Here are the results of the new Yuri Falik International Competition for Composers, organized by the St Petersburg Cello Ensemble directed by Olga Rudneva. The competition was dedicated to the illustrious memory of Yuri Alexandrovich Falik, the distinguished Russian composer, cellist, conductor and teacher; it was held in May – June 2012 in St Petersburg.

The organizing committee for the competition:

Olga Ivanovna RUDNEVA,
General Director of the St Petersburg Cello Ensemble,
artistic director of the group and chairman of the Organizing Committee;

Mikhail Georgievich ZHURAVLEV,
composer, chairman of the ‘Russian Tradition’ Association;

Fedor Vladimirovich KALININ,
member of the St Petersburg Cello Ensemble.

The judging panel consisted of invited well-known composers, members of the St Petersburg Composers’ Union, including professors of the St Petersburg Conservatory. The jury deliberated without a chairman. The members were:

Vadim Davidovich BIBERGAN,
Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation, People’s Artist of the Russian Federation, Professor;

Anatoly Alexandrovich KOROLEV,
Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation, Professor;

Vyacheslav Lavrentievich NAGOVITSIN,
Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation, Professor;

Sergey Alexandrovich OSKOLKOV,
Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation, Professor;

Vladimir Ivanovich TSYTOVICH,
Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation, Ph.D., Professor.

The sponsors and partners in this project were:

• The St Petersburg Composers’ Union;
• The ‘Russian Tradition’ Association;
• RTR Radio of Russia – St Petersburg;
• The independent electronic newspaper ‘Music of Russia’;
• reMusik.org The Saint Petersburg Centre for contemporary classical music;
• Radio Maria – Russia;
• The centre for creativity, education and culture, ‘Art Center’;
• The newspaper ‘Musical Klondike’;
• The information resource ‘Academic music of Siberia’;
• Valentina Borisovna NEZHINSKAYA;
• Olga Ivanovna RUDNEVA.

The competition was held in one round at the Headquarters of the St Petersburg Composers’ Union. It was open to composers of all ages. All contestants’ work was presented to the jury anonymously (under the pseudonym or device). The competition required to participate in the competition works written for an ensemble of eight cellos or an ensemble of cellos and piano, with a playing time up to seven minutes. The competition attracted 73 scores from 54 participants from the following countries: Azerbaijan (1), Armenia (4), Belarus (1), Belgium (1), Bulgaria (1), Germany (2), Israel (1), Spain (1), Kazakhstan (1), Kyrgyz Republic (1), Latvia (2), Lithuania (1), Republica Moldova (1), Russia (31), Turkey (1), Ukraine (3), Switzerland (1).

In accordance with the Statute of the Yuri Falik International Competition for Composers, on the basis of the entries submitted, the panel awarded:

First prize diploma and a cash prize of 50,000 roubles:
Ernest Aykazovich DULGARYAN (Yerevan, Armenia), born 1988,
for ‘Chaconne’;

Second prize diploma and a cash prize of 30,000 roubles:
Artur Ivarovich VABEL (St Petersburg, Russia), born 1987,
for ‘Ottetto concertante’;

Third prize diploma and a cash prize of 20,000 roubles:
Ludmila Yevgenievna SAMODAEVA (Odessa, Ukraine), born 1951,
for ‘Flying angels’.

Diplomas and token gifts were awarded to:

Elena Nikolaevna SAMARINA (Ekaterinburg, Russia), born 1955,
for ‘Passacaglia’;

Dmitry Olegovich ZHUCHENKO (St Petersburg, Russia), born 1965,
for ‘Steps’;

Leonid Fiatovich REZETDINOV (St Petersburg, Russia), born 1961,
for ‘Rock Toccata’;

Alexander Charlzovich GONOBOLIN (Kherson, Ukraine), born 1953,
for ‘A Christmas joke’;

Pavel Vladimirovich YAKOVLEV (Metallostroy, St Petersburg, Russia), born 1989,
for ‘Scherzo’;

Daria Leonidovna KORKINA (Ulan-Ude, Buryatia, Russia), born 1984,
for ‘Breath of the Steppe’;

Oleg Petrovich NEGRUTSA (Moldova, Kishinev), born 1935,
for ‘Romance’;

Yuri Alexeevich ALYABOV (Korolev, near Moscow, Russia), born 1958,
for ‘Joke № 1’, from ‘New Russian sarcasm, jokes and hooliganisms’;

Sergey Yakovlevich TERKHANOV (Saransk, Russia), born 1954,
for ‘Waiting’;

Vasily Valentinovich KABALIN (Vyborg, Russia), born 1958,
for ‘Vyborg Canon’.

The works of the competition laureates and winners will be included in the repertoire of the St Petersburg Cello Ensemble, will be recorded on a CD, a copy of which will be presented to all the participants. All competition laureates and winners are invited to continued and mutually beneficial cooperation with the St Petersburg Cello Ensemble under the direction of Olga Rudneva.

The St Petersburg Cello Ensemble reserves the right to include works by other competitors, not awarded by the panel, in its repertoire.

The awards ceremony for the competition winners will be held on 4 November 2012, at 7 pm, at the St Petersburg Composers’ House, 45 Morskaya Street, St Petersburg, Russia. The works of the laureates and winners will be performed in a concert after the awards ceremony. The concert will be held at the ‘St Petersburg Autumn’ International Festival of Russian Art.

Out thanks to all participants in the competition, for their wonderful work.

The judges and organisers congratulate the winners and all participants, and wish them further success, creativity, energy, work and patience.

Competitors: If you would like to share your impressions of the competition, or make suggestions or comments, or ask questions, please contact the Artistic Director and Chairman of the competition Olga Ivanovna Rudneva by e-mail: rudneva@cellomusic.info
or join our ‘VK’ group at http://vk.com/cellomusicinfo and leave your comments and feedback.