The judges have largely contributed to the prestige of the Competition. Musical luminaries such as Pierre Amoyal, Boris Kuschnir, Cho-Liang Lin and Pamela Frank have been amongst the international panel of jurors. A panel of New Zealand and Australia’s leading violinists convene in person to select the semi-finalists that will compete live in Queenstown and Auckland. Dene Olding, co-concertmaster of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and first violinist of the Goldner Quartet and the Australian Ensemble is the Competition’s Artistic Adviser.
New Zealand artistic collaborators have included Michael Houstoun, Diedre Irons, the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, all three members of the NZTrio and Chamber Music New Zealand. A New Zealand composer is commissioned for every Competition to create a unique set-piece for the programme.
The competitors (ages 18-28) hail from every corner of the world and over 130 applications are received for entry from an average of 28 countries. Because the Competition provides travel and accommodation for the semi-finalists, it attracts a very large number of applicants, thus ensuring rigorous competition and an excellent caliber of competitor (not just those with means to travel to New Zealand). The competitors are billeted with families in both Queenstown and Auckland providing a human contact, a local support base and a connection with the community. All semi-finalists also receive professional development activities to increase their skill level and better their career trajectories.
The Winner’s Tour takes place in partnership with Chamber Music New Zealand and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra every second year and provides the previous year’s winner with a substantial concert tour through New Zealand. (It also affords New Zealanders across the country the opportunity to hear the winner in their own hometown.) Like the Competition itself, the Winner’s Tour has also grown in reputation since it first began.
Educational Initiatives and Professional Development, begun in 2007, have been developed to ensure that engagement with the next generation of New Zealanders are afforded information and inspiration. Masterclasses and further professional development opportunities are provided by the artist-judges for Competition violinists and tertiary students and casual Classroom Conversations are held in secondary schools across New Zealand.
An Insiders's Guide, launched in 2011 to celebrate the Competition's 10th anniversary, provides in-depth and enriching dialogue with the audience such that they can develop a greater understanding of why the winner is selected.
Video podcasts of all rounds are available in perpetuity on www.instantencore.com and performances from the 2011 Competition were enjoyed on line, as evidenced with over 50,000 YouTube views.
The Competition’s prestige is such that it has as its Patron, Helen Clark, the Administrator of the United National Development Programme and former Prime Minister of New Zealand. Sir Michael was appointed a Knight Compaion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (KNZM) in 2010 for services to business and the arts, the Chairman of the Competition’s trust, Sir James Wallace, was also awarded a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (KNZM) for services to the arts in 2011. Collaborating pianist, Diedre Irons, was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to music.
