As rain, wind and cold descended on the evening of December 11, a small crowd gathered, braving the inclement weather to hear and see the instrumental playing of the six semi-finalists in this year’s Prix du violon d’or.

At the end of the semi-final round, violinists Jueun Lee, Joey Manchin and Justin Saulnier were recommended by the jury to move on to the final round on Friday, December 13.

Their performances respectively highlighted qualities of playing, interpretation and technical mastery in diverse programs of contrasting dynamics. South Korean-born Jueun Lee, accompanied on piano by Itamar Prag, drew the audience into the sparkling world of Mozart with the Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 22, and into the folkloric world of Edvard Grieg with the Violin Sonata No. 2 in G major. In addition to her clear sound and precise articulation, it was the young performer’s stage presence and energy, as well as her apparent complicity with her pianist, that captured the audience’s attention.

Joey Manchin offered a heartfelt, polished interpretation of the second movement of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in A major, Paul Hindemith’s Sonata for Solo Violin No. 2 and the first two movements of César Franck’s Sonata in A major. The intimate dialogue between piano and violin in Beethoven’s work highlighted the purity of sound and clarity of lines exchanged between the two instrumentalists. Plunging the audience into a completely different aesthetic, Hindemith’s sonata was packed with chromatic lines and different playing techniques, which Manchin was able to demonstrate. In Franck’s sonata, accompanied by Veola Sun, he expressed in the work’s vaporous sonorities a frank control of the different dynamics, moving from languorous lines to lively, animated passages.

Justin Saulnier shone with pure lines and limpid musical discourse in Schubert’s Sonatina in D major, while Paganini’s short Caprice No. 17 in E flat major, with its velocity of violin lines, showcased his technical mastery. He was also the only semi-finalist to include two pieces by contemporary composers in his program: Ana Sokolovic’s Chant and the third of the Sonata for violin and piano by composer and conductor Dinuk Wijeratne. The presentation of this type of repertoire, the antithesis of the majority of the works we heard during the evening, provided a welcome dose of variety, and demonstrated Saulnier’s abilities in this type of musical language and discourse, where he was supported by Gaspard Tanguay-Labrosse.

The three competitors who didn’t make the cut have nothing to be ashamed of. Violist Alexander Beggs impressed us with his warm, woody and stable sound. His program, consisting of Franz Joseph Haydn’s Divertimento in D major – in an arrangement by Gregor Piatigorsky – and Rebecca Clarke’s Sonata for Viola and Piano, was the most aesthetically introspective. This enhanced her musicality, but perhaps did her virtuosity and contrasts a disservice. American-Japanese violinist Satoka Abo opted for a program in which technical virtuosity took precedence. Her performances of Brahms’ Sonatensatz and Franz Waxman’s Carmen-Fantaisie were high-flying moments, but lacked precision in places. The sparkling first movement of Mozart’s Sonata in B flat major and Amy Beach’s warm Romance brought contrasts and calm to his explosive program. Finally, cellist François Lamontagne offered a contrasting performance with an excerpt from Beethoven’s Cello Sonata No. 3 and Gaspar Cassado’s Suite for Solo Cello, which was beautifully intense but could have been more danceable.

The final of the Prix du violon d’or 2024-2025 will take place on Friday December 13 at 7pm in the Tanna Schulich Hall.

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After four vibrant performances by the finalist ensembles, the Horatio Quartet has won the grand prize in the Schulich School of Music’s annual chamber music competition. The musicians win a residency at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg and a performance at the Canadian Centre for Architecture as part of Schulich@Bon-Pasteur series. 

The finals took place at Tanna Schulich Hall and were broadcast live. The jury for this stage was made up of Catherine Cosbey, Sara Laimon, Jacqueline Leclair and David Stewart. 

The Trio At Work ensemble, comprising violinist Abigail Sunde, cellist Conrad Sobieraj and pianist Jisu Yeum, opened the evening with the Allegro from Mozart’s Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano No. 3. Their light-hearted interpretation transported us into Mozart’s elegance and clarity. In Mendelssohn’s Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano No. 1, which followed, a certain rigidity was felt at times, occasionally depriving the interpretation of vulnerability, but the climaxes were musically well controlled. Clean articulations and just nuances demonstrated their great technical mastery. 

The second ensemble to perform, the Lyra Quartet, featured Lucy Nemeth and Jessica Tovey on violins, Hudson Maness on viola, and Ellamay Mantie on cello. From the very first bars of the Allegro from Haydn’s String Quartet No. 2 in F major, Op. 77, their cohesion was evident. The semi-circular placement typical of string quartets certainly favors fluid visual and gestural communication. Still, despite this advantage, each movement seemed naturally amplified by the other, giving us the impression that they were both breathing from the same breath. Their performance culminated in Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 3 in F major, Op. 73. By turns carrying innocence and gravity, they exploited the full dynamic potential of this work. Their impeccable phrasing and accuracy of both intonation and emotion offered a moment of rare intensity, both rigorous and profoundly human.

After the intermission, the Horatio Quartet, comprising violinists Justin Saulnier and Joey Machin, violist Alex Beggs and cellist Gabriel Vincent, performed Haydn’s String Quartet in D major No. 4, Op. 20. Their exemplary precision and solidity were evident from the very first lines. The first violin, carried by Justin Saulnier, brilliantly sustained its predominant role throughout the work, infusing the ensemble with constant vitality. Their performance continued with the first movement of Debussy’s String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10, where they demonstrated sensitivity and expressive contrasts. 

The evening concluded with the Alexa Trio, made up of violinist Joseph Tsao, cellist Alexander Lewis and pianist Chris Peng. Their performance began with the first movement of Beethoven’s Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano No. 1 in D major, Op. 70, where the piano evoked a softness in the ensemble. They then performed Smetana’s Trio for violin, cello and piano in G minor, Op.15, which opens with a poignant violin solo, followed by the piano’s entrance, bringing depth and nuance. The work is remarkably well-balanced, giving each player an individual voice to let his or her instrument and musicality shine. Their interpretation was breathtaking, exalting the work’s intense, vibrant emotions.