MEDIA RELEASE
March 19, 2007
Two of World’s Best Violinists to Perform in Auckland
Two violinists who have won First Prize at the world’s most prestigious violin competition, the Premio Paganini
International Violin Competition, will perform with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra this year.
Russian-born, New York-based Ilya Gringolts won the competition in 1998 when he was just 16. Since then, he has achieved
great acclaim as a soloist and a recording artist and is in-demand as a performer worldwide. Ilya will perform the
Sibelius Violin Concerto with the APO at its third APN News & Media Premier Series concert, ‘National Colours’, at the Auckland Town Hall on Thursday 29 March.
Last year Chinese-born, Berlin-based Feng Ning won the Premio Paganini competition. This followed his First Prize win at
the 2005 Michael Hill International Violin Competition. As part of his Winner’s Tour, Feng performed with the APO last
year at one of its most rapturously received concerts.
Feng will perform the Saint-Saens Violin Concerto No. 3 on Thursday 21 June with the APO at its seventh APN News & Media Premier Series concert called ‘Virtuoso Parade’.
“Winning the Premio Paganini competition instantly elevates violinists into the international elite,” says APO Chief
Executive, Barbara Glaser. “Ilya Gringolts and Feng Ning are two of the most exciting young performers on the world
stage today and the APO is proud to bring them back to New Zealand as part of our APN News & Media Premier Series, a series that truly brings the best musicians in the world to Auckland.”
Tickets for the APN News & Media Premier Series, Concert 3, ‘National Colours’ and Concert 5 ‘Virtuoso Parade’ are available from Ticketek Ph 09
307 5139 or www.ticketek.co.nz.
ENDS