Featuring:
Archival Concert Footage from Past Competitions and Interviews with Jurors and Past Participants

Over two days, October 16 and 17, The Violin Channel will present six concerts from past Menuhin Competitions, featuring the remarkable young violinists who participated in the Competition in Cardiff (2008) , Oslo (2010), Beijing (2012), Austin (2014), London (2016), and Geneva (2018). The concert footage will be complemented by interviews and discussions with past participants who have gone on to successful careers as concert artists, educators and entrepreneurs; Menuhin jurors; members of the team bringing the Competition to Richmond in May 2021; and introductions by Gordon Back, Artistic Director of the Menuhin Competition.  

The Menuhin Competition is held every two years in a different location and brings together 44 of the world’s most extraordinary young violinists - 22 Juniors (ages 15 and under) and 22 Seniors (ages 21 and under). It was scheduled to take place in Richmond, VA in May 2020, but had to be rescheduled to May 13-23, 2021 due to the pandemic.* The Competition offers the remarkable young musicians who participate an immersion in music—among peers, mentors and audiences—with concerts by jurors, past winners and guest artists; workshops and masterclasses; panel discussions; and the opportunity to share their music with the local community through a variety of engagement activities.
*All competitors in 2021 are competing in the same age divisions for which they were accepted, even if they have aged out in the intervening year.

The panel of esteemed jurors for 2021 represents the highest caliber of educational institutions, orchestras, and competition circuits: violinist Pamela Frank (Chair), violinist and conductor Joji Hattori (Vice-Chair), violinist Noah Bendix-Balgley, violinist and entrepreneur Aaron Dworkin, cellist Ralph Kirshbaum, pianist Piers Lane, violinist Soyoung Yoon, and violinist Angelo Xiang Yu.  Violinist Ray Chen, who was to be part of the jury for 2021, had to withdraw due to scheduling conflicts.    

The artists-in-residence are a critical part of the Competition, providing a diverse and complementary series of concerts and educational activities throughout the Competition. These established touring artists have all committed to participating in the Menuhin Competition Richmond 2021: the Sphinx Virtuosi, Mark & Maggie O’Connor and Regina Carter; wellness experts Howard Nelson and Intermission; and conductors Jahja Ling and Andrew Litton. 

The consortium of local institutions that came together to host this international cultural event in Richmond enthusiastically recommitted to hosting the postponed Competition in 2021. Led by the Richmond Symphony the returning hosts are the City of Richmond, VPM, Virginia's home for public media, the University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University. 

Valentina Peleggi, Music Director, Richmond Symphony

The Richmond Symphony continues its Masterworks series with "Hymn to a New Beginning," presented at Dominion Energy Center, October 16-18, with COVID-19 health & safety procedures in place. The Saturday evening livestream of the concert takes place at 8:00 pm, just after the conclusion of the Violin Channel festival, and will be the first chance for online viewers to see the Symphony's new Music Director, Valentina Peleggi, in action with with the Symphony. 

“Our 2020-21 season," says Peleggi, "is an inspired tribute to Richmond’s spirit of resilience, hope, and connection as we navigate these unprecedented times. Now more than ever music has the power to heal, to inspire, and to connect all of us. We are excited to be offering live events and livestream experiences to connect us in these isolating times and hope you will be surprised and delighted by the program as it unfolds.” 

Joining the orchestra for Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, K. 219 (“Turkish”) is violinist Melissa White. White is a member of the Harlem String Quartet and, as a member of the Sphinx Virtuosi, will be performing at the Menuhin Competition Richmond 2021 in May of next year; she will also be appearing as an artist in residence with Elena Urioste, leading Intermission workshops on wellness in performance.

Violinist Melissa White

Friday, October 16 at 7pm
Saturday, October 17 at 8pm (with Livestream)
Sunday, October 18 at 3pm
Valentina Peleggi, Conductor - New Music Director this season!
Melissa White, Violin
GABRIELI Canzon Septimi Toni No. 2*
RESPIGHI Ancient Airs and Dances, Set 3*
MOZART: Concerto No. 5 in A major for Violin and Orchestra, K. 219
DVORAK: Serenade in E major for String Orchestra, Opus 22
*Saturday and Sunday only

About Valentina Peleggi
Described by the BBC Music Magazine as a “rising star,” Peleggi has led orchestras from around the world including most recently the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. In 2018 she joined English National Opera for 2 seasons as a Mackerras Fellow, conducting Carmen, Boheme, Orpheus in the Underworld and Dido and Aeneas. She returns as a guest in 2021, when she will also debut at Garsington Opera. For a full bio, click here.

About the Menuhin Competition Trust
The Menuhin Competition is the world’s leading international competition for young violinists, held every two years in a different city (most recently in Geneva in 2018, London in 2016, Austin, Texas in 2014, Beijing in 2012 and Oslo in 2010). Founded by Yehudi Menuhin in 1983, the Competition attracts hundreds of entries from countries across the globe, choosing only 44 of the world’s very best young violinists to participate. The Competition discovers, encourages and nurtures exceptionally talented young musicians from all corners of the globe under the age of 22 to develop into the next generation of great artists.

As one of Yehudi Menuhin’s most valuable legacies, the Competition continues to uphold his status as a cultural ambassador and true world citizen by creating an exceptional family atmosphere of learning and exchange. Collaborative in its spirit, the focus is placed on participation and learning rather than winning the 1st Prize.

Creating a stimulating environment in which talented young violinists may learn and grow has always been and will remain at the heart of the Menuhin Competition. This is not limited to the Competition period and the Menuhin Competition Trust strives to provide prizewinners with a variety of performance opportunities to develop their musical careers.

About Richmond Symphony
Celebrating its 63rd Season in 2020-21, the Richmond Symphony is the largest performing arts organization in Central Virginia. The Symphony's new Music Director, Valentina Peleggi, takes the podium beginning with the 2020-21 season. The organization includes an orchestra of more than 70 professional musicians, the 150-voice Richmond Symphony Chorus and more than 260 students in the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra programs. Each season, more than 200,000 members of the community enjoy live concerts and radio broadcasts. The Symphony also provides educational outreach programs to over 55,000 students and teachers each year. The Symphony was named one of 21 American orchestras first selected as a leader in orchestra innovation by the League of American Orchestras through its Futures Fund Initiative. The Richmond Symphony is partially funded by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. Visit www.richmondsymphony.com for more information.