Enescu Violin Competition ends in controversy

The violin section of the Enescu Competition in Bucharest ended in confusion and some acrimony on Monday night (17 September) when only the second and third prizes were awarded.

The jury, led by Pierre Amoyal, left themselves three male violinists to choose from, playing in the Athenaeum with the Enescu Philharmonic, conducted by Christoph Poppen.

Vikram Sedona (18) was awarded second prize for his engaging performance of the Brahms Concerto; Giuseppi Gibboni (17) third, for a technically accomplished Paganini No. 1; and Orest Smovzh (27, from Ukraine) nothing at all for an imperfect Tchaikovsky concerto that still gave considerable pleasure to those in the hall.

The jury was clearly more than divided, with some members offering the two Italian competitors extra post-competition opportunities, and others feeling that at least one of the three women in the semi-final round should have had a chance to perform with the orchestra.

A week earlier the cello prize was given in less contentious circumstances to Estonian Marcel Johannes Kits (23), ahead of Yibai Chen (China), Stanislas Kim (France), and Shizuka Matsui (Japan). The piano round will be decided on 23 September. The competition has been held intermittently since 1953, though this is only 16th edition, and now takes place in even numbered years.

https://www.festivalenescu.ro/en/

Full report in November’s Classical Music.