School of Music student wins top prize at Melbourne International Guitar Festival
School of Music PhD candidate Andrew Blanch. Image supplied.
Andrew Blanch, a PhD candidate at the ANU School of Music, claimed first prize in the recent Melbourne International Guitar Competition.
School alumna Stephanie Jones placed third in the contest, which formed part of the Melbourne International Guitar Festival.
Andrew said it was a privilege to have been chosen for the top prize among such ‘stiff competition’.
“I know many of the other competitors, and they all play so well, so I'm particularly flattered that the judges thought I deserved the prize,” he said.
“I played J.S. Bach's Fugue in A minor BWV 1000, Brabisimo! by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, and Scherzo Vals by Miguel Llobet.”
Andrew is closing out 2016 on a high, having placed in competitions earlier this year. He came third in San Francisco’s 3rd International Guitar Competition Maurizio Biasini, and also the Adelaide International Guitar Competition.
“I'm really looking forward to embarking on new repertoire for my tour in 2017,” Andrew added.
Fellow classical guitar PhD candidate Callum Henshaw took out first place and the People’s Choice award in the 2016 Whitworth Roach Classical Music Performance competition.
School alumnus Campbell Diamond, who also studied classical guitar, notched two first prizes in international competitions this year: the II Amarante International Guitar Competition in Portugal, and the 5th Arion Guitar Academy International Competition in Greece.