Thomas Demenga
Cello Jury 2021
Biography
Thomas Demenga, born in Berne, Switzerland, studied with Walter Grimmer, Antonio Janigro, Leonard Rose and Mstislav Rostropovich, among others. Important chamber-musical influences were Claus Adam, Felix Galimir and Robert Mann at the Juilliard School in New York.
As an internationally renowned soloist, composer and teacher, Thomas Demenga counts among the most outstanding cellists and musicians of our time. He has performed at important festivals and musical centres around the globe and shared the stage with fellow musicians such as Heinz Holliger, Gidon Kremer, Thomas Larcher, Paul Meyer, Aurèle Nicolet, Hansheinz Schneeberger, Thomas Zehetmair and Tabea Zimmermann. He works with conductors such as Moshe Atzmon, Myung-Whun Chung, Charles Dutoit, Claus Peter Flor, Howard Griffiths, Heinz Holliger, Armon Jordan, Okko Kamu, Mstislav Rostropovich, Dennis Russell Davies, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Sándor Végh, Mario Venzago, and Hiroshi Wakasugi. As a soloist he has collaborated with, among others, the following orchestras: Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester, Berner Symphonie Orchester, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Camerata Bern, Junge Deutsche Philharmonie, Kammerorchester Basel, L’Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Nieuw Ensemble Amsterdam, ORF-Symphonieorchester Wien, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Sinfonietta Basel, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Westdeutsches Rundfunk Symphonie-Orchester, and Zürcher Kammerorchester.
Thomas Demenga’s artistic work is determined by intensive confron-tation with different historical eras and styles of interpretation and composition. He dedicates himself with particular intensity to New Music and is also active as an improviser. Thus his individual voice as a composer and interpreter of 20th and 21st century works (among them important prèmieres) gives a new and complementary dimension to both the historical performance practice of baroque music and his virtuoso interpretations of the classical and romantic repertoire. In 1991 he was the first Swiss composer to be awarded first prize for his composition «solo per due» by the congress of the «Tribune Internationale des Compositeurs».
Since 1980 Thomas Demenga has led a class for students and soloists at the Hochschule für Musik in Basel.
In August 2000 he was composer-in-residence at the Davos Festival, «Young Artists in Concert», and was subsequently appointed artistic director of the festival. In 2006 he gave up this position in order to commit himself fully to performing and composing again.
In the Lucerne Festival in summer 2003, Thomas Demenga participated as «artiste étoile», succeeding Sabine Meyer (2000), Anne-Sophie Mutter (2001) and Alfred Brendel (2002), Thomas Quasthoff (2004), Christian Tetzlaff (2005) and Emanuel Pahud (2006).
Thomas Demenga’s work is documented impressively on a number of CD recordings on the ECM New Series label. In 2002 ECM issued the final volume of a widely-acclaimed series begun in the mid-80s whicgh combined Bach’s solo suites with works by modern composers such as Holliger, Carter, Veress, Zimmermann, Yun and Hosokawa. His latest CD “Chongur” with Thomas Larcher and accordianist Teodoro Anzellotti has been awarded with the “Deutsche Schallplattenpreis”, “Fono Forum: Star of the Months”, “Grammaphone: Editors Choice” and “Le monde de la musique: le choc du mois” (ECM 1914).
Last season he played the six Bach solo suites combined with modern solo works in three succesful concerts in London’s Wigmore Hall.
Events

CELLO COMPETITION 2021
FINAL ROUND WITH ORCHESTRA
Thursday 28 Oct. | 7:00 PM, Victoria Hall, Geneva
PROGRAMME
-
Jaemin Han, 15 years old, South Korea
E. Elgar, Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85
1. Adagio – moderato
2. Lento – Allegro molto
3. Adagio
4. Allegro – Moderato – Allegro, ma non troppo – Poco più lento -
Michaki Ueno, 25 years old, Japan
W. Lutoslawski, Cello Concerto
1. Introduction
2. Four Episodes
3. Cantilena
4. Finale -
Bryan Cheng, 24 years old, Canada
E. Elgar, Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85
1. Adagio – moderato
2. Lento – Allegro molto
3. Adagio
4. Allegro – Moderato – Allegro, ma non troppo – Poco più lento
With the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, conducted by Georg Fritzsch

CELLO COMPETITION 2021: SEMI-FINAL ROUND (SESSIONS 3 & 4)
Sunday 24 Oct. | 4 PM / 7 PM, Salle Franz Liszt, Conservatoire de Genève
SESSION 3, 4PM
Ms Min Ji KIM, South Korea, 26 years old
Piano : Ivani VENTURIERI
Clavecin : Constance TAILLARD
- L. Boccherini: Sonata in A Major G. 4
- I. Yun: Glissées
- D. Shostakovich: Sonata in D minor, Op. 40
- G. Piatigorsky: Variations on a Paganini theme
Mr Michiaki UENO, Japan, 25
years old
Piano : Julien GERNAY
Clavecin : Constance TAILLARD
- J.S. Bach: Sonata in D Major BWV 1028
- I. Xenakis: Kottos
- B. Britten: Cello SuiteN°2, Op. 80
- F. Schubert: Rondo in B minor, D. 895
SESSION 4, 7PM
Mr Bryan CHENG, Canada, 24 years old
Piano : Silvie CHENG
Clavecin : Constance TAILLARD
- L. Boccherini: Sonata in C minor G. 2
- E. Carter: Figment
- F. Poulenc: Cello Sonata, FP 143
- D. Shostakovich,Sonata in D minor, Op. 40 (3rd, 4th movements)
- M. de Falla (arr. Gendron/Cheng): La vida breve
Mr Maxime QUENNESSON, France, 26 years old
Piano : Katsura MIZUMOTO
Clavecin : Constance TAILLARD
- J.S. Bach: Sonata in D Major BWV 1028
- K. F. Abel: Arpeggiata, Wko 205
- E. Carter: Figment
- C.M. Widor:3 pièces, Op. 2 (n°1, 3, 2)
- L. Boellmann: Cello Sonata in A minor, Op. 40

CELLO COMPETITION 2021: SEMI-FINAL ROUND (SESSIONS 1 & 2)
Saturday 23 Oct. | 4 PM / 7 PM, Salle Franz Liszt, Conservatoire de Genève
SESSION 1, 4PM
Ms Maria ZAYTSEVA, Russian Federation, 20 years old
Piano : Maria ZAYTSEVA
Clavecin : Constance TAILLARD
- J.S. Bach: Sonate in G minor BWV 1029
- E. Carter: Figment
- C. Franck: Violin Sonata in A Major
Mr Jaemin HAN, South Korea, 15
years old
Piano : Ivani VENTURIERI
Clavecin : Constance TAILLARD
- J.S. Bach: Sonata G Major BWV 1027
- I. Yun: Glissées
- F. Poulenc: Cello Sonata, FP 143
- M .Rostropovich: Humoresque, Op. 5
SESSION 2, 7 PM
Mr Samuel NIEDERHAUSER, Switzerland, 23 years old
Piano : Shih-Yu TANG
Clavecin : Constance TAILLARD
- L. Boccherini: Sonata in C minor G. 2
- J. Klengel: Scherzo in D minor, Op. 6
- J. Harvey: Ricercare una melodia, for violoncello and electronics
- T. Demenga: EFEU
- S. Prokofiev: Cello Sonata in C major, Op. 119
Mr En-Chun LIN, Taiwan, 20 years old
Piano : Julien GERNAY
Clavecin : Constance TAILLARD
- L. Boccherini: Sonata in C minor G. 2
- E. Carter: Figment
- R. Schumann: Five pieces in Folk style, Op. 102
- J. Brahms: Sonata N°2 in F major, Op. 99

CELLO COMPETITION 2021
ONLINE RECITAL: 13-19 SEPTEMBER 2021
37 cellists aged 15 to 30 years old from 19 nationalities have been selected to participate in the 75th Geneva International Music Competition, section Cello. Due to the ongoing global pandemic, the first part of the 2021 Competition is held online. Selected candidates had until August 15th to submit their video recordings of the Online Recital, which will be streamed virtually from 13-19 September 2021 on www.concoursgenve.ch, YouTube, Facebook and The Violin Channel. Results will be announced on Sunday 19 September, 1:00 PM (GMT+2).
> See online recital broadcast schedule
PROGRAMME
-
J. S. Bach : one of the following Suites for violoncello solo
- Suite N° 2 in D min. BWV 1008
- Suite N° 3 in C Maj. BWV 1009
- Suite N° 4 in E flat Maj. BWV 1010
Candidates may perform the entire Suite or select movements they wish to perform (minimum 3). They are given the option to play the repeats.
- One piece from 20th century for cello solo from the following list :
- G. Crumb : Sonata for violoncello solo
- P. Hindemith : Sonata for violoncello solo
- Z. Kodaly : Sonata Op. 8 (movement 1)
- G. Ligeti : Sonata fpr violoncello solo
- H. Dutilleux : 3 Strophes sur le nom de Sacher
- K. Penderecki : Per Slava
- A. Ginastera : Puñena 2
- B. Britten : Suite N° 2 (declamato, scherzo, ciaccona)
- L. v. Beethoven: Sonata for violoncello and piano in C Maj. Op. 102 N°1
- One piece at free choice (optional) : Candidates may add a free choice piece to their Online Recital, provided that it does not exceed the 45-minute limit.