Wieniawski Prizewinner
Luke Hsu takes Fourth Prize at 15th International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition.
At the 15th International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition, held October 8–23 in Poznań, Poland, Luke Hsu '14 M.M., '16 G.D. was awarded Fourth Prize by a jury headed by Maxim Vengerov. Along with his €10,000 prize, Hsu also was awarded a prize for Best Mozart Concerto, and will receive a one-year loan of an instrument from Florian Leonhard.
In a recent interview, Hsu said of his NEC studies:
"Donald Weilerstein, my teacher at New England Conservatory, has taught me awareness of my intentions physically, musically, and spiritually, the stylistic concerns that dictate decision making, and the overall spirit of an artist who sings and listens with an absolutely critical ear. His spirit is calm, but his inner spirit is extremely hot, bubbling with the love for music."
Luke Hsu is currently enrolled in the Artist Diploma program at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he studies with Rodney Friend.
Past prizewinners with an NEC affiliation include NEC Preparatory School strings chair Magdalena Suchecka Richter (unranked laureate, 1981) and faculty member Peter Zazofsky (Third Prize, 1977).
Currently held on a five-year cycle, the Wieniawski Competition has been a platform for many of the legendary violinists of the past century, including Ginette Neveu and David Oistrakh at the first competition, in 1935. The competition was founded with original chairman Adam Wieniawski, nephew of the composer Henryk Wieniawski.