Yuan Xia wins Tromp 2024

Yuan Xia has been studying Western percussion with Professor Yang Ruwen, Deputy Head of the Department of Modern Instrumental Music and Percussion at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music since 2012. 2016, he entered the Secondary Music College affiliated to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and studied with Mr. Gao Hua. 2016, he won the third prize in the professional junior group marimba at the 1st IPEA International Percussion Competition; 2017, he won the second place in the professional junior group marimba at the 2nd IPEA International Percussion Competition. In 2018, he won the Silver Prize in the Junior Marimba category at the 1st Japan International Percussion Competition; in 2022 he won First Prize at the Jeju international Competition in South Korea.

The Second Prize went to the Stuttgart-based Korean percussionist SeongYeon Kong and the Third to Miguel Traquina who is originally Portuguese and lives in Geneva. The three finalists were among the 30 candidates that were selected out of 103 applicants for this edition's competition. 

The composers of the TROMP International Percussion Competition of 2024 were: 

Aart Strootman, who wrote a composition for vibraphone and guitar samples for the semifinals. Strootman studied classical guitar and composition at Conservatory Fontys & Zuyd and at the University of Utrecht he obtained a MA in Musicology. In 2019 he received the most important composition prize of The Netherlands, the Matthijs Vermeulenprijs. His work has been performed by renowned percussion groups, such as Slagwerk Den Haag and Sandbox Percussion.

For the final, David Dramm and Martin Fondse collaborated to write a modern concerto. Dramm's composition studies began with Robert Erickson at University of California, San Diego and, later, at Yale University with Louis Andriessen and Earle Brown. The Dutch press describe his music as ‘the ground-breaking terrain between Charles Ives, Jimi Hendrix and Lou Reed.’ Martin Fondse is a jazz and contemporary music pianist, composer and arranger who won the prestigious Dutch Boy Edgar Prize in 2017. The customarily accepted boundaries between genres like classical music, jazz, Latin and world music simply do not exist in his world.

TROMP festival is organized by a foundation created in memory of its namesake Theo Tromp (1903-1984), a prominent Eindhoven businessman and strong advocate of culture. Through his legacy and the generous support of the city of Eindhoven, the festival with its competition have become an event with international allure. Since 1971, TROMP has held almost 30 competitions during which it has had the honour of welcoming many highly talented participants. Prizewinners of the contest include violinist Emmy Verhey (1971), pianist Bart van de Roer (1996), percussionist Claire Edwardes (2000), the Quatuor Amedeo Modigliani (2004), percussionist Yi-Ping Yang (2006), the Heath Quartet (2008), percussionist Alexej Gerassimez (2010) and percussionist Alexandre Esperet (2012). All prizewinners have proven themselves to be excellent musicians with international careers. As of 2012, the TROMP competition has solely focused on percussion.

Prize:
1st prize: Yuan Xia (23), Stuttgart
2nd prize: SeongYeon Kong (24), Stuttgart
3rd prize: Miguel Traquin (21), Genève

Jury:
Arnold Marinissen, Marta Klimasara, Yi-Ping Yang, Ruwen Yang, Michael Burritt, Momoko Kamiya

Artists:
Duo Avenue Azure

© WFIMC 2024 / FR