Eurovision Young Musicians 2018 Semi-Final Allocation & Compositions Revealed

The Semi-Final allocation and the compositions that the competing 18  musicians will perform at Eurovision Young Musicians 2018 have been revealed.

The semi-finals are split in to six shows spread over two days. In each of the six shows, three musicians will be performing for a total of 18 minutes each. The semi-final allocation and the compositions that they will perform are as follows. After the semi-finals six young musicians will be selected to perform in the final on August 23.

August 18 – Semi-Final One – Show One – Malta, United Kingdom, Spain

Malta – Bernice Sammut – Piano:

• Poulenc – Toccata from Trois pièces
• Rachmaninov – Prelude in C minor, Op. 23 No. 7; Prelude in G sharp minor Op. 32 No. 12
• Chopin – Scherzo No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 31

United Kingdom – Maxim Calver – Cello:

• Lutoslawski – Sacher Variation
• Brahms – Adagio from Cello Sonata in F, Op. 99
• Stravinsky – Minuetto e Finale from Suite Italienne

Spain – Sara Valencia – Violin:

• Sarasate – Caprice Basque
• Paganini – Caprice No. 13 in B flat
• Bruch – 3rd mvt (Finale) of Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor

August 18 – Semi-Final One – Show Two – Slovenia, San Marino, Poland

Slovenia – Nikola Pajanović – Violin:

• Paganini – Caprice no 7
• Kreisler – Tambourin Chinois
• Ysaye – Sonata for violin solo No 3

San Marino – Francesco Stefanelli – Cello:

• Penderecki – Violoncello Totale
• Brahms – Allegro vivace from Cello Sonata No 2
• Fauré – Papillon Op.77
• Britten – Moto Perpetuo from Sonata for cello and piano

Poland – Marta Chiebicka – Flute

• CPE Bach – Hamburger Sonata in G
• Popp – Rigoletto Fantasie

August 18 – Semi-Final One – Show Three – Hungary, Greece, Israel

Hungary – Máté Bencze – Saxophone:

• Demersseman – Fantasy on an original theme
• JS Bach – Allegro from Sonata in g minor BVWV 1020
• Iturralde – Pequeña Czarda

Greece – Thanos Tzanetakis – Guitar:

• Kellner – Fantasia in d minor
• Walton – Bagatelle No 3 & 5 from Five Bagatelles for Guitar
• Llobet – Variaciones Sobre un Tema de Fernando Sor

Israel – Tamir Naaman-Pery – Cello

• Popper – Hungarian Rhapsody Op 68
• Cassado – Preludio-Fantasia from Suite for Cello

August 19 – Semi-Final Two – Show One – Estonia, Belgium, Albania

Estonia – Tanel-Eiko Novikov- Percussion:

• Marjan – Niflheim
• Sibelius – Kuusi Op 75/5
• Piazzolla – Verano porteño

Belgium – Alexandra Cooreman – Violin:

• Beethoven – Presto from Sonata for piano and violin Op 23
• Tchaikovsky – Valse-Scherzo

Albania – Klaudio Zoto – Cello

• Grieg – Cello Sonata
• Popper – Hungarian Rhapsody

August 19 – Semi-Final Two – Show Two – Russia, Germany, Czech Republic

Russia – Ivan Bessonov – Piano

• Chopin – Mazurka in B flat minor, Op 24 No 4
• Chopin – Fantaisie-Impromptu in C sharp minor, Op 66
• Rachmaninov – Prelude in G minor, Op 23 No 5
• James MacMillan – Barncleupédie

Germany – Mira Foron – Violin

• Ravel – Tzigane
• Penderecki – Cadenza

Czech Republic – Indi Stivín – Double Bass

• TBC

August 19 – Semi-Final Two – Show Three – Sweden, Norway, Croatia

Sweden – Johanna Ander Ljung – Harp

• Mathias – Improvisations for Harp, Op 10
• Loeillet – Allemande from Suite No 5 in F
• Tournier – Féerie – Prelude et Dance

Norway – Birgitta Elisa Oftestad – Cello

• Shostakovich – 1st mvt from Cello Concerto No 1
• Schumann – Adagio and Allegro
• Birgitta Elisa Oftestad, cello

Croatia – Jan Tominić – Saxophone

• Françaix – Cinq danses exotiques
• Bozza – Aria
• Milhaud – Brasileira from Scaramouche

Albania will make their Eurovision Young Musicians debut in this year’s contest. Seven countries will make their return to the contest. These are Belgium (last participated in 2006), Estonia (2004), Greece (2014), Israel (1986), Russia (2010), Spain (2002) and the host nation, the United Kingdom (2010). Austria, who is the most successful country in the contest with five wins, will not take part for the first time since 1982.

Source: BBC