JAVS Summer 2001

45

2001 PRIMROSE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION

by Kathryn Steely

As one of the premier viola solo competitions, the 2001 Primrose Memorial Scholarship Competition provided the setting to hear some of the world's great young violists. Held every two years since 1987, the competition provides an opportunity for young violists (under age 28) to gain exposure and to com pete for cash, merchandise prizes, and a chance to perform at the following International Viola Congress held on North American soil. This year's competition drew 40 entries from 11 countries, with semifinal ists representing China, France, Israel, Japan, Korea, Lithuania, Spain, and the U.S. This was the first time that the Primrose Competition was not held in conjunction with a viola congress. A shift in the Inter national Viola Congress schedule required that the Primrose Competition be held as a separate event. Contestants prepared prelimi nary round tapes with repertoire selections that included: Work with Orchestra, Work with Piano, Unaccompanied Work, and Virtuosic Primrose Transcription. One of the selected works had to be chosen from the list of contemporary selections provided. A panel of three judges, consisting ofMichael Kimber, University of Southern Mississippi; Julia Samples, Assistant Principal Viola of the Alabama Symphony; and Tania Maxwell, for mer Assistant Principal Viola of the BBC and currently on faculty at Georgia State Uni versity in Atlanta, screened the preliminary round entries. 30 MARCH 2001 After the initial taped screening, 18 contest ants were invited to participate in the semi final round held on the campus of Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, IL, 30 March 2001, in Buick Recital Hall. The five-member judging

panel consisted of Ralph Fielding, Jerzy Kosmala, Charles Pikler, William Preucil, and Juliet White-Smith. The panel selected approximately fifteen minutes of music from each contestant's prepared program, including technical and lyrical selections and the Virtuosic Primrose transcription. Overall the level of playing was extremely high, perhaps in tribute to the present state of viola teaching and playing both at home and abroad. By the end of the afternoon the panel advanced the following individuals to the final round: Mara Gearman, student of Roberto Diaz at the Curtis Institute; Sayaka Kokubo, student of Donald Mcinnes at University of Southern California; Antoine Tamestit, student of Jesse Levine at Yale University; and Ula Zebriunaite, student of Hatto Beyerle at the Music Academy of Basel, Switzerland. 31 MARCH 2001 The competition reconvened on Saturday in Hammerschmidt Chapel on the Elmhurst College campus for the final round. Each of the finalists performed programs selected by the judging panel featuring full movements from the various categories of repertoire. Antoine Tamestit performed first, with a pro gram consisting of the Hindemith Op. 25 No. 1 Solo Sonata, movements 1-3, the Rebecca Clarke Sonata, movements 2-3, an extended selection from the Penderecki Concerto, and finishing with the Wolf Italian Serenade. Mara Gearman followed with Hindemith's Der Schwanendreher, movements 1-2, selections from the Samuel Adler Sonata, the G minor Reger Suite, movements 1 and 4, and the Sarasate/Zimbalist Tango. Sayaka Kokubo's program consisted of Hindemith's Der Schwanendreher, movements 1-2, the Rebecca Clarke Sonata movement 2, the Persichetti