Taking on a 367-strong field, Jonathan Chuang collected 10,000 euros (US$11,126) and opportunities to conduct concerts with Frankfurt Opera House and Museum Orchestra, as well as Frankfurt Radio Symphony. He also claimed the prestigious Audience Prize.
“I feel extremely privileged to be recognized at this world-renowned competition,” Chuang said. “It is exciting to represent Taiwan and vie with so many outstanding musicians.”
Chuang and his co-finalists Elias Grandy from Germany and Toby Thatcher from Australia were required to conduct “Don Juan” written by Richard Strauss at the six-day contest. They then drew lots for “Carnival Overture” by Antonin Leopold Dvorak, “Leonore Overture No. 3” by Ludwig van Beethoven and the overture of “The Flying Dutchman” by Richard Wagner.
“It was fantastic to conduct my favorite piece by Wagner,” Chuang said, adding that it is the one he is the most proficient at and gave him the best chance of impressing the jurors.
Following passionate performances by all three conductors, the judges named Chuang and Grandy equal second, with Thatcher collecting third. No champion was named for the seventh edition of the event.
Chuang is a proven performer on the international stage, winning such honors as silver at Bamberg’s Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition in 2013 and bronze at Bucharest International Conducting Competition in 2012.
Debuting aged 15 at Taipei City-based National Concert Hall, Chuang graduated from Germany’s University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar in 2013. He is also an alumnus of College-Conservatory of Music and Curtis Institute of Music in the U.S.
The competition was established in 2002 and is co-organized by Frankfurt Opera House and Frankfurt Radio Symphony in memory of celebrated Hungarian conductor Solti. (DF-JSM)
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