Geneva Laureates House Programme

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PROGRAMME

11 OCT 2019 | FRI | 8PM Grand Hall, Lee Shau Kee Lecture Centre, HKU Vitor Fernandes, clarinet Dmitry Shishkin, piano

WIDMANN Fantasie for Solo Clarinet BRAHMS Clarinet Sonata in F minor, Op. 120, No. 1 Allegro appassionato Andante un poco adagio Allegretto grazioso Vivace WIDOR

Introduction et Rondo, Op. 72

15-minute intermission

CHOPIN

Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53

CHOPIN

Nocturne in B major, Op. 9, No. 3

LISZT

Mephisto Waltz No. 1, S. 514

Vitor Fernandes clarinet

2nd Prize in Clarinet 73 Geneva International Music Competition, 2018 rd

Despite his young age, Vitor Fernandes is already considered as one of the best clarinettists of his generation. A student of the famous ESMAE school in Porto, he obtained his Bachelor's degree with Nuno Pinto, before pursuing his studies in Geneva with Romain Guyot with the support from a scholarship from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

He has won many national and international competitions, including 1st Prize at the prestigious Ghent Competition in Belgium.

Currently focusing on his career as a soloist, he presents himself regularly in concerts and also teaching masterclasses in Europe, South Korea, China, Dubai, and the U.S. He has collaborated with renowned orchestras like the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the SWR Symphonieorchester Stuttgart, and played as a soloist with the Brussels Philharmonic, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Gyor Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Valenciennes, The Royal Symphonic Band of the Belgian Guides, L'Orchestre de Chambre de Genève, among others.

Vitor has recorded for the Portuguese National Radio and Television, France Musique, Hungarian Radio and National Radio of Slovenia. In 2018, Vitor obtained his Master's degree in the class of Romain Guyot at the Haute École de Musique de Genève with distinction, receiving the Sih-Woo Cardinaux-Chang Prize.

A Buffet-Crampon and D'Addario Artist, Vitor Fernandes plays a set of Buffet-Crampon "Tosca" clarinets and D'Addario Reserve Classic Reeds.

Dmitry Shishkin piano

1st Prize in Piano 73 Geneva International Music Competition, 2018 rd

Born in Chelyabinsk, Siberia, Dmitry Shishkin demonstrated exceptional talent for the piano at a very young age, performing with an orchestra at the age of six. Three years later, he entered the prestigious Gnessin Moscow School of Music, where he studied with Mikhail Khokhlov, then the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory as a student of Elisso Virssaladze. Currently, he is continuing his studies in Sicily at the Vincenzo Bellini School Music of Catania, and in Hannover at Musikhochschule.

From a very young age, Shishkin won many prizes in competitions and received scholarships both in Russia and abroad. He is the prizewinner of renowned competitions, including Busoni in Bolzano (3rd Prize in 2013), Rio de Janeiro (2nd Prize in 2014), Chopin in Warsaw (6th Prize in 2015), and Queen Elisabeth in Brussels (Finalist). He is also the 1st Prize winner of the Top of the World Competition in Tromsø (2017) and the 2nd Prize of the International Tchaikovsky Competition (2019).

Shishkin has performed in Bulgaria, Germany, Croatia, Italy, France, Spain, England, Japan, Austria, China, and Poland, with orchestras such as the Gnesin Virtuosos, the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, and the Musica Viva Academic Orchestra.

The Geneva International Music Competition

Founded in 1939, the Geneva International Music Competition is one of the world's leading international music competitions. It aims at discovering, promoting and supporting young talented artists, giving them the necessary tools to launch an international career.

The Geneva Competition was created in 1939 under the name of 'Concours International d'Exécution Musicale' (CIEM). In 1957, it was one of the founding members of the World Federation of International Music Competitions, whose headquarters are located in Geneva.

It was founded by Henri Gagnebin, who was at the time Director of the Geneva Conservatoire and by Frédéric Liebstoeckl, a musician from Vienna who had settled in Geneva. The latter guided the competition as SecretaryGeneral for 40 years, until his death in 1979. He was succeeded by Franco Fisch who held the post until 1998.

Didier Schnorhk is currently the third Secretary-General of the Geneva International Music Competition.

Foundation Chairmanship of the Geneva International Music Competition was assumed by Henri Gagnebin from 1939 onwards, followed by Samuel Baud-Bovy, Roger Vuataz, Jean Meylan, Claude Viala, Richard-A. Jeandin, François Duchêne and today by Christine Sayegh.

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