Launched in 1952, the competition focuses each year on different instrumental categories, selected from 21 disciplines.

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Kristine Balanas

The 66th ARD International Music Competition 2017 offered four categories: violin, piano, guitar, and oboe.

The finalists in the violin section have now been announced, following a first, second and semi-final round. They are: Kristine Balanas (Latvia), Sarah Christian (Germany), and Andrea Obiso (Italy).

The final will take place on Wednesday 6 September with the participants accompanied by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and will be live-streamed on the competition website.

The ARD Competition has helped to launch the careers of a number of leding musicians throughout the years, including Yuri Bashmet, Christian Tetzlaff, Jessye Norman, Mitsuko Uchida, Thomas Quasthoff and Heinz Holliger.