Composer Alexey Shor on his Violin Sonata for the Classic Violin Olympus Competition

Shor is the Composer-In-Residence of the momentous event

Open to violinists born after April 22, 1979, the Classic Violin Olympus International Competition aims to find the most versatile violinist in the world and will invite 12 talented violinists to a Grand Finale in Dubai in 2025.

With Artistic Director Pavel Vernikov and President Konstantin Ishkhanov, the competition is in the process of hosting the pre-selection stages of the competition around the globe. While winners have been announced in the pre-selections in Tokyo, Vienna, and New York, the competitions in London, Dubai, and Rome are still to come.

The composer-in-residence for the competition is Alexey Shor, who composed a violin sonata for each of the competitors to perform in their respective pre-selection rounds.

We sat down with Shor to learn more about the piece and his experience so far.

Tell us about this violin sonata? When was it composed and where did the inspiration behind the piece come from?

This sonata traces its roots back to 2021, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. While we were all confined indoors during a national lockdown, I wrote what would become the precursor to this work – my Violin Concerto No. 4. That concerto already stood apart from most of my earlier violin compositions, being longer and having a more traditional form. In 2022, the wonderful pianist, conductor, and composer Mikhail Pletnev conducted this concerto and expressed interest in creating a violin sonata based on it. I feel that the long and winding path it took to come to life is reflected in the music itself; you can clearly hear the Violin Concerto No. 4, but it has transformed into a fairly different work.

How was the decision made for the competitors to perform this piece in particular?

Ultimately, the final decisions regarding the repertoire for the entire project were made by Artistic Director Pavel Vernikov and his team. We discussed various options, and they eventually decided that this was the piece they wanted to include. In my view, it is well-suited for a competition - the piece contains several technical passages that demand a high degree of skill from the performers, while also requiring emotional and interpretative maturity to convey its true significance.

This is your first time working with Classic Violin Olympus, what are you looking forward to in this edition?

This event is perhaps one of the most exciting new projects to enter the classical music world in quite some time, and I'm looking forward to nearly everything about it! Almost every aspect of it is novel for a violin competition – the preselection process, the repertoire, the jury board – all are being done for the first time and organized to a very high standard, which gives us solid expectations for a truly world-class event. Above all, what we are all eagerly anticipating are the performances themselves. The finalists have been selected through a long and exhaustive process that has identified some of the very best violinists of our time, so it will be incredibly exciting to witness them all coming together and performing an extremely interesting program for the Grand Finale.

How does it feel to hear several excellent musicians interpret your work? Do you feel they played it the way you envisioned?

It’s always a huge honor for me to get to experience such wonderful musicians performing my pieces. It’s something that I’ve always cherished and still do at every opportunity. In terms of expectations, I obviously have my own thoughts and ideas about a composition, but I also never expect that to be reproduced verbatim on the stage. These artists are masters of their craft with years of experience behind them, so part of the joy, for me at least, is to see what they do with the work, how they approach it and make it their own, and the slight changes that each one brings to it in their own way.

What musical elements were you hoping the candidates would be able to bring out in this work? Did they successfully achieve this?

I hoped that the candidates would be able to bring out both the technical precision and emotional depth that this piece demands. The sonata contains intricate passages that require a high level of technical skill, as well as moments that call for profound emotional expression and interpretative insight. I was looking for performances that could balance these aspects and deliver a rendition that is both technically flawless and emotionally compelling. From what I have witnessed, many of the candidates have risen to the challenge admirably. They have not only navigated the technical complexities with finesse but have also infused their performances with a heartfelt expressiveness that truly brings the music to life.

What’s the best piece of advice you were given when starting out in this field?

I don’t know if it’s necessarily the best advice, but it’s certainly one of the most important in my opinion: always be yourself and do what you want to do. There are many influences out there, both from the past and the present, and many people who will try to tell you what to do and what not to do. However, at the end of the day, it is essential to be true to who you are. Music, like all art, needs to be authentic. Inauthentic works are quickly exposed to any discerning listener. The only way to be truly authentic is to write what is inside you, to give a voice to what is in your soul without worrying too much about extraneous factors.

What advice would you give to a young composer who is trying to launch a career?

Well, I would say the same thing I mentioned above. Apart from that, one of the most crucial things for any aspiring composer is to listen to as much music as possible. Immerse yourself in music from all eras and regions of the world. Let it wash over you, inspire you, and help you develop an ear for what works and what doesn’t, what you like and what you don’t. It is only by surrounding yourself with a vast and varied collection of music that you can find your voice and gain the skill to accurately portray what you want to express.

Another important thing is to experiment as much as you can and to make all the mistakes you can. No composer in history created their best composition as their first one! Experiments, mistakes, and learning from them are essential parts of the process. They will help you master your style and increase your confidence.

Please enjoy Xiao Wang, winner of the New York Classic Violin Competition, performing Shor's Violin Sonata:

For more information about Classic Violin Olympus and its preselection contests, please visit the official website here.