Testimonials
"The Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition has become a major player in the support network for live chamber music performance that spans the globe. The Competition has brought to our attention many young and emerging ensembles that might have otherwise remained unnoticed."
Carl Vine
Artistic Director
Musica Viva Australia
"In 1991, the inaugural Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition declared the city's aspiration to become an international chamber music capital. Two decades later, with finals at a specialist venue the competition helped inspire, on a stage named in honour of MICMC's adored patron, and in a city bustling with youthful chamber groups, the dream has become a reality."
Eamonn Kelly
The Australian Tuesday 19th July 2011
"Describing our experiences in Australia in just a few sentences is almost impossible as we came back home with so many wonderful impressions!
First of all, we were really impressed by the competition audience. In all of the competitions we have done during the last years, this has definitely been the most excited, most attentive and most supportive audience we have ever had. And also the fact that all competition rounds were broadcast live on ABC Radio showed us the huge interest of the Australian people in this competition.
We had an amazing time with the MICMC-staff backstage - they all supported us with so much warmth and kindness. We hope to see them all again, when we come back to Melbourne.
It was very exciting to see all the differences between Australia and Europe. Almost all the trees we saw in Australia were new to us, and the birds we heard singing in the morning sounded completely different from those singing in Cologne. Our wonderful host Wanda took us to the Healesville Sanctuary where we had the chance to see all the amazing Australian animals we have never seen before like the wombat, the kangaroo and the echidna (adorable!).
The competition itself just made us so very happy in the end, even though it was very exhausting of course. We had worked very hard for a long time to prepare all the pieces and also to prepare ourselves to feel as free and relaxed during the competition rounds as possible. Playing in front of a jury is never be the same as performing in a concert but we all enjoyed the finals in the Melbourne Recital Centre very very much! The acoustic there is probably one of the best worldwide.
Bringing home the First AND the Grand Prize, made us very proud. It was like one of our biggest dreams finally came true."
Lena Eckels, viola
Amaryllis Quartett
Winners of the Monash University Grand Prize and The Robert Salzer Foundation Prize in the 6th Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, 2011
“The first trip for the Kelemen Quartet to Australia for the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition has left an impression that will be with us forever: musically and personally it was surely unforgettable! The professionalism of the staff of the competition, the hospitality of the people and mostly the positive inspiration of the audience were just a few of the many great memories of our time in Melbourne. Playing in wonderful halls and hearing other quartets was a very positive and inspiring experience. We are very happy that we will be back for a professional tour in 2014 - thanks to Musica Viva – and happy that we will also have the opportunity to premiere a piece by Ross Edwards on that tour. We are also looking forward to getting in touch with the Hungarian community as there are almost 100,000 Hungarians living in Australia! Our ars poetica is to always react to the inspiration of the very moment of the performance, to the audience and to each other on stage and we are all looking forward to being back in Australia and to giving some once-in-a -lifetime concerts. And not to forget that all string quartets were written to have joy for the artists as well as for the audience! We hope to see you all soon!”
The Kelemen Quartet
Winners of the Musica Viva Australia Prize,The Chamber Music Australia Patrons' Circle Prize and
Audience Prize - Peter Druce Prize
in the 6th Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, 2011
"We applied for this competition back in August 2010. To apply, we had to send in a DVD of one of our live performances. Then, after a few months’ nervous wait, we found out that we were invited to a live audition in Paris. On a freezing December morning, we took the 5am train from Geneva to Paris to play at the Cité des Arts. We felt like our audition went well, but we knew that we had some tough competition in the other groups, especially since only 8 trios would be accepted into the competition. Finally, in January, the email arrived from Chamber Music Australia, and you can imagine the squealing and jumping around and hugging that ensued when we found out we got in! We would be flying home to Melbourne in July to represent Australia in the biggest chamber music competition in the world – a dream come true for us."
Emma Jardine, violin
Streeton Trio
"To experience the Melbourne International Chamber music competition from the standpoint of being an adjudicator of the 2nd round right through to the final note being sounded in the Melbourne Recital Centre was a most illuminating and enjoyable experience. Melbourne is certainly a great place to host such an event as was evidenced by the great audiences who continued to turn up to the heats and then the finals. The feeling in the hall was one of high excitement and I was amazed that in mid winter Melbourne with coughs and colds in abundance (I was one such sufferer), the performances were heard in almost total and focused silence. Melbourne listeners really crave their chamber music and the competition provides an almost overabundance of it for these addicts.
The final results were fairly much as I would have expected although a couple of outcomes were most disappointing. However that is the nature of Juries and competitions and I think the overall experience for all of those competing would have appeared a fair and equitable one let alone a great performance opportunity.
Chamber music is a highly specialized art form and there are so many factors that go into presenting a cogent and enjoyable listening experience. For me, in terms of real chamber music playing, only a few groups gave us the 'real deal'. Some groups brought great energy to the stage but this unfortunately was sometimes coupled with less than satisfactory musical understanding. Aspects of balance and phrasing are crucial elements in the formation of a great chamber music performance and quite a number of groups fell short of these demanding elements preferring instead to thrill with attack, volume and velocity. I am being critical of very fine young musicians I know but we are talking here about one of the highest forms of musical expression and with that comes great responsibility; to produce a balanced and cohesive musical experience must be the highest priority.
However overall, the chance to hear so much wonderful music played in what really became more of a chamber music festival than a competition outweighs any concerns I may have of the general state of chamber music performance. Chamber Music is here to stay and I think the audiences (in Melbourne at least) have shown that to be the case."
Associate Professor Keith Crellin OAM
Elder Conservatorium of Music
The University of Adelaide
(Adjudicator of second round live auditions for the 6th Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition)
"It was my great pleasure and honour to be a jury member for the second stage of the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition this year, a wonderful way to become involved in one of the highlights of Australia's musical landscape after my 30 years being based in Europe. From this perspective - and as a former participant in several major international competitions - I can truly say that MICMC represents a benchmark for how to ensure the best performances from the best participants, which is what every competition should aspire to. The net is cast wide, impartiality maximised (different juries for each of the major stages), and the experience during the final stage in Melbourne is electric for both competitors and audiences alike. The buzz that the competition creates both here and abroad testifies to the invaluable contribution that MICMC makes to the health and future of chamber music in general."
Howard Penny
Resident faculty member Australian National Academy of Music
Lecturer in performance practice at the University Mozarteum Salzburg
(Adjudicator of second round live auditions for the 6th Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition)
"The thing I love about MICMC is the relaxed atmosphere, which I really think is unique in this world. That, and the friendliness and support of the audience."
Emma Ayres
ABC Classic FM
Presenter of live radio coverage of the 6th Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition
"We have been involved in a number of the Competitions and always find them exciting and utterly rewarding. Many things, I think, contribute to this…the organizing/managing team itself is really remarkable; everyone is incredibly committed and enthusiastic, approachable and responsive and that is quite inspirational. Then, of course, the musicians bring with them a vibrancy and energy that is keenly felt and the standard of playing seems to have gone up and up with each competition. This means that one becomes immersed in an intense and thrilling time of music making, often hearing the same works played a number of times by different groups which has its own rewards. In our various ways we all become, for a time, ‘mini judges’ which inevitably leads to lively discussions between sessions. I think, too, the enthusiasm of the audience and the fact that so many attend session after session helps create a unique and exciting atmosphere. Undoubtedly, Melbourne has gained immeasurably from the Competitions and the lively, flourishing culture of Chamber Music is witness to this. Ken and I are involved in a very minor way but even such a small involvement has been incredibly enriching for us and we are full of admiration for the team that leads this programme."
Ken and Marian Scarlett
Volunteers
"I certainly had a great time at both the MICMCs for which I hosted quartets. The young people in both quartets were delightful (Austrians in 2007 and from the UK this year). They were, I believe, grateful for the attention. It was a special pleasure to take them to see a little of the countryside, to visit some Australian animals and of course to visit at least one winery. Overall the event was a great success and a credit to all who had to deliver it"
John Garran
Volunteer and ensemble host
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