A 20th Opus Prize!
At the Opus Prize Gala held on February 3rd at Bourgie Hall, the Molinari Quartet won its 20th Opus prize. The concert “The Quartet According to Ligeti” was selected as Concert of the Year – Modern, contemporary music. Many thanks to the public who filled the hall to listen to Ligeti’s fascinating musical path through his three string quartets.
Winners Concert
The concert of the Winners of the Molinari Quartet’s Seventh International Composition Competition was held on February 1st at the Conservatoire de Montréal. The public heard the four winning compositions selected among the 109 scores received from 26 countries. After the performance, the jury, formed by composers Brian Cherney and Maxime McKinley and the members of the Molinari Quartet, selected the final order of the winners. Here are the results:
1st Prize, 3000$ cash prize and a silkscreen by Guido Molinari: Jongsung Oh from South Korea
2nd Prize, 2000$ cash prize: Bertrand Chavarria-Aldrete fromMexico
3e Prize ex-aequo, 500$ cash prize: Menelaos Peistikos from Greece and Preston Beebe from the United States.
The Public’s Choice Prize 100$ cash prize: Menelaos Peistikos
A very warm thanks to the Guido Molinari Foundation for its generous gift of the Molinari silkscreen that is now on its way to South Korea!
Meeting and working with the competition winners
The four winners of the Molinari Quartets 7th International Composition Competition are in Montreal for the week to work with the Quartet. Bertrand Chavarria-Aldrete from Mexico, Menelaos Peistikos from Greece, Jongsung Oh from South Korea and Preston Beebe from the United States participated in the Dialogue sur le Plateau on Tuesday January 29th at the Maison de la culture Plateau Mont-Royal. They discussed and analyzed their works for the public and answered questions from the audience. On Friday February 1st at 7:30 pm at the Montreal Conservatory, the Molinari Quartet will premiere the 4 winning works. After the performance, the jury, made up of composers Brian Cherney, Maxime McKinley and the musicians from the Quartet will give the final results of the Competition. The First Prize winner will receive 3000$ and a silkscreen by Guido Molinari generously given by the Guido Molinari Foundation. The Second Prize winner will receive 2000$ and the Third Prize 1000$.
Our new Zorn CD
The Molinari Quartet’s new CD of the four first string quartets by American composer John Zorn will be released during its Winners’ Concert of the 7th International Composers Competition on Friday February 1st at 7:30 pm at the Conservatoire de Montréal. Recorded on the ATMA Classic label, you can hear on the CD Cat O’Nine Tails, Memento Mori, The Dead Man and Kol Nidre. The album will be on sale at the concert and also on the ATMA website as well as on your favourite music platform.
Finalist for the Opus Prizes
The Molinari Quartet has just learnt that it is in nomination for 4 Opus Prizes.
Awarded by the Quebec Music Council, the Opus Prizes underline musical excellence on the Quebec concert stage. The 22nd Gala, which celebrates the 2017-2018 concert season, will be held on February 3 2019 at Bourgie Hall at Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
Here are the Molinari Quartet’s nominations :
Recording of the year – Modern, contemporary music for Klezmer Dreams, André Moisan, Quatuor Molinari, Jean Saulnier, ATMA Classique.
Concert of the year – Montreal for The Quartet According to Ligeti, January 26 2018
Concert of the year – Modern and Contemporary Music for The Quartet According to Molinari, November 10 2018
Concert of the year – Modern and Contemporary Music for The Quartet According to Ligeti, January 26 2018