First semifinal day - afternoon
Maria Zaitseva (°2001 - Russian Federation)
programme
Leopold Hofmann (1738 - 1793) - Concerto in D Badley D3
Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, dir. Vahan Mardirossian
She has a very professional approach and plays with great pleasure. During the concert she maintained contact with the orchestra members and the conductor, towards whom she constantly looked. Good chromatic balance, but lack of clarity in demanding passages. There is a tension perceptible, as if during her studies she has exceeded the allowed effort, where the instrument seems to overwhelm the artist. The sound of the cello could have been fuller, which was already noticeable in the first round where she showed a tendency to rush and use too little vibrato with Boccherini, where she also showed insufficient clarity in the piece Lullaby.
Isaac Lottman (°2003 - Netherlands)
programme
Anton Kraft (1749-1820) - Concerto in C op. 4
Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, dir. Vahan Mardirossian
Lottman is a student of Pieter Wispelwey. He impresses with his charisma and his demeanor of someone receiving inspiration. He has good control over the bow and an overall rich sound, but there is some lack of clarity at the very beginning and in the fast passages. He possesses artistic freedom and the ability to recover, to reorient himself, to recover after articulating complex passages and to regain calm and clarity.
Anna Meipariani (°2007 - Georgia)
programme
Harold Noben (°1978) - Caffeine
Sergey Prokofiev (1891-1953) - Sonata in C op. 119
Ilonka Heilingloh, piano accompanist
Full of joy, focus and passion, she forms a unity with the cello. She impresses with her sensitivity, sonorous tone and fantastic stage presence. She radiates confidence and plays with knowledge and inspiration. She and the cello seem to stimulate each other to give their best. Balance, calm, fluidity in all techniques, good control over bow movements.
Álvaro Lozano Cames (°2006 - Spain)
programme
Harold Noben (°1978) - Caffeine
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) - Sonata in C op. 65
Karl Davidov (1838-1889) - Twilight op. 20/4
Karl Davidov - By the Fountain op. 20/2
Naoko Sonoda, piano accompanist
He is appreciated for his versatile skills, his convincing intonation and his excellent sense of rhythm, which is especially evident in the extended pizzicato passage. He masters all techniques with ease: staccato, finger changes, pizzicato and combined techniques; he knows how to subtly vary the intensity: crescendo, diminuendo... In Davidov's Twilight an enchanting atmosphere was created. He demonstrates excellent craftsmanship in exploring the sound possibilities of the cello.