British-Dutch violinist Michael Foyle won Het Nederlandse Vioolconcours 2016, category Oskar Back. According to the jury he deserves the first prize because of his “knowledge of the score, good concentration and splendid execution of the Violin Concerto by Szymanowski”. With his duo-partner Maksim Štšura (London, from Estonia) he bridges the gap between the ‘Grand Duo’ by Franz Schubert and the ‘Le Grand Tango’ by Astor Piazzolla.
Schubert composed his violin sonata when he was 20 years old, but the work was published only after his death, entitled ‘Grand Duo’, probably thanks to the other three smaller sonatas he wrote. Piazzolla published 'Le Grand Tango' in Paris. He composed it for Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, along the lines of the ‘Nueva Tango’, of which the Argentinian composer is the figurehead.