Provincial Strings/Violin Competition • ARMTA Alberta Registered Music Teachers' Association

Bring out the Brilliance - Inaugural ARMTA Provincial Strings Competition

Violin 2022 /Cello 2024

Congratulations to the winners of the 2022 Provincial Strings Competition for Violin!

1st Place - Chanan Ngo

Chanan Ngo, age 14, began violin lessons at 5 with Theresa Plotnick. At the age of 6, he began playing in orchestras and chamber groups. Currently studying under Fiona Carnie, Chanan has had the privilege to play with the Kensington Sinfonia in 2022. A regular scholarship and award winner, he won the Conservatory Sinfonia Concerto competition and placed 3rd in the Canadian Music Competition in 2019. In 2022, Chanan won the Calgary Concerto Competition and had the privilege to perform his concerto with the Calgary Civic Symphony. He was also recommended to the Alberta provincial festival. Chanan participated at Quartet Fest West in Victoria playing the Violin and Viola. He completed his ARCT (Piano) under the tutelage of Colleen Athparia in 2021. He placed 3rd in the Frank Simpson concerto competition in 2022 with a piano concerto.

2nd Place - Alayna McNeil

I have completed my second year of a Bachelor of Music in violin performance at the University of Lethbridge, where I am an honours student. I was awarded the Abbondanza Fine Arts Undergraduate award and the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra Strings award during both my years at the university. I completed my RCM Grade 10 practical exam with First Class Honours in June 2019. I have been a member of the first violin section of the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra for 6 years, and I was a finalist for the symphony’s 2020 Young Artist Competition, which was subsequently cancelled. I performed in the 2022 Centric Music Fest in Lethbridge, and in the Alberta Provincial Music Festival in 2018, 2019 and 2021 (where I received first place in my class). I was the 2019 winner of the Rosebowl award for the Most Artistic and Outstanding Performer in the Lethbridge Music Festival.

Violin 2022 - Competition Details

The 2022 Violin competition was dedicated to the anniversaries of the great violin composers F. Geminiani (1687 – 1762: 260 years from d), G. Tartini (1692—1770 – 330 from b), N. Paganini (1782-1840 – 240 from b), Fritz Kreisler (1875 – 1962: 60 years from d) and Alberta composers.

Eligibility

Applicants must be:

under the age of 23 as of January 1, 2022
Canadian citizen or landed immigrants
Applicants should be students of any Alberta violin teacher for at least two consecutive years at the time of application

Prizes and Awards

First prize laureate – ARMTA Recognition Fund Prize $2,000
Second prize laureate – ARMTA Recognition Fund Prize $1,000
Third prize laureate – ARMTA Recognition Fund Prize $ 500

Additional Awards

Canadian Music Center Composers’ Award for best performance of Canadian work $100
Dr. Chrysanthema Nikol Award for best performance of N. Paganini and G. Tartini $200
Lethbridge Branch Adjudicator’s Choice Award $100
Calgary ARMTA Branch Award for best performance of J.S. Bach $100

Repertoire Guidelines:

The stylistic balance of the program, performance mastery and artistic merit will be taken into consideration.
All performances must be from memory.

Instructions for submitting your Competition Video

Candidates/applicants must submit video recordings (one per each work) with the repertoire for the First Round –up to 45-50 min in length.

Submit your First Round Video Recordings

One video per each work.

The videos must be UNEDITED and of high quality –both audio/video. The violinist must be fully visible all the time. The videos must be recorded within 6 months prior to the application and have the date of the recording.

Each video must be marked with the composer’s name, title of the work and duration.

The video recordings may be submitted in one of two formats.

You may submit a video upload on the registration form or a link to a YouTube video.

Upload Scores & Headshot

You will be directed to the webpage with the upload form right after payment. This is the same upload form as for the videos.

1. Upload a copy of your scores. Number the beginning of each line and the be sure the files are marked with the name of the composer, title, and number of the movement.

2. Upload a good quality headshot photograph for the newsletter, social media, website.

A panel of three judges will review the videos and will select 4 finalists and 3 runners up.

*The runners up must be prepared to step in for the Final round in case one of the Violinists is unable to perform.

First Round

Please choose one work from groups #1, 2, and 3 (list of works)

Students may submit a request for approval of their own choice work(s) to the Violin Competition Committee.

I. One of the following works for unaccompanied Violin by J.S.Bach (No repeats)
Sonata No.1 in G minor, BWV 1001, Adagio and Fuga
Partita No1 in B minor, BWV 1002, Sarabande and Double, Tempo di Bourree and double Sonata in A minor, BWV 1003, Grave and Fuga
Partita No.2 in D minor, BWV 1004, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gigue
Partita N.2 in D minor, BWV 1004, Chaconne
Sonata No.3 in C major BWV 1005, Adagio and Fuga
Partita No.3 in E major, BWV 1006, Loure, Gavotte en Rondeau, Menuet I, Menuet II, Bourree, Gigue
Siciliana & Presto (Sonata No. 1 in G minor, BMV 1001)
Andante & Allegro (Sonata No. 2 in A minor, BMV 1003)
Largo & Allegro Assai (Sonata No. 3 in C Major, BMV 1005)

II. A piece for Solo/unaccompanied Violin
N. Paganini – one caprice of “24 Caprices for Solo Violin” op. 1
OR
N. Paganini, Sonata a Violino Solo (Merveille de Paganini) , Nel cor più non mi sento, Caprice d’Adieu;
OR
*G. Tartini, 26 Piccole Sonate
OR
P. A. Locatelli, 24 caprices for Violin Solo op. III.
H. Wieniawski L’École Moderne, 10 Études-Caprices Op. 10
H.W. Ernst, Polyphonic etude No. 6, The Last Rose of Summer
F. Kreisler, Recitative and Scherzo-Caprice, Op. 6
E. Ysaye, 6 sonatas Op.27 (one movement only)
B. Bartok, Sonata (one movement only)
E. Bloch, Nigun
N. Milstein, Paganiniana Variations
H.W. Henze, Solo Violin Sonata
K. Penderecki, Capriccio per violino solo,2008
A. Rodenblatt, Swinging fuge
D. Muller Siemens .called dusk V;
P. Hindemith, Präludium G minor
R. Shchedrin, Variations and Theme; Echo Sonata (1984)

III. One fast movement of the following Sonatas for Sonatas for Keyboard and Violin
J. Haydn, Violin Sonata in G major after the Piano Trio in G major, Hob.XV:32,
Violin Sonata in D major after the Keyboard Sonata in D major, Hob.XVI:24
Violin Sonata in E♭ major after the Keyboard Sonata in E-flat major, Hob.XVI:25
Violin Sonata in A major after the Keyboard Sonata in A major, Hob.XVI:26
Violin Sonata in G major after the Keyboard Sonata in A-flat major, Hob.XVI:43
Violin Sonata in C major after the Divertimento in C major, Hob.II:11
Violin Sonata in F major after the String Quartet in F major, Hob.III:82
Violin Sonata in G major after the String Quartet in G major, Hob.III:81
A. Mozart, K. 6-9
L. van Beethoven, Op. 12.

OR two contrasting movements from
A. Corelli, 12 Sonatas op.5 (Sonata 1- 5)*
G.Tartini, 6 Sonatas op.6, Sonatas Op.5
Francesco S Geminiani, 12 Violin Sonatas op. 1, 1716 or Edition 1739
Nicola Porpora op.12
Francoise Couperin, Concerts Royaux ## 7,9*
J. Senaillé, 10 Violin Sonatas op.1* (#2)
J. Schmelzer, Violin Sonatas 1664
Jacquet de la Guerre, Sonatas ##1 – 6
F.M.Veracini, Sonata #1, Book 1
OR any fast movement from any Sonata for Violin and Piano
J.Brahms – No1,G Major, op78; No. 2, A major Op.100; No.3, D minor, op. 108;
R. Schumann – No.2, D minor, Op.121,
F. Schubert – Sonatinas Op.137 (No.1, A major, D384, No.2, A minor, D385, No.3, G minor, D 408) M.Ravel – No.2, in G M77
C. Franck, A major
Debussy – A major, FWV 8 (1886)
F. Poulenc, FP 119;S
Prokofiev – No. 1, F minor, op.80, No.2 D minor, op. 94a
Shostakovich, G major, Op. 13

Final Round

Please choose one work of groups #1, 2, and 3 (List of works)

Students may submit a request for approval of their own choice work(s) to the Violin Competition Committee.

I. One work for Violin and Piano from the following:
N. Paganini, I Palpiti 0p.13; Le Streghe op. 8 (Witches Dance); Il Carnevale di Venezia, op.10
G Tartini Devill’s Trills Sonata, , L’arte del arco
Weniawski, The Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 15, Polonaise brillante in A Major, Op. 21
P. de Sarasate, Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25
K. Szymanowski, 3 Myths Op.30
P.I. Tchaikovsky, Valse Scherzo Op.34 ;
C. Saint Saens, Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso
F. Kreisler, Caprice Viennois Op.2; La Gitana; Rondino Theme of Beethoven; Syncopation.
Marche miniature viennois.4
G. Gershwin -Heifetz, Porgy and Bess, (one piece only)
M. Ravel, Tzigane
I. Stravinsky, Duo Concertante; Suite Italienne* L.Dallapiccola, Tartiniana, Tartiniana Seconda;
R. Shchedrin, Journey to Eisenstadt, In Style of Albeniz

II. A Canadian work for solo violin or for Violin and Piano
Please choose from the list of featured Alberta composers
*Scores available through the Canadian Music Centre – Prairie region* (for more info on the CMC catalogue and requesting a score, please email Mihnea Nitu at mihneanitu@cmccanada.org.

Vincent Ho – Morning Song
Peter Jancewicz – Suite for violin and piano
Kristen Flores – Horizon; An Evening Song
Piotr Grella-Mozejko – Numen
George Andrix – Ten Pieces for Violin and Piano (Exploring the 20th Century for the emerging violinist) Allan Rae – Caamora; Three Movements for piano and violin
Piotr Grella-Mozejko – Moon down (originally for flute)
Allan Bell – Coriolis for violin and piano (available through the Toronto branch)
Quenten Doolittle – Suite for violin and piano
Hope Lee – Duo Solista
Vernon Murgatroyd – A festival arietta op. 113
**Available through composers only**
Cheryl Cooney – Lamentations (togetherart@gmail.com)
John Estacio – Shades of a Romance (info@johnestacio.com)
Allan Gilliland – Chaconne for Solo Violin (gillilanda@macewan.ca)
Piotr Grella-Mozejko – Largo, Organigami, and Notturno (www.mozejko.ca)
Vincent Ho – Sonata for violin and piano (vinceho.com/contact/)
Most have recordings available on Centrestreams through the CMC website, which requires a free CMC account that the applicants can make or can often be found on Youtube.

III. First movement from 20th Century Concertos for Violin and Orchestra.
S. Barber Op. 14
B. Bartok, ##1, 2
A. Berg
M. Castelnuovo-Tedesco , # 2, op 66 “The Prophets”
A. Ginastera
P. Hindemith
D. Milhaud, Concertino de Printemps Op. 135
A. Schoenberg
S. Prokofiev, #2, Op.63
I. Stravinsky
John. Adams

The program and repertoire guidelines for the Inaugural ARMTA Violin Competition was created by Dr. Chrysanthema Nikol, Violinist, Baroque Violinist, DMA, RMT