Tomas Nuñez-Garcés predictably wins Turku Cello Competition

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As expected, Tomas Nuñez-Garcés won the first prize of EUR 6,000 in the 11th Turku Cello Competition, which was concluded on Friday evening.
      When the 25-year-old Nuñez-Garcés finished his rendition of Finnish composer Uuno Klami’s (1900-1961) Cheremissian Fantasy (1931) for cello and orchestra on the second day of the finals, his victory looked certain after a strong performance.
      Nuñez-Garcés, who originates from the Åland Islands, was also voted as the public’s favourite.
      Equally predictable was that another soloist virtuoso Jaani Helander’s landed in the second place spot. The native of Kouvola won EUR 4,500 in prize money.
      The competition’s youngest participant, the 19-year-old talent Joona Pulkkinen rounded out the top three and took a prize award of EUR 3,000. Pulkkinen had some misfortune in his Friday night performance of Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme. It seemed, however, that because of his youth Pulkkinen was given some leeway and some compensation points.
      The remaining three finalists were awarded EUR 1,000 each.
      The fourth place went to Juhani Kaasinen, who was the most assertive and disciplined cellist of the entire competition.
      Larimatti Punelpuro came in fifth. In the final Punelpuro displayed a significantly improved form compared to his semifinal performance. The only female finalist Iida-Vilhelmiina Laine was left in sixth place.
      The final was held in the Turku Concert Hall, where the finalists were accompanied by the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Petri Sakari.
     
The Turku Cello Competition, founded in 1972, is held every four years and is open to Finnish citizens under the age of 30. In 1990 it was exceptionally arranged as a Nordic competition.


Links:
  The 11th Turku Cello Competition (pages in Finnish and Swedish)
  Facebook: Tomas Nuñez-Garcés

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