Goldstein

Fourteen violinists have made it through to the second round of the International Boris Goldstein Violin Competition Bern. The candidates were selected from a first-round field of 31.

The second-round candidates are:

Benjamin Baker (24, New Zealand/United Kingdom)

Mizuki Chiba (18, Japan)

Soo Jin Hannah Cho (19, South Korea)

Mone Hattori (15, Japan)

Alexander Kuznetsov (24, Russia)

Furong Li (24, China)

Sofija Nikoska (23, Macedonia)

Kana Ohashi (21, Australia/Japan)

Alexander Read (27, Canada)

Arsenis Selalmazidis (24, Greece/Russia)

Aleksey Semenenko (26, Ukraine)

Stefan Tarara (28, Germany)

Shiori Terauchi (24, Japan)

Arata Yumi (22, Japan)

The second round takes place on 26 and 27 January at the Conservatorium Bern, and the final on 28 and 29 January at the Yehudi Menuhin Forum, Bern. In the final round, six candidates will perform for a maximum of one hour each, accompanied by an orchestra on the second day. A prizewinners' concert will take place on 30 January, also at the Yehudi Menuhin Forum.

The competition’s first prize is a cash award of CHF15,000 (£9,800). Compulsory repertoire across two preliminary rounds includes unaccompanied Bach and selected Paganini Caprices, while the final features performances of a Mozart violin concerto and one of the larger Romantic concertos. The jury includes Zakhar Bron, Yair Kless, Igor Ozim and Viktor Pikayten.

Image: Boris Goldstein

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