The Fanny Mendelssohn Förderpreis 2022 goes to the duo Dorothea Schupelius (violin) and Jelizaveta Vasiljeva (piano). The two young musicians convinced the top-class jury chaired by Prof. Dr. Dieter Rexroth not only with their musical virtuosity, but above all with their innovative concept. Under the title "#Wunderkammer", the duo for violin and piano embarks on a journey through music history and explores the influence of media on music - from radio in the early twenties to live streaming. Now in its eighth year, the Fanny Mendelssohn Förderpreis, a concept prize, honours musical talents aged up to 25 for their musical visions and enables them to record a debut album entirely according to their own ideas. The winners will record their debut album based on the winning concept in May. The release is planned for the summer.
The winning concept: #Wunderkammer
To win the Fanny Mendelssohn Förderpreis, it is not enough to convince with technical virtuosity alone. The jury's evaluation focuses on the innovative musical concept that forms the basis for the debut album, financed by the prize money.
With their concept "#Wunderkammer" Dorothea Schupelius (violin) and Jelizaveta Vasiljeva (piano) won over three other finalists in the jury presentation of the eighth edition of the Fanny Mendelssohn Förderpreis. In addition to the impressive presentation alternating between music and spoken contributions, the concept of the duo for violin and piano convinced the jury all along the line. On their discovery tour through the chamber of wonders of music, the two young musicians selected pieces that impressively show the influence of the media on music. In doing so, they embark on a journey through music history - from the importance of radio for music in the early twenties to film music to the internet and live streaming in the present. With Jonathan Heck's "World Wide Web - Fantasy for Violin and Piano", a piece composed especially for the theme forms the crowning finale of the innovative winning concept: it weaves sounds and tones into a spherical chamber of wonders and thus explores the encounter space of digital and music.
The renowned six-member jury of the Fanny Mendelssohn Prize, chaired by Prof. Dr. Dieter Rexroth, also includes Ursula Haselböck (Artistic Director Festspiele MV), Martin Hoffmeister (Culture and Music Editor, mdr), Sarah Kesting (Artistic Director Schloss Elmau), Christina Khosrowi (Programming Dresden Frauenkirche) and Alexander Krichel (pianist). An application for the award is only possible after a prior recommendation by a musician mentor. In the case of the Schopelius-Vasiljeva duo, the recommendation came from clarinettist Sabine Meyer.
