Pierre Fournier Award with Valentino Worlitzsch

I had the pleasure to host Valentino Worlitzsch and his father while he was competing at the Pierre Fournier award at the Wigmore Hall. My workshop was transformed into a guest bedroom, and my living room became a rehearsal room.

Of course, an international competition is not stressful enough, so our friends at Transport for London decided to go on strike and close down the entire tube network! It took careful planning to get us there on time for his performance on Thursday. We were lucky to get there on time, because the way home took us 3 hours!!

A huge thank you to Elliot Corner for organising a rehearsal space for Valentino and his pianist Naoko Sonoda. We had a great evening together before the competition.

The first round on the Thrusday the 9th was open only to the jury. Valentino was accepted into the final on Friday 10th, which was open to the public. This was the first time I  had seen him play in person, and he blew me away. What an amazing talent. He has an incredible technique, beautiful sound production while keeping it all very musical. Keep an eye out for his concerts in your area. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear him perform.

Sadly, they decided not to give the Fournier Award this year, although Valentino did get a special recognition for his amazing performance.

Regardless, we all had a great time, and I would like to share the pictures with you.