"Nikki Chooi enthralled in what would be a winning Sibelius, with blistering passion erupting from its ethereal opening pages"

The New Zealand Herald

The Michael Hill, as it is affectionately known, was granted international status only three years after its inception and has spawned, since then, multiple international stars including Josef Špaček, now concertmaster of the Czech Philharmonic; Joseph Lin, first violinist of the Juilliard String Quartet; and Sergey Malov, who has recently made his debut at the Berlin Philharmonie. It is one of the most demanding competitions in the business, and the winner receives $40,000, a record release with Atoll, and the most coveted prize of all - the winner’s tour.

This year’s winner is Canadian violinist Nikki Chooi, who bewitched audiences with his Sibelius at the finals in June 2013. He has quite a history already: a graduate of the Curtis Institute and now studying at Juilliard, he is a laureate of the 2012 Queen Elisabeth Violin competition, has performed at a variety of European venues including the Ravinia Festival and La Monnaie, and with a number of orchestras that range from the National Orchestra of Belgium to the Montreal Symphony.

Here he is joined by New Zealand’s most in demand international pianist, Stephen De Pledge, for three exciting programmes of absolute fireworks, from Ravel’s gypsy Tzigane and the De Falla Suite Espagnole, to the virtuoso Ysaÿe and profound Prokofiev No 1. Jack Body’s Caravan had critics raving for its evocative depiction of the Silk Road: and trios follow with cellist Ashley Brown, including Smetana’s Bohemian masterpiece, his piano trio of 1855.

The Michael Hill International Violin Competition launches names across the world: this is the tour that shows them off to New Zealand.

Presented in association with the Michael Hill International Violin Competition.