In 2013 Ioana Cristina Goicea came to New Zealand for the first time as a competitor in the Michael Hill International Violin Competition placing 5th. She vowed she needed to come back and win. And last year the young Romanian violinist did just that.
Violinist Ioana Cristina Goicea winner of the 2017 Michael Hill International Violin Competition Photo: Supplied
Now Ioana and Sydney International Piano competition 2016 winner Andrey Gugnin are in the middle of a very full tour of the country for CMNZ as well as a tour of Australia as a duo.
Since their southern hemisphere successes, both players have been picking up prizes in the northern hemisphere.
Ioana has won the Brahms International and the Andrea Postacchini International Violin competitions, and first prize in the 2018 German Music Competition while Andrey has taken both the gold medal and the audience award at the XVI International Gina Bachauer Piano Competition.
Andrey Gugnin, winner 2016 Sydney International Piano Competition Photo: Supplied
Eva Radich spoke to Ioana and Andrey about doing their extensive tour of the country as a duo immediately after meeting each other for the first time.
After the tour they will record their concert programme as part of Ioana's prize for winning the MHIVC. Goicea will also play the Shostakovich Violin Concerto with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in October.
