Dec 1st Finals of Geneva Competition live-stream

(click to enlarge or use pdf links below)

Dear Flutists,

Update May 2016 - Watch the videos of the Nielson to see many of the competitors here (videos)

Update December 5th

Viviana Guzman interviews Adriana Ferreir by video to ask about memorization skills, preparation and learning experience. See video.

Robert Dick wrote to the email flute groups reminding readers of his (great!) essay with all details of being a judge at the Geneva competition. So much is so well explained.
Read here: Robert Dick talks about Geneva Flute Judging


Update: December 2nd:

The Geneva International Flute Competition 2014 finals are still online for full viewing:
Watch the three finalists here: Video of Mozart & Jolivet played by three finalists.


If your computer speed is too slow for streaming, click on "HD" at the lower edge of the film, and change to a lower speed.

I voted for the second candidate to win.
He's so musical, so confident, and so relaxed.
An amazing prodigy at 17 years of age. He started flute at 9 years old.
I could NOT believe his soft fingers, and only noticed the offset to the right embouchure half way through. What an amazing player! See for yourself.
I found the two female players far too tense. (I don't blame them, of course).
The tension inhibited their performances, I felt.

Who won?
See the results here.

Norman Lebrecht writes about the Geneva results: short post.

Jen


Update Nov 28th:
Sebastian Jacot who recently won the Nielsen competition, himself responded to questions about his not passing to the semi-final round with detailed account of his experience at Geneva.  (quoted below):
http://slippedisc.com/2014/11/when-a-competition-eliminates-the-finest-artist/

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Sébastian Jacot writes:
Dear all,
I am very surprised at how many people actually follow what i do, i had no idea i was under such high surveillance I just want to answer the question “why do i do competitions”
I have never pushed myself technically musically physically psychologically further than i did during these competitions.
i have learned so much about myself, what i can do and what i cannot what i could do i what i cannot do anymore and i don’t regret anything from it.
For this Geneva Competition i only had a month to prepare and learn by memory about 15 pieces. If i had not participated in this competition, i would have never imposed myself such a task.
I don’t see the competitions as a goal in itself, i rather see it as a good challenge and exercise.
When i came to Geneva i already had a feeling i wasn’t gonna go all the way to the end.
I had worked 300 hours on a program almost completely new to me in a very short time and was extremely tired. And by looking at who advanced to the second round and who did not it was already clear that they were eliminating imperfection and waiting for the last two rounds to take into account the personality the musicianship maturity and integrity of the players.
Not that they didn't judge these aspects in the first two rounds but they were clearly not the main criterias.
I still wanted to see how far i could push myself.
If my goal was to win Geneva i should not have come or should not have taken part in the Nielsen Competition before and prepare longer.

The jury’s decision is fair i think because they have been very clear and consistent about what they were looking for specially in the first few rounds.
Clean precise and well prepared playing.
I could provide all these aspects in the first round but in the second with such a challenging program of 9 pieces i was a few days short of sleep or preparation and i could not be as impressively precise as they were expecting.The program i had prepared was also not made to impress but rather to touch. Wrong choice maybe this time.
I had just bought a new Lafin headjoint a month before and the broken wooden headjoint from Nielsen came back fixed only a week before the competition tuned a quarter tone lower than before and thus forcing me to play Schumann on the metal flute..the judges don’t want to know why or how or any excuses…they heard me play Schumann bit out of tune and they judge this.
Let’s say it was an entertaining, exciting and well executed program for a concert but just not perfect enough technically for this particular competition where so many young perfect technicians came.
Now i will finish preparing Jolivet concerto for the final so i have one more concerto to my repertoire and i will not have waisted the 250.- of inscription fee..
I will probably do ARD but will be more prepared in all subjects and improve from what i learned here at home In Geneva.
All my best wishes to you all!
Sébastian

Semifinalists list:
http://www.concoursgeneve.ch/?a=collapse31

_________________ Original post:

Background info. on the contest:

http://www.concoursgeneve.ch/sections/flute_2014

http://www.concoursgeneve.ch/site/app/webroot/kcfinder/upload/files/press_kit_2014_en_low.pdf

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Thanks Dianne for all your helpful updates! :>)