FERMO - Lucky them. The Gods of Olympus, Apollo, Zeus, Juno, the three Graces and the six dancing night Hours from their privileged position on the ceiling of the Aquila Theater of Fermo – they have been there for almost two centuries, inspired expression of the paintbrush of the Roman Luigi Cochetti -, for twenty years do not lose an edition of the Andrea Postacchini. What envy. Who knows if they, too, from up there among those fluffy clouds, follow enchanted the auditions, become passionate, are impatiently waiting for the results, rejoice for the victory of a competitor or get indignant for the failure to win of another one….
One thing is for sure: they too will surely realize that the Postacchini, born in 1994 from an idea of a middle-aged couple who wanted to organize an international event for their town, has followed “a trajectory of constant growth that has brought it in a position of élite at international level”, just to mention the words of Count Giulio Vinci Gigliucci, president of the Cultural Centre Antiqua Marca Firmana that organizes the competition.
An extraordinary success, confirmed by the excellent state of health of which still enjoys the event, in a time of crisis in which many other Italian (and not only) competitions are, realistically, or dying, or dead, or waiting for resurrection. The secret of the Postacchini lies in the ceaseless work of the founders, Milena Rogante and Roberto Perticarà (“for us the Prize is like a second son”), and a handful of others volunteers of the Antiqua Marca Firmana; in their extraordinary ability in involving institutions and companies of the area (they could write a manual of fundraising); in the word of mouth nourished by former jurors, always happy to come back in Fermo (with the complicity, as well of the excellent organization, even of the good food and the harmonious and relaxing beauty of the Marche hills) and to send their students there.
To celebrate the twentieth anniversary this year has been brought together, as in popular film of the 90’s, a gang of ex-presidents: a committee made up of former presidents of the jury coming from four continents directed by the Austrian Josef Hell, who for a week has left his commitments with the Wiener Philarmoniker and the Wiener Staatsoper to be back in Fermo. The registered violinists, aged between 8 and 35 years old, have been in all 110, coming from 36 countries.
While in most international violin competitions in Europe contestants compete in only one category with an average age usually between 18 and 26 years, the Postacchini is one of the few competitions to be divided into several groups: category “A” (8 – 11 years), “B” (12 – 16 years), “C” (17 – 21 years) and “D” (22 – 35 years): surely an incentive for the many talented “very young people” eager to face other violinists of their age. This explain the very high level of category “B”, almost every year the most interesting of the whole event.
This year too there have been candidates enrolled in a category higher than their age (the regulations allows it) and arrived up to the podium, as the English Edward Tomanek-Volynets (11 years old), finished second in the “B”, and the Chinese Yiliang Jiang (only 17 years old), finished second in the “D”.
Another extraordinary fact was the significant participation of Italian violinists: in the competition they were as many as sixteen. Of them, three arrived at the finals and two were on the podium: the German-Italian Mira Marie Foron (11 years) first in category “A” and the Florentine Matteo Cimatti (13 years) third in category “B”, defined by Felice Cusano, at his second experience in the jury, “an extraordinary talent”. The Prize City of Fermo, awarded to the Italian candidate who best performed the Paganini Capricci, went to Fabrizio Falasca (25 years), who stopped in the semifinals only because a bad flu.
However, the real victor of the 20th Postacchini was the New Zealander Amalia Hall (24 years). Graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music and already First Violin of Auckland Philharmonia, she was the winner of category “D”, of the Absolute Prize consisting of a violin by Enrico Cassutti and a bow by Walter Barbiero, and of the Prize “for the best interpretation of a composition of 19th, 20th or 21st centuries”. “An excellent musician – said about her the president of the jury Josef Hell -, fully aware of what she is playing: of the score, of its colors and of its expressive elements. She was the best in every test.”
Felice Cusano, on the other hand, supported until the last moment the Chinese Yilian Yiang, finished second: “I often perceive a dislike regarding Oriental people, dismissed as excellent performers with no personality: a prejudice that really bothers me, because it is not true! Jiang in the second test executed Ysaye in an unbelievable way and in the final its Paganini had a strength, a clarity, a precision……During the Adagio I was really touched. Such a musician in my opinion had to receive the First Prize”.
For the award ceremony and the final concert the Aquila Theatre was, as usual, overcrowded in its 1,000 seats divided between parterre and 124 boxes arranged in five tiers. Pity about the lack of audience during the finals (students of the Fermo Conservatory: where were you?): there is much to appreciate and to learn even from those who are not rewarded.
And therefore great and deserved feast for the organizers, jurors and all the winners, first of all Amalia Hall, who performed admirably Sibelius Concerto with the Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana. Cheers and long life to Postacchini Award!
POINTS OF VIEW
Padua luthier Alberto Cassutti talks about his experience at “Postacchini”
“When Roberto Perticarà, one of the founders of the Postacchini Competition, phoned me to commission me the violin that would be awarded to the winner of the competition, certainly I did not imagine the amazing experience that I would live at the end of May in the City of Fermo.
I could not possibly think that I would spend a week immersed in music, among young people coming from the whole wide world eager to let their talent be heard, animated by an uncontrollable passion for the violin, the same passion that drives you to practice for hours and hours, wherever you are, from early morning to late night.
From the choice of wood to the brush strokes, for the construction of the violin I tried to inspire me to Andrea Postacchini, the one who for twenty years gives his name to the competition which is held in that city of the Marche and hosts in the Aquila Theatre violinists from 8 to 35 years. Well-known luthier from Fermo, who lived between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, he was maker of violins of extreme elegance, with a fine and slender scroll, with soft and wide on the chest F-holes, with sharp and bowed extremities that suggest models of Montagnana.
In the foyer of the theatre was prepared a small exhibition with violins built by me and instruments by Maestro Postacchini. This little showcase was an opportunity to promote the art of violin making. I met school groups and tourists curious about materials, times and ways of construction of violins. During the week of the auditions I had the opportunity to listen to violinists of high preparation, who while waiting for the their turn or for the results of their category wanted to try my violin and the bow built by my colleague bow maker Walter Barbiero, award for the absolute winner.
After reading the article and the letters of Archi Magazine discussing how to promote classical music in Italy, I realized that the founders of Postacchini for long time are its promoters. I think I have contributed too – in my own way – in this mission through the magnificent art of violin making, to which is closely related.
Many have been the emotions I felt in these days: from feeling welcomed and part of a sublime project, to being able to enjoy beautiful music, up to listening to my own instruments played by talented violinists who switched with self-assurance from Ravel’s Tzigane to Sibelius to Paganini Capricci. The possibility of broaden its own horizons, breathing this sense of “internationality” that different languages and colors know how to give. The most intense moment among all was beyond doubt the presentation of my violin to the New Zealander winner Amalia Hall, in the final evening of the competition. That final concert has crowned the work of many people, whom I still thank for having me involved. A job done in one year of commitment, and animated by the great passion for music and for young people.
If you will have the chance, do not miss next edition of Postacchini Competition: even only one day of competition will be able to give you great emotions, like the ones I tried to tell you.”
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THE WINNERS OF THE 20th INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN COMPETITION
“ANDREA POSTACCHINI”
Fermo, May 18th to 25th, 2013
CATEGORY - A (8 –11 years)
1st classified: Mira Marie FORON (Italy / Germany) – 11 years
2nd classified: Mariam OBOLASHVILI (Georgia) – 9 years
3rd classified: Flavio-Rafael KOÇAK (Rumania) – 9 years
Students’ grant: not awarded
CATEGORY - B (12 –16 years)
1st classified: Elvina Sung-Eun AUH (U.S.A.) - 14 years
2nd classified: Edward TOMANEK-VOLYNETS ( England) – 11 years
3rd classified: Matteo CIMATTI (Italy) – 13 years
Students’ grant: Julian WALDER (Austria) – 13 years
CATEGORY - C (17 – 21 years)
1st classified: Teira YAMASHITA (Japan) – 18 years
2nd classified: Valeriya SIDORENKO (Russia) – 20 years
3rd classified: Polina BOLOTOVA ( Russia) – 21 years
Students’ grant: Akiko KAMIGAWARA (Japan) – 21 years
CATEGORY - D (22 – 35 anni)
1st classified: Amalia HALL (New Zealand) – 24 years
2nd classified: Yiliang JIANG (China) – 17 years
3rd classified: Nikolay GRABOVSKY ( Russia) – 25 years