NEC Students Sweep Four Top Prizes at International Klein Strings Competition

New England Conservatory String Players Sweep Irving M. Klein Competition

Take First, Second, and Third Prizes, Tie for Fourth

Four New England Conservatory string students swept the 23rd annual Irving M. Klein International String Competition, held June 14’Äî15 at San Francisco State University. This was the second major competition this month in which NEC students took the top prizes: On June 8, two NEC violists, Dimitri Murrath and Emily Deans, took First and Second Prizes at the Primrose International Viola Competition.

At the Klein Competition, Tessa Lark (Frederick), 18, from Richmond, KY and a student of Miriam Fried, won both First Prize and the Weiss Prize for Best Performance of a Commissioned Work by Frank Stemper. Her prizes included a cash award of $10,000 and solo appearances with the Peninsula and Santa Cruz Symphonies, recitals in San Miguel de Allende (Mexico), and the Tulsa Chamber Music Series (Oklahoma), plus a benefit concert and other performances to be announced.

Second Prize of $5000 went to Robin Scott, 21, from Indianapolis, IN who also studies with Fried.

Ying Xue, 22, from Urumqi, China and a student of Donald Weilerstein won the $2500 Third Prize.

Emily Deans, the 23-year old violist who was a prize winner in the Primrose competition, shared the 4th Prize. She is a student of Kim Kashkashian.

Founded in 1985, the Klein is recognized as one of the world’Äôs leading competitions for young string players, age 15’Äî23. This year, 74 young musicians, hailing from 11 countries, entered the competition. Eight played in the semi-finals and finals in San Francisco. The jurors included members of the Alexander and Cypress Quartets, Peter Gelfand, Marc Gottlieb, Patricia Taylor Lee, Melvin Margolis, Jeffrey Miller, Donna Mudge, Alice Schoenfeld, and Frank Stemper.

For further information, check the NEC Website at: http://www.newenglandconservatory.edu/faculty/index.html

or call the NEC Concert Line at 617-585-1122. NEC’Äôs Jordan Hall, Brown Hall, Williams Hall and the Keller Room are located at 30 Gainsborough St., corner of Huntington Ave. St. Botolph Hall is located at 241 St. Botolph St. between Gainsborough and Mass Ave.