9^th International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition
Poznań, 8-23 November 1986

Watch a documentary about the competition:

Six large tapestries with Henryk Wieniawski’s portraits embellished the hallway of the University auditorium. Woven by Włodzimierz Schmidt and his wife, Urszula Plewka-Schmidt, they  commemorated the 150th birthday of the artist and virtuoso, the 100th anniversary of the Henryk Wieniawski Society of Poznań, as well as the 50th anniversary of violin competitions held under his name. As the triple jubilee fell on the year 1985, the 1986 violin competition made an appropriate crowning to the celebrations. And, as usual, irrespective of the current on-stage emotions, it was a splendid opportunity for recapitulations, recollections, and comparisons.

From Canada (though holding a British passport) came Ida Haendel. Born in Chełm, Poland, she was a prodigy child at the 1935 Competition, and the youngest laureate in the entire fifty-year history of the events. Now she debuted behind the jury table. Besieged by autograph hunters and permanently photographed during each break in the auditions, she was very glad to talk to journalists. The phrase “I am very happy” opened almost all her interviews. Then the artist would go on to tell the story of her childhood “with no dolls, but the violin from dawn to dusk”, of her studies at the Warsaw Conservatory, as well as the competition adventure which opened for her the door to a genuine, illustrious career. At the age of twelve she played Beethoven’s and Brahms’s Concertos in London, as well as perfected her skills with such masters as Carl Flesch, or George Enescu... “I have spent all my life with the violin, it has become a part of my body...”. Asked about the criteria for evaluation of the contemporary violin youth, she voiced her opinions carefully, “I know that even true talents can perform badly at competitions; thus, the work of a juror is exceptionally difficult and responsible”. Her farewell words were “I’m impatiently looking forward to coming back...”.

When Prof. Stanisław Wisłocki (for whom it was also a debut as the chairman of the “Wieniawski’s” jury) listened to the candidates, not a single muscle would betray his feelings. However, he did not need much encouragement to take a trip down the memory lane. After all, in 1952 it was him who opened the Poznań chapter of the Wieniawski Competitions. A few years before, he had founded the orchestra of the Poznań Philharmonic. Created from scratch, this highest-quality ensemble enjoyed excellent reputation in the capital, where — before moving on to play at the violin contest in Poznań — it had accompanied performers at the Chopin Competition. Stanisław Wisłocki’s decade of directorship in Poznań brought new musical thrills almost every Friday; three decades later it is still vividly remembered by numerous music lovers. Meetings with this excellent artist of vast practical and artistic experience, aman of exceptional charm, were often quite emotional occasions for both sides.

Evgeny Bushkov, the 18-year-old Russian winner of the 9th edition of the competition, as well as a group of young musicians ranked behind him, received diplomas bearing signatures of numerous musical authorities. Two of them were particularly valuable.

source: R. Połczyński, Da Capo. 75 lat Międzynarodowych Konkursów im. Henryka Wieniawskiego

Read more about the 9th Competition (PDF, 520 KB) >    

A poster of 9th edition of Wieniawski Violin Competition designed by K. Śliwka.

JURY MEMBERS

Chairman: Stanisław Wisłocki (Poland)

Wladimir Awramow (Bulgaria)

Zenon Brzewski (Poland
)
Kaja Danczowska (Poland
)
Rodney Friend (Great Britain
)
Michael Frischenschlager (Austria)

André Gertler (Belgium
)
Michał Grabarczyk (Poland)

Ida Haendel (Canada
)
Marina Yashvili (USSR)

Jadwiga Kaliszewska (Poland)

Stanisław Lewandowski (Poland
)
Jerzy Milewski (Brazil
)
Ivo Petrić (Yugoslavia)

Zenon Płoszaj (Poland
)
Manfred Scherzer (GDR)

PRIZE WINNERS

1^st prize: Evgeny BUSHKOV (USSR)

3^rd prize: Nobu WAKABAYASHI (Japan), Robert KABARA (Poland)

4^th prize: Viktor KUZNETSOW (USSR)

5^th prize: Alexander ROMANUL (USA
)
6^th prize: Hiroko SUZUKI (Japan)

Awards: Dorota Siuda (Poland); Lothar Strauss (GDR); Oleg Pochanowskij (USSR); Patricia Shih (Canada)