The organisers of this year’s Beijing International Music Competition (BJIMC) have announced that the violin section of this year’s contest has been cancelled. The cello section will go ahead as planned.
According to a statement, the BJIMC’s decision to cancel the violin part of the competition was taken because of ‘serious financial difficulties’. ‘The governmental reform on cultural activities is inevitably beneficial in the long run,’ the statement continued. ‘However, this leads us into financial plight.’
Taking place from 10 to 16 September, the cello section will bring together 35 candidates from around the world. Among the shortlisted cellists are the UK’s Jonathan Dormand, a finalist at both this year's Windsor Insternational String Competition and Pierre Fournier Award, and Korean Jiyoung Lee, who took the second prize at the 2014 Schoenfeld Competition in Harbin, China.
Founded in 2006, the BJIMC has a top prize of $25,000. It has so far consisted of five disciplines: cello, string quartet, opera, clarinet and flute, taking place over a four-year cycle. Previous winners have included cellists Edward King and Santiago Cañón Valencia, and the Kelemen Quartet.
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