The 2020 Vancouver International Music Competition (VIMC) Committee held a press conference and fundraiser at the Canadian Music Centre – British Columbia Region, officially announcing the 2020 VIMC, after the successful inaugural competition in 2017, which was the first international classical music competition in the history of the province.
Organized by the Canada International Arts & Music Society (CIAMS), the 2020 VIMC was announced as a multinational classical music competition for four age groups and two instrumental categories including piano and strings. Eligible string instruments for the event include violin, viola, cello, double bass, harp, and guitar. The VIMC aims to promote Canadian classical music worldwide by establishing prizes for performing Canadian classical compositions.
(L-R) Liam Read (press conference host); Alana Chan (Vice-president of VIMC); Dr. Mark Anderson (UBC associate professor of piano and VIMC piano juror); Ilana Vered (concert pianist & Professor of Piano and VIMC piano juror); Elizabeth Volpe Bligh (VSO Principal Harp & VIMC Artistic Advisor); Lynn Liu (President of the VIMC and the CIAMS); Jordan Nobles, representing supporter of the Canadian Music Centre (CMC) BC and Juno-Award winning composer; Keiko Alexander, Pianist & Piano department co-chair of VSO School of Music; Joseph Elworthy, President & CEO of VAM & VIMC Strings Juror and Ken Hsieh, award-winning conductor, music director of Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra (VMO) and VIMC strings Juror are at the press conference to announce the 2020 Vancouver International Music Competition on December 11th, 2019.
Lynn Liu, the president of VIMC speaks to the media at the 2020 VIMC press conference. She said the inaugural Vancouver International Music Competition was a great success in 2017. CIAMS decides to hold the second VIMC again in 2020 because the society received good feedback and inquiries expressing the wish to participate in this competition. An international competition is a fantastic opportunity for musicians from around the world to share music, form strong connections, and to be exposed to new ideas and opportunities. There are many reasons we foresee a huge demand and need for an international music competition and this is what we have set out to achieve. Again, we wish the competition to be a successful recurring event and leave a lasting cultural legacy for our beloved city of Vancouver.Jordan Nobles, a Juno-Award winning composer, speaks in behalf of the Canadian Music Centre in BC. He said the CMC is pleased to support the VIMC and to promote Canadian composers abroad. Conductor and pianist Alana Chan, Vice President of the VIMC, explained the rules and awards of the VIMC.The 2020 VIMC Artistic Advisors Elizabeth Volpe Bligh (top) and Keiko Alexander (bottom) speak to the media during the Dec. 11th press conference.2020 VIMC Piano Juror Mark Anderson (top) and Ilana Vered (bottom) speak to the media during the Dec. 11th press conference.2020 VIMC Strings Juror Joseph Elworthy (top) and Ken Hsieh (bottom) speak to the media during the Dec. 11th press conference.2020 VIMC committee members: violinist Vicky Chen and harpist Miya Otake, performed “The Swan” by Camille Saint-Saëns. Their excellent performance of Saint-Saëns’ masterpiece was received with warm applause.2020 VIMC committee member Javier Canseco, composer, educator and assistant director of marketing for the VIMC, gave a slide show presentation noting that the competition will take place over a span of 11 months and consist of 5 onsite events. The competition is expecting as many as five hundred contestants with participants from all over the world. Mr. Jeffrey Lee, the executive director of Tom Lee Music, a sponsor for the VIMC, spoke positively about the competition committee’s efforts to hold an international music competition at the press conference.At the end, the speakers and the 2020 VIMC committee members joined to participate in the countdown for the launch of the 2020 VIMC.After the press conference, the 2020 VIMC president, artistic advisors and jurors were interviewed by the media.
It was also announced that the final round of the VIMC will be held at Koerner Recital Hall on October 2nd, 2020. A concluding gala concert featuring winners of the competition will take place on October 4th, 2020. Winners in each instrumental category will be awarded a First Place Cash Prize worth $3,000. More details about the competition can be found on the VIMC website: https://vancouvercompetition.com
About the 2020 VIMC
The VIMC is supported by supporters and sponsors including the Canadian Music Centre in BC, Vancouver Academy of Music, VSO School of Music, Tom Lee Music and other private Donors. Other artistic advisors for the VIMC will include Daniel Bolshoy, Adjunct Professor of Classical Guitar at the University of British Columbia, Sasha Starcevich, a renowned international pianist, and Tomislav Nedelkovic-Baynov, Professor of piano at the National Music Academy in Trossingen, Germany. Other Jurors include Robin McCabe, pianist and professor of the University of Washington and Robin Braun, violinist.
