in a series of concerts for the NZ International Festival of the Arts. Wilma's teachers include the legendary Dorothy DeLay and Louis Krasner.
