{"id":95760,"date":"2018-12-06T21:00:43","date_gmt":"2018-12-06T13:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.revolution.watch\/?p=95760"},"modified":"2024-04-16T13:24:31","modified_gmt":"2024-04-16T05:24:31","slug":"breguet-timeless-symphonies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/revolutionwatch.com\/breguet-timeless-symphonies\/","title":{"rendered":"Breguet: Timeless Symphonies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Classical music is an artforms that requires methodical discipline in order to incite an emotional response in its audiences. It entails thousands of hours of hard work to create something timeless, exemplified in works like Ludwig van Beethoven\u2019s Symphony No. 5 <\/em>or Gioachino Rossini\u2019s compositions in\u00a0The Barber of Seville<\/em>. This is one of the many parallels that classical music holds with watchmaking \u2014 an inimitable quality performed (or created), calling upon centuries of tradition by people who have a passion for creating timeless works: a classical composition you would listen to, or a movement ticking away in your watch. With this parallel in mind, it\u2019s only fitting for an influential watchmaking brand like Breguet to take an active role in supporting classical music through its sponsorship of the Concours de Gen\u00e8ve, one of the music industry\u2019s oldest classical music competitions.<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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With a long list of notable Breguet clients like the aforementioned Rossini (who had a small watch, N\u00b04604) or famous 20th<\/sup> century pianist Arthur Rubinstein (who frequently visited the Breguet boutique in Paris and possessed an oval piece, N\u00b01682, that featured a thermometer), the brand has always sought to support the arts, with this year marking the brand\u2019s 17th<\/sup> year as the main sponsor for the competition. \u201cWe\u2019re so happy to have had Breguet as a sponsor for so many years,\u201d says Didier Schnorhk, Secretary General of the Concours de Gen\u00e8ve.<\/p>\n

\u201cMusic and horology echo one another \u2014 both involve excellence, high quality craftsmanship, and prestige. This sponsorship wouldn\u2019t work with just any brand, and this partnership fits very well. Having Breguet as a sponsor allowed us to really elevate the competition, not just financially, but also in terms of image and reputation. Back in the day, before Breguet came as a sponsor, we were still rough around the edges. Breguet allowed us to smooth those edges and raise our expectations,\u201d he continues.<\/p>\n

Founded in 1939, the Concours de Gen\u00e8ve holds a certain prestige amongst international musical competitions, mostly for the level of talent needed to compete, but also for the care and attention it gives its participants and winners. \u201cThere\u2019s an academic rigor to this competition that elevates these musicians, and that\u2019s in part thanks to our panel that\u2019s always made up of very notable musicians and professionals,\u201d says Christine Sayegh, President of the Foundation Board for the Concours de Gen\u00e8ve. \u201cAnd we keep up with our winners and runners-up, to make sure that even if you get second or third place, you still, rightfully so, have a chance at establishing a career,\u201d she continues.<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Every year, the competition focuses on specific disciplines for participants to compete in, such as piano and clarinet for 2018, percussion and composition in 2019, and cello and oboe for 2020. Last year, it focused on composition, and participants had to compose their own original pieces to be performed by an orchestra. At just 23-years-old, South Korea-native Jaehyuck Choi won the competition with a 12-minute clarinet concerto: \u201cThe most difficult part of the competition was when I was writing the piece for the competition!\u201d he recounts. \u201c[It] took me four months to complete, working day and night. It was, though, the most rewarding part of the competition.\u201d<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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2017 was Choi\u2019s first time competing internationally \u2014 he was curious to see where his work stood on the larger stage: \u201cApplying to the Concours de Gen\u00e8ve was the best way to have feedback on my music from the most diverse of juries and from the leading composers of our time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWinning the Concours de Gen\u00e8ve was certainly a turning point in my career,\u201d says Choi. \u201cI am receiving commissions from various festivals, competitions and ensembles and am now signed to Universal Music Korea as their \u2018Mercury Artist,\u2019 therefore having my clarinet concerto released as a digital single. In the summer of 2019, I\u2019ll be having my Korean debut as a conductor with the Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as a French debut as a composer with the Ensemble InterContemporain.\u201d<\/div><\/div><\/div>