The Royal Northern College of Music holds its annual Gold Medal Competition on Saturday 14th June at the Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall in the Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama at the University of Manchester.
The Competition is the most prestigious in the RNCM’s calendar and will see ten of the RNCM’s most outstanding performers and composers competing during a one day feast of concerts before an expert panel.
2014 marks two firsts for the completion – firstly that it is being held outside of the college and secondly that for the first time four composers are taking part having prepared works to be performed by the outstanding Borealis Saxophone Quartet.
The competition is judged by a five member expert panel – Dr Michelle Castelletti (artistic Director of the Royal Northern College of Music), Jessica Duchen (Classical Music Journalist for The Independent) Professor Linda Merrick (Principal at the RNCM), Robert Saxton (Composer) and Simon Webb (General Manager of the BBC Philharmonic).
Events are split into five concerts, staring at 10am and concluding with the award being made in an announcement at 8pm.
The concerts will see a wide and varied repertoire and instruments being performed, featuring the likes of Beethoven’s Fantasia, Ravel’s Tzigane, Andy Scott’s Whisper Goodbye, Rachmaninov’s Piano Sonata No 2 in B flat minor and Stevens’ Rhythmic Caprice.
Starting proceedings at 10am will be the first three competitors Helen Clinton (Oboe), Aled Smith (composer – with a piece prepared for the Borealis Saxophone Quartet) and Kimi Makino (viola).
11.45am – Meinir Wyn Roberts (Soprano); Nelson Bohorquez (composer – with a piece prepared for the Borealis Saxophone Quartet); and Jeremy So (piano).
2.15pm – Michael Jackson (saxophone); and Leanne Cody (piano).
4pm – Lauren Fielder (soprano); Sergio Cote (composer – with a piece prepared for the Borealis Saxophone Quartet); and Kana Ohashi (violin).
6pm – Delia Stevens (percussion); Richard Evans (composer – with a piece prepared for the Borealis Saxophone Quartet); and Alexander Panfilov.
8pm – RNCM Gold Medal Competition 2014 Winners’ Announcement.
All events of the day are free, with no ticket required. The full listings for each concert may be found here.
