Colorado MahlerFest are proud to announce that Boon Hua Lien, a member of the inaugural class of Mahler Conducting Fellows at Colorado MahlerFest has won the Audience Prize as a finalist in the Aram Khachaturian International Conducting Competition in Armenia. Lien, one of four conductors selected as finalists, was the overwhelming winner of the audience prize following his performance of Dvorak’s New World Symphony, which was live-streamed world wide. Congratulations, Boon, on your remarkable achievement.
Boon issued the following statement following the awards ceremony:
“Dear friends, thank you all for the love and support you have showered me over the past few days. It is only with your help that I was awarded the “Audience Prize” for the Aram Khachaturian International Competition, and I would like to dedicate that prize to all of you. Although I’m a little disappointed for not clinching the First Prize, I also know that I have much more to learn. For someone with only 3 years of orchestral conducting experience to be a finalist in an international competition is beyond my wildest dreams, and I will keep working hard and never stop improving myself.
Onwards and upwards: I’m catching a flight to Berlin for the Interaktion – das kritische Orchester workshop with principals of leading German orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, and then to Thailand for the Princess Galyani Vadhana Youth Orchestra – this is only for June! Thank you all once again and I love you all. #kampungspirit#sgpride#esm#loveyouall“
Established by the Colorado MahlerFest Trustees and incoming Artistic Director Kenneth Woods, the goals of the Mahler Conducting Fellowship are to identify emerging Mahler interpreters of potentially international importance, and to support their artistic and professional growth. “Mahler was possibly the greatest conductor who ever lived,’ said AD Kenneth Woods, “and so it’s probably not surprising his music both so uniquely challenging and so rewarding for those of us on the podium. The Mahler Conducting Fellowships exist to help give outstanding conductors who’ve shown an affinity for Mahler’s music a chance to expand their skill sets and raise their professional profile. MahlerFest has always been about creating an atmosphere around the concerts which is rich with ideas and inspiration- I’m sure these young conductors will contribute a lot towards enhancing MahlerFest’s spirit of exploration and discovery.” The 2016 Mahler Conducting Fellows were Francis Scully, Boon Hua Lien and Michael Young. More information on the Mahler Conducting Fellowship program is available here.
Photo highlights of the competition can be seen here.
