Media Advisory

Calgary youth takes top prize in international Concerto Competition

(CALGARY — July 11, 2012) Bryn Wiley was awarded the top scholarship in the Morningside Music Bridge (MMB) Concerto Competition on Friday, July 13 at the Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall in the Rozsa Center.

Each student performed with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO), and the concerto competition was juried by Loie Fallis, Director of Artistic Planning for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and Roberto Minczuk, Music Director of the CPO.

The winning concerto, composed by Rautavarra, was performed by Calgary native, Bryn Wiley. He has been playing it for almost two years, and had just two rehearsals with the CPO before performing on Friday night. Earlier in 2012, he was one of the four winners of the C3 Concerto Competition, and performed, with the Calgary Civic Symphony, the same piece.

Rautavarra is a physical composer, using more than just fingers and peddling to create sound from a piano, "Thirteen parts", Bryn counts, "ten fingers, my palm, wrist and forearm. He (Rautavarra) uses it when he needs to - it brings out a special part of the piece."

The Concerto was the last performed and brought the house to their feet. "The first time you hear it, you might not like it. But if you hear it a second time, then you will really like it."

This is Bryn's first summer with MMB, and at 18, the last year he is eligible to participate on scholarship. He is headed to McGill University to study with Sara Laimon in September.
 

2012 Morningside Music Bridge Concerto finals with Calgary Philharmonic
Orchestra, Alberta, Canada

1st place
Bryn Wiley, piano (Calgary, Canada)
Rautavarra, Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 45
I - Allegro maestoso

2nd place
Tate Zawadiuk, cello (Vancouver, Canada)
Elgar, Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85
IV - Allegro moderato, Allegro ma non troppo, Poco più lento, Adagio

3rd place
Shen Ziyu, viola (Shanghai, China)
Hindemith, Der Schwanendreher
II - Nun laube, Lindlein laube, Sehr ruhig - fugato
 

Finalists (in no particular order):
Barbara Warchalewska
Haydn, Cello Concerto in C Major
I - Moderato

Mateusz Duda
Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30
I - Allegro ma non troppo

Zhang Lijunyi
Mozart, Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major, K216
I - Allegro

Colleen Venables
Shostakovich, Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 99
IV - Burlesque: Allegro con brio - presto

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For further information contact:
Melanie Watson
Marketing and Communications Consultant
Mount Royal University Conservatory
403.440.6710
Cell: 403.700.8540
mwatson@mtroyal.ca