Competition Diary Entry: 11 June 2009


Josef Spacek in his winning performance of Prokofieff's Concerto No. 2 in G minor Op 63.
Photo credit: Simon Darby


Auckland Town Hall at 6.30pm.
Photo credit: Simon Darby


Auckland Town Hall at 7.30pm.
Photo credit: Simon Darby


Yoo Jin Jang performing Tchaikovsky Concerto in D major.
Photo credit: Simon Darby


Danbi Um performing Sibelius Concerto in D minor.
Photo credit: Simon Darby


Dr Robin Congreve announcing the results.
Photo credit: Simon Darby


Announcing the winner of the Michael Hill Audience Prize.
Photo credit: Simon Darby


Josef ringing his girlfriend straight away.
Photo credit: Simon Darby


Yoo Jin with her host "mum" Carole McIntosh.
Photo credit: Simon Darby


Chairman of the Michael Hill International Violin Competition James Wallace and Josef Spacek.
Photo credit: Simon Darby


Josef Spacek and Hon Christopher Finlayson, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, and Euan Murdoch, General Manager of Chamber Music New Zealand.
Photo credit: Simon Darby


James Wallace and his sponsored violinist, Maxim Kosinov, at the Farewell Function held at Mr Wallace's private residence and gallery, "Rannoch".
Photo credit: Simon Darby


Dr Robin Congreve with Christine Hill and Erika Congreve.
Photo credit: Simon Darby


Competition Diary Entry: 10 June 2009


Queen Street scene with the Auckland Town Hall (clock tower).
Photo credit: Simon Darby


Pamela Frank captures the imaginations of University of Auckland student, Hanny Lee, in one of four masterclasses held in Auckland by the judges.
Photo credit: Simon Darby


Korean competitors and Mr Dong-Suk Kang were treated to a Korean banquet hosted by Consul General Mr Young-geol Kim.
Photo credit: Simon Darby


Danbi Um undoubtedly in New Zealand!


Competition Diary Entry: 9 June 2009


(Left to right) Danbi Um, Josef Spacek, Michael Hill & Yoo Jin Jang.
Photo credit: Simon Darby

2009 Competition Finalists Announced!

The three competitors who are moving on to the 2009 MHIVC Finals on 11 June 2009, live at the Auckland Town Hall accompanied by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, are:


Yoo Jin Jang performs Dvorak Dumky Trio.
Photo credit: Simon Darby



Josef Spacek rehearsing Dvorak with Michael Houstoun and Ashley Brown in preparation for tonight’s Round III performance.


Photo credit: Simon Darby


Photo credit: Simon Darby


Dami Kim performs Brahms 3rd Piano Trio.
Photo credit: Simon Darby


Josef Spacek performs Dvorak Dumky Trio.
Photo credit: Simon Darby


Competition Diary Entry: 8 June 2009


David McCarroll and Tessa Lark performed the Ravel and Dvorak piano trios.  Happy Birthday to Tessa today.


The first of the Classroom Conversations was held this morning at Wakatipu High School in Queenstown.  Bella and Sarah Buchan played a little Bach Double and spoke to the students about their teenage years, where they have lived and studied, how much they practice, and what they are doing now.


Competition Diary Entry: 7 June 2009


Bella and Sarah show off their Kevin Berkahn gowns and jewels by Michael Hill backstage for today's Bella is Back! recital at Memorial Hall.


Leaving Queenstown and heading to Auckland.


Competition Diary Entry: 6 June 2009


The Judges gathering their thoughts before they started voting for the 6 violinists to advance to Round III of the semi-finals.
Photo credit: Sheena Haywood

Round III Semifinalists Announced!

The day is over and the six who are moving on to the next stage are:

The six semifinalists going to the Chamber Music Round (Round III) will be performing at the Auckland Town Hall as follows:

Monday, 8 June 2009, 7.30pm
David McCarroll, Tessa Lark and Danbi Um.

Tuesday, 9 June 2009, 7.30pm
Yoo Joo Jin, Dami Kim and Josef Spacek.

Watch them compete live by purchasing a ticket to the Chamber Music Round now!


(Front row from left to right) David McCarroll, Christine Hill, Tessa Lark, Michael Hill, and Josef Spacek (Back row from left to right) Yoo Jin Jang, Dami Kim, and Danbi Um.
Photo credit: Sheena Haywood


Judges and Competitors for 2nd round.
Photo credit: Sheena Haywood


Gareth Farr, Composer, and winner of Best Performance of NZ Commission Yoo Jin Jang.
Photo credit: Sheena Haywood


Mateusz Smol bungee jumping in Queenstown!



Competition Diary Entry: 5 June 2009


Competitor Jinjoo Cho (Korea).
Photo credit: Sheena Haywood

Round II runs today and tomorrow where all 18 competitors perform a Paganini Caprice, Gareth Farr's Wakatipu, at least 2 contrasting movements of a Romantic-era sonata, and a show piece of their own chosing.


Hyunjoo Choo (Korea).
Photo credit: Sheena Haywood


Hyunjoo Choo (Korea) with her pianist, Bernadette Balkus, perform the Ravel Sonata.
Photo credit: Sheena Haywood


And whilst the music plays indoors at Memorial Hall, the central Otago landscape continues to be breathtaking outdoors.


Competition Diary Entry: 4 June 2009


Modest Queenstown Memorial Hall is festooned with metre-high posters of all the competitors and their sponsors.

Round I heard all 18 competitors perform unaccompanied Bach and the first movement of a Mozart concerto.  The audience was enthralled.


Gallerist Nadene Milne hosted a thank you function for sponsors and host families introducing some New Zealand master artists.  Shown here are Competition Director Anne Rodda and patrons of the arts in New Zealand Erika Congreve and James Wallace.


Gareth Farr pals around with Nadene Milne, Christine Hill, Eion Edgar and Erika Congreve.


The judges were treated to a Queenstown goody basket that included luxury bodycare by Linden Leaves, natural fibre clothing by Silk Body, and The Queenstown Book by Jenny McLeod.


Competition Diary Entry: 3 June 2009


Michael and Christine Hill, with Director Anne Rodda, draw the names to determine the order of the competitors' performances.
Photo credit: Sheena Haywood


Traditional Maori dress seen at this afternoon's Powhiri (Ceremony of Welcome).
Photo credit: Sheena Haywood


A Haka (Traditional Dance) was performed for the Competitors and Judges.
Photo credit: Sheena Haywood


Competition Diary Entry: 2 June 2009


Jee Won Kim rehearses with pianist Bernadette Balkus.

A spectacularly crisp and cold day in Queenstown today saw competitors rehearsing with their pianists.


Simply stunning. Words cannot describe.


From the sublime to the ridiculous.  The Michael Hill International Violin Competition is no doubt the only major competition in the world that has to fit around rugby - New Zealand's national past time.  Here the piano is being delivered to the Wakatipu Rugby clubhouse - which is doubling as a secondary backstage area for the competition this year.


An impromptu dinner party draws together competitors Mateusz Smol (Poland), Kyoko Yonemoto (Japan), Sophie Rosa (UK), and Alexander Read (Canada) with Michael Hill and some New Zealand pinot noir.


Competition Diary Entry: 1 June 2009


Welcome to Queenstown.
Photo credit: Sheena Haywood

Japanese competitor, Kyoko Yonemoto, is greeted warmly by host mum Mary Stamers-Smith when she, and the other competitors arrived after their long international flights. A shower, a hot-cooked meal and a comfortable bed were the activites planned for their first night in New Zealand.


Lake Wakatipu in the late afternoon.


Pianist Sarah Watkins, 2007 winner Bella Hristova, and Director Anne Rodda enjoy a lovely lunch at one of the fabulous Central Otago wineries.


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