Competitions

News, videos and more from international competitions featuring violin, viola, cello or double bass

11-year-old Natsuho Murata plays Saint-Saëns and Wieniawski

Natsuho Murata, 11, from Japan, performs at the Concours musical international de Montréal’s ‘Mini Violini’ showcase in May this year.

Pavel Berman at Stradfest 2019: how to prepare for competitions

Russian violinist and teacher Pavel Berman talks to iClassical Academy’s Irma de Jong during Stradfest 2019 at the Royal Institution in London on 24 March 2019.

13-year-old Australian wins Italian junior competition

Edward Walton takes first prize at Il Piccolo Violino Magico, with 11-year-old Slovak prodigy Teo Gertler coming in second

Joshua Brown performs Tchaikovsky Concerto at Leopold Mozart Competition

The competition-winning performance of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto by Joshua Brown in the finals of the Leopold Mozart Competition Augsburg.

Il Piccolo Violino Magico - Live streaming

Live stream from the first round (second day) at Il Piccolo Violino Magico competition in San Vito al Tagliamento, Italy.

No First Prize awarded at 2019 Sendai International Violin Competition

The Canadian violinist Shannon Lee has been awarded 2nd prize

Winners announced at Tchaikovsky Competition

Sergey Dogadin and Zlatomir Fung take the violin and cello crowns in Moscow and St Petersburg

Orchestra plays one concerto while soloist is expecting another

The Tchaikovsky Competition has suspended a member of staff after the programme mix-up which left competitor bewildered

Shannon Lee performs in the semi-final of the Sendai Competition

The Canadian violinist Shannon Lee is one of six musicians who will be competing in the final round of the Sendai International Violin Competition. Here she is in the semi-finals last Saturday, performing both as soloist and as concertmaster.

Tchaikovsky Competition names violin and cello semi-finalists

Twelve musicians in each category will give hour-long recitals before six are chosen for the concerto finals

Sendai Violin Competition names 12 semi-finalists

The Japanese competition offers a $27,000 first prize plus a package of concerts and other benefits

Finalists announced for ‘Play with Ray’ competition

Three violinists chosen from video submissions will travel to Los Angeles for a chance to perform with Ray Chen at the Hollywood Bowl

Fischoff Chamber Music Competition announces winners

Gold Medals went to the Merz Trio in the Senior String Division and the Fervida Trio in the Junio String Division

Joshua Brown wins Leopold Mozart Competition

The American violinist wins €20,000, a CD production package and performance invitations

Michael Hill International Violin Competition reaches finals

The New Zealand competition has announced the three who proceed to its concerto final in Auckland

Hao Zhou wins Montreal violin competition

American takes first prize at the Concours musical international de Montréal with performance of Shostakovich Violin Concerto no.1

Leopold Mozart Violin Competition reaches final three

The triennial Leopold Mozart Competition in Augsburg, Germany, has named the three finalists of its 10th edition, taking place in the 300th year since Leopold Mozart’s birth.

Montreal competition names twelve semi-finalists

They will compete for the six places available in the final for a chance of winning a first prize worth CA$100,000

Updated competitor list for $100,000 Montreal Competition

Canadian event’s first round starts this evening with 24 candidates from around the world, with some new additions

13-year-old Hannah Tam wins Montreal's 'Mini Violini'

Preceding the main competition, the showcase invited five young violinists aged 10-14, and awarded a $10,000 audience prize

Stella Chen gives winning performance at the Queen Elisabeth Competition

In this video Stella Chen gives her winning performance of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto at the 2019 Queen Elisabeth Competition.

Stella Chen awarded first prize in Queen Elisabeth Violin Competition

The American violinist receives €25,000, a CD recording, a number of important international performance opportunities and the loan of a Stradivarius

Violin and cello winners at Vienna Classic Strings competition

Meruert Karmenova and Grace Sohn take first prizes over the weekend, joining viola winner Luosha Fang

Markneukirchen Cello Competition names winner

South Korean cellist Yeong-Kwang Lee takes first place in all-Schumann final

Meet the candidates: Michael Hill International Violin Competition

Starting in two weeks, the New Zealand event with NZ$40,000 top prize has invited 16 violinists to its live rounds

Luosha Fang wins viola section of Vienna Classic Strings competition

The Chinese violist, who has trained in the US and Spain, takes home €22,000 in prize money

Cello finalists announced at Markneukirchen

Three cellists will each play the Schumann concerto in the final for a share of €15,000 cash and other prizes

Tibor Varga Violin Competition names 28 candidates for live rounds

The selected violinists will compete for a top prize of CHF20,000 over three rounds taking place from 18 to 24 as part of the Sion Festival in Switzerland

Markneukirchen Cello Competition reaches semi-finals

Seven young cellists will compete for a place in the final, a share of €15,000 cash and other prizes

Tchaikovsky Competition 2019 announces participants

The competition takes place from 17-19 June in Moscow and St Petersburg

Banff International String Quartet Competition names 10 competitors

Total prize pool worth $300,000 includes a two-year paid residency for the winning quartet and cash award

Applications open for Menuhin Competition Richmond 2020

Full jury announced, including competition alumni Ray Chen, Joji Hattori and Ning Feng

Paul Vincent Laraia wins Lionel Tertis Viola Competition

The American violist receives £7000, a new bow and a London recital at Wigmore Hall

Meet the candidates: Sendai International Music Competition

The Japanese competition offers $27,000 first prize plus a package of concerts and other benefits

Queen Elisabeth Competition announces starry jury panel

Midori, Vadim Repin, Jaime Laredo and Arabella Steinbacher among jurors for €25,000 top prize event in Brussels

Johan Dalene wins violin section of Nielsen Competition 2019

The violinist wins a cash award of €12,000, a CD recording with the Odense Symphony Orchestra on Orchid Records, and performance opportunities

Nielsen Competition: Finals live stream and more

Follow the violin finals live with our live stream from the Carl Nielsen International Competition courtesy of Medici.tv.

Two cellists and a violinist are Windsor Festival Competition finalists

Jamal Aliyev, Jonathan Swensen and Mathilde Milwidsky will perform in tomorrow’s final, held in the Waterloo Chamber of Windsor Castle

Three violin finalists announced at Nielsen Competition

Two-part final on Friday and Sunday will see all three play the Nielsen concerto plus another 19th- or 20th-century concerto of their choice

Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider talks about the Carl Nielsen competition

In this video, president and former winner of the Carl Nielsen International Violin Competition, Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider, talks us through the ways in which he is trying to bring something special to the contest.

Play with Ray competition for Hollywood Bowl concert

Winner will Perform Bach’s Double Violin Concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Ray Chen

Nielsen Competition kicks off today: who are the competitors, and what are the prizes?

The young violinists taking part in this year’s Carl Nielsen International Competition in Odense, Denmark, are today arriving and registering for what could be a career changing event.

Queen Elisabeth Competition 2019 names its violin candidates

49 women and 22 men compete for the grand prize of 2019

First finalists at Grumiaux competition for young violinists

The Brussels based competition has announced the finalists in its under-10 and under-21 categories

German Musical Instrument Fund hands out 54 instruments in 2019 auditions

The fund has chosen 23 new recipients and renewed 31 loans for promising young musicians

Leopold Mozart Competition announces candidates for 10th edition

Twenty-nine young violinists will compete for a €20,000 first prize and a number of engagements

Are competitions inherently problematic?

Charlotte Gardner checks recent Joseph Joachim Competition rumours against reality and cautions against letting young musicians get caught in the crossfire

Diyang Mei plays viola arrangement of prelude from Bach's Cello Suite no.5

Chinese violist Diyang Mei recently clinched first place in the viola section of the ARD Music Competition in Munich.

Montreal Competition names 2019 violin candidates

Canadian competition offers top prize worth over CA$100k, combining cash, career development grant, instrument and engagements

Postcard from Munich: the 2018 ARD International Music Competition

The viola and piano trio category winners of the Munich event demonstrated an exceptional level of maturity and insight, writes Chloe Cutts

All change at Joachim competition after founder steps down

Former winner Antje Weithaas and Oliver Wille will take on joint artist directorship of Hanover-based competition for eleventh edition in 2021

Hair’s breadth: postcard from the Shanghai Isaac Stern Violin Competition

In its second edition, the $100,000 competition was decided by a tiny margin, and showcased many impressive performances along the way. Strad editor Charlotte Smith attended the finals

Competitors announced for Max Rostal violin and viola competition

Berlin-based event runs parallel sections for the two instruments, with 17 violinists and 17 violists invited to the live rounds

$100k M-Prize discontinued after three years

University of Michigan School of Music chamber music competition fails to survive departure of dean who championed it

Casals Foundation award given jointly for the first time

Two young cellists share €24,000 prize pot in competition held in El Vendrell, Catalonia, chaired by Marta Casals Istomin

Competition juries: is dropping teachers and publishing scores the answer?

Publishing the jurors’ scores in their entirety is the latest move for music competitions to prove their transparency – but is it a trend that’s likely to catch on, asks Peter Somerford

Nicolas Altstaedt has won the Duisburg Music Prize

The cellist receives the prize in a ceremony later this month

Santiago Cañón Valencia wins János Starker Award

Colombian cellist, 23, picks up $35,000 cash prize from the Starker Foundation

VSA honours instrument and bow makers in biennial competition

Violin Society of America convention in Cleveland reveals winners in violin, viola, cello, bass, quartet and bow categories

Ray Chen plays Paganini in the first round of Menuhin Competition 2008

For Ray Chen, the 2008 Menuhin Competition which turbo boosted his career started here, with Paganini’s Caprice no.5.

Joint 1st Prize Awarded at Korea’s IsangYun Cello Competition

Both winners receive $27,000 and important debut opportunities

Winner announced at inaugural Melbourne Violin Competition

The Danish violinist Christine Bernsted wins $5000

Timothy Chooi wins 2018 Joseph Joachim Violin Competition

The 24-year-old performed Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in the final round

Paulo Cello Competition winner Brannon Cho plays Bach

In this video from the final of the Paulo Cello Competition in Finland, American cellist and first prizewinner Brannon Cho perfoms the Allemande from Bach’s Cello Suite no.6 as an encore after the concerto final

Paulo Cello Competition names winner

US cellist Brannon Cho takes first place in Helsinki final with performance of Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante

Finalists announced at Joseph Joachim Violin Competition

Six violinists will appear in the two final rounds, in which they will lead a string quintet and perform a concerto with orchestra

Paulo Cello Competition enters second round

Quinquennial event taking place across three Finnish cities promotes nine young cellists for semi-finals

Joseph Joachim competition announces 12 semi-finalists

A number of familiar competition circuit names make it through to Hannover based event’s next phase, and chance of €50,000 first prize

Postcard from Harbin, China: the Schoenfeld Competition

Competition jury member Karine Georgian notes Harbin’s long musical tradition and hails a competition with a healthy process – as well as worthy winners

Winners announced at the 2018 Boulder International Chamber Competition

Violinist and violist tie for second place

Joseph Joachim Competition live stream

The preliminary rounds of the 10th edition of the triennial Joseph Joachim Violin Competition start on Saturday 13 October at 10am (German time). Bookmark this page to watch the live stream of the entire event.

Joseph Joachim Violin Competition starts October 11

33 musicians will compete for a total monetary fund of €140,000

Inaugural Szymanowski Competition announces winners

Polish violinist Sławomira Wilga won first place in the violin category, with the Eliot Quartet taking quartet prize

How do you prepare for a concerto competition?

Performing as a soloist with an orchestra can be a nerve-wracking experience, particularly for competition finalists who have very little rehearsal time. Pauline Harding talks to jury members, conductors and soloists about how to prepare

No first prize awarded at 2018 George Enescu International Violin Competition

Second prize goes to 18-year-old Italian violinist Vikram Sedona

Richard Lin performs Bruch's Scottish Fantasy

In this video, Richard Lin, 1st prize winner of the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, performs Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy in the final round conducted by Leonard Slatkin.

Violin finalists announced at George Enescu International Violin Competition

Three finalists compete for the first prize of €15,000

ARD winners announced

Violists and piano trios among players honoured in Munich

Indianapolis '21st Century Violin Search' names two winning luthiers

Instruments by the winners will be bought by the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis and loaned to the laureates of the 2018 contest

Richard Lin wins 10th International Violin Competition of Indianapolis

The 27-year-old violinist takes home the Gold Medal and the top prize of $30,000

Estonian cellist Marcel Johannes Kits wins George Enescu International Cello Competition

The 23-year-old cellist wins €15,000 and an invitation to perform at the Enescu Festival

Oleksandr Pushkarenko performs at the Enescu International Violin Competition

As part of the first round of this year’s George Enescu International Violin Competition, the Ukrainian violinist Oleksandr Pushkarenko, who is studying for a a Masters at the Niccolò Paganini Conservatory of Genoa in Italy, performs the first movement of Mozart’s Violin Concerto No 5 in A Major, K.219.

Finalists announced at International Violin Competition of Indianapolis

Six violinists have made it through to compete for performance opportunities and $30,000 top prize

Semi-finalists announced at Indianapolis Violin Competition

The tenth edition of the quadrennial competition has named the last 16 vying for $30,000 top prize and numerous performance opportunities

Tiny margin separates top two in Shanghai Isaac Stern Competition

Judges’ scores released today reveal that just 1 point of a possible 1,300 gave US violinist Nancy Zhou the event’s $100,000 first prize last week

Nancy Zhou wins Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition 2018

The US violinist triumphed in the all-female final to take home the $100,000 first prize

'My father hated competitions': David Stern at the Shanghai Isaac Stern Competition

David Stern, joint chair of the Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition – currently in its final round – tells The Strad about protecting his father’s legacy and enforcing ‘radical clarity’ on the jury

Nancy Zhou performs Kreisler at Shanghai competition

American violinist Nancy Zhou, 25, no stranger to the competition circuit, here plays Fritz Kreisler’s Recitativo and Scherzo-Caprice op.6 as part of the semi-final round of the Shanghai Isaac Stern Competition.

Kayhan Kalhor named recipient of 2018 Isaac Stern Human Spirit Award

The Iranian violinist shares the accolade with the Xiaoshuijing Miao Farmers Choir

All-female final for $100k first prize Shanghai competition

Six young violinists remain in contention for the biggest prize pot available in any competition, following three-part semi-final round

$100,000 Shanghai Isaac Stern Competition enters semi-finals

Twelve young violinists remain in contention for the biggest prize pot available in any competition, whittled down from the 36 invited to the live rounds

Who are the string players in Eurovision Young Musicians

Biennial classical competition held this year in Edinburgh with 18 contestants, of which ten play bowed strings

The competition teaching China how to love chamber music

Shanghai Conservatory of Music’s chamber music competition aims to popularise the form for students, teachers and listeners alike, as Nancy Pellegrini discovers

Remembering Henryk Szeryng

To mark the 100th anniversary of the Polish-Mexican virtuoso’s birth, Henryk Szeryng’s widow Waltraud shares her memories of a man who dedicated all aspects of his life to exactitude. Interview by Julian Haylock

Winners announced at 2018 Schoenfeld Competition

Lorenz Chen and Zlatomir Fung win top honours at the event in Harbin, China

Ulysses Quartet wins Schoenfeld chamber music prize

New York based group nets $20,000 first prize in Chinese competition

Violinist wins ABC Young Performers Award 2018

Emily Sun adds Australia’s ABC Classic FM competition to an already impressive list of recent successes

Schoenfeld String Competition announces violin and cello finalists

Competition based in Harbin, China, reaches final stage of its live rounds, with ten musicians from eight countries

Maria Włoszczowska wins 1st Prize in 2018 Bach Competition

26-year-old Polish violinist takes the top prize in the violin/Baroque violin category

Violinist reaches ABC Young Performers Awards finals

Emily Sun hoping to add Australia’s ABC Classic FM competition to an already impressive list of recent successes

Finalists announced in Leipzig Bach Competition

Violin and Baroque violin finalists competing for €10,000 top prize and concert engagements

Candidates announced for 2018 Joseph Joachim competition

Triennial event in Hanover, Germany, offers €50,000 top prize plus Naxos album release, loan of Guadagnini and performance invitations

Trio Marvin wins grand prize at Melbourne

Formed in 2016 and based in the Berlin, the group wins at total of AUD52,500. Goldmund Quartet tops string quartet category.

Melbourne competition reveals chamber music finalists

Three quartets and three trios through to Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition finals vying for share of $110,000 prize pot

ARD announces viola and piano trio participants for 2018

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

Semi-finalists announced at Melbourne Chamber Music Competition

Five string quartets and five piano trios advance to next round after five days of heats at the quadrennial event

Cellist Sebastian Fritsch wins Tonali 2018

The 21-year-old took home the first prize and audience prize in Hamburg competition with performance of Schumann concerto

Young quartets and trios assemble for quadrennial Melbourne competition

Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition opening heats feature eight quartets and eight piano trios each playing twice over five days

Schoenfeld International String Competition announces candidate list

Competition based in Harbin, China, reveals names of violinists, cellists and chamber groups that have been invited to live rounds

Applications open for triennial Sendai International competition

Gidon Kremer named as returning jury member in seventh edition of Japanese event taking place in June 2019

Washington International String Competition names 2018 winners

Event dispenses total of $40,000 to young string players, with three joint winners on violin, viola and cello

South Korean violist Hae-Sue Lee wins Primrose competition

Curtis Institute trained musician takes $15,000 prize and place alongside former winners Lawrence Power, Antoine Tamestit and Jennifer Stumm

Finalists revealed at Primrose International Viola Competition

Los Angeles competition which counts Lawrence Power, Antoine Tamestit and Jennifer Stumm among previous winners, enters final

Jonathan Swensen wins Khachaturian International Competition

Danish cellist takes first place with $15,000 prize at event in Yerevan, Armenia

Primrose viola competition enters semi-finals

Los Angeles competition which counts Lawrence Power, Antoine Tamestit and Jennifer Stumm among previous winners, enters final stretch

Cello finalists named in Khachaturian Competition in Armenia

Event in Yerevan, Armenia, is down to last four competing for $15,000 first prize and place alongside successful former winners

Haruka Nagao wins 13th Carl Flesch Competition

Japanese violinist, co-concertmaster of the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra, wins top prize in Flesch’s home town

Four violin finalists named at Carl Flesch competition

Hungarian event reveals last four going through to Saturday final

Cello first rounds at Khachaturian International Competition

Event begins in Yerevan, Armenia, with 14 young cellists competing for $15,000 first prize and place alongside successful former winners

Semi-finalists annouced at Carl Flesch competition

Pool of 49 competitors reduced to eleven for semi-final rounds in Hungarian event

Indianapolis Violin Competition announces candidates

The tenth edition of the quadrennial competition publishes list of 40 young players vying for $30,000 top prize and numerous opportunities

Carl Flesch International Violin Competition begins in Hungary

Thirteenth edition of competition kicks off with 49 young violinists in Hungarian virtuoso and teacher’s home town

Callisto Quartet wins Fischoff Chamber Music Competition

Cleveland Institute of Music student ensemble wins $13,500 gold medal plus a number of engagements

No cello first prize awarded at Prague Spring Competition

Václav Petr, a concertmaster cellist with the Czech Philharmonic, is awarded second prize

Pianist Lauren Zhang wins BBC Young Musician 2018

American born 16-year-old Royal Birmingham Conservatoire student impressed judges with performance of Prokofiev Concerto no.2

Cello semi-finalists announced at Prague Spring Festival

Competition chooses twelve cellists to proceed to semi-final round at Academy of Performing Arts in Czech capital

Winners named at $100,000 M-Prize Chamber Music Competition

New York based Aizuri Quartet takes grand prize at University of Michigan School of Music competition

15-year-old violinist María Dueñas wins Yankelevitch Competition

Spanish teenager wins first prize and 1890 violin by Eugenio Degani at Omsk-based competition

11-year-old Chloe Chua plays Vivaldi's Winter at Menuhin Competition

In this video, filmed at the Menuhin Competition closing gala concert on 22 April, 11-year-old Chloe Chua, who shared the first prize of the Menuhin Competition Junior Division with 10-year-old Christian Li, performs Winter from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

10-year-old Christian Li plays Vivaldi at Menuhin Competition gala

In this video Christian Li, who shared the first prize of the Menuhin Competition Junior Division with 11-year-old Chloe Chua, performs Summer from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Diana Adamyan's Menuhin Competition winning performance of the Bruch concerto

Diana Adamyan, who has been named the winner of the Menuhin Competition 2018 Senior Division, here performs Bruch’s Violin Concerto no.1 in the competition’s final.

Menuhin Competition senior finalists announced

Four violinists between the ages of 17 and 20 remain in the race for the $15,000 first prize plus raft of benefits and opportunities

Menuhin Competition, senior semi-finals

This is an archived live stream from the Menuhin Competition in Geneva. In this session of the junior seminals, the programme was:

Menuhin Competition junior finalists revealed

Six finalists in junior section range from ages 10 to 13

Menuhin Competition junior semifinals

This is an archived live stream from the Menuhin Competition in Geneva. In this session of the junior seminals you can hear:

Menuhin Competition: semi-finalists announced

Nine senior category and ten junior category violinists have progressed to the semi-finals

Esmé Quartet takes first place at Wigmore Hall competition

All-female Korean quartet based in Germany scoops £10,000 cash prize plus package of concerts and residencies

Kevin Zhu wins 55th Paganini Competition

Seventeen-year-old American violinist, a former junior winner at the Menuhin Competition, takes €20,000 first prize

Menuhin Competition: Senior first round (2nd part)

This is the archived live stream from the 2nd part of the senior first round of the Menuhin Competition 2018 which took place on 17 April.

Paganini Competition finals: Live Stream

Competition finals now streaming live from the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa.

Anastasia Kobekina plays prelude from Bach Cello Suite no.6

Russian cellist Anastasia Kobekina performs the prelude from Bach’s sixth cello suite. Kobekina is a Moscow Conservatory and Kronberg Academy graduate and currently studies with Jens Peter Maintz at the Berlin University of the Arts.

Paganini International Violin Competition: the finalists

All-male final six, including three Americans, competing for €20,000 first prize and opportunity to perform on Paganini’s favourite violin

Candidates named for $100,000 Shanghai Isaac Stern Competition

Starting on 10 August this year, the 36 young violinists will be competing for the biggest prize pot available in any competition

Paganini International Violin Competition announces 16 semifinalists

Event in its 55th edition offers a €20,000 first prize and opportunity to perform on Paganini’s favourite violin

Maxim Calver's performance in the BBC Young Musician strings category final

This video is Maxim Calver’s performance from the strings category final of BBC Young Musician 2018, featuring works by Lutoslawski, Brahms and Stravinsky.

Cellist Maxim Calver wins the string category of BBC Young Musician 2018

Eighteen-year-old Menuhin School student gains place in semi-final playing works by Lutoslawski, Brahms and Stravinsky

Win a signed copy of Ray Chen's new CD

In the May 2018 issue of The Strad, Ray Chen talks about his feats, failures and the digital revolution that has turned him into a violinist of a new generation. ’I didn’t want to wait until I had an established career,’ he says. ‘I wanted to start inspiring the next ...

Donghyun Kim wins Seoul International Music Competition

South Korean 18-year-old picks up $50,000 first prize and package of performance opportunities

Seoul International Music Competition violin finalists announced

South Korean candidates dominate in competition with $50,000 first prize

Violinist, double bassist and quartet awarded Avery Fisher grants

Xavier Foley, Francisco Fullana and the Calidore String Quartet take three of the four 2018 Avery Fisher Career Grants worth $25,000

Elli Choi plays Paganini Caprice no.4

American violinist Elli Choi, 16, who has recently been chosen to take on two performances of the Sibelius concerto from the indisposed David Garrett, in this video performs Paganini’s Caprice no.4.

Castalian String Quartet wins inaugural Merito String Quartet Award worth €45,000

Professional development award headed by Alban Berg Quartet cellist Valentin Erben, is based on secret observation of elligible quartets

Primrose viola competition reveals 24 candidates for 2018 edition

Competition taking place in Los Angeles in June 2018 counts Lawrence Power, Antoine Tamestit and Jennifer Stumm among previous winners

Competitors announced for International Paulo Cello Competition in Finland

Twenty-six competitors have been accepted for event taking place in October across three Finnish cities

Quatuor Tchalik: Beethoven String Quartet no.8

The Quatuor Tchalik comprises the Tchalik siblings Gabriel, Louise (violin), Sarah (viola) and Marc (cello).

Laureates announced at Lutosławski Cello Competition

Japanese cellist Haruma Sato has won the eleventh Witold Lutosławski International Cello Competition in Warsaw.

Lutosławski Cello Competition heads into finals

Now in its eleventh edition, the young cellists’ showcase in Poland will announce its winner this evening

Sergei Dogadin wins Singapore International Violin Competition

The 29-year-old Russian violinist wins $50,000 top prize, performance opportunities and the loan of a fine instrument

Three finalists announced at Singapore Violin Competition

The grand final will take place on 8 February with each finalist performing a concerto with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Venezuelan violinist Rubén Rengel wins $50,000 Sphinx Competition

The Detroit-based competition, which includes senior and junior divisions, is open to Black and Latino US string players

Q&A with Anastasia Kobekina, winner of the Prix Thierry Scherz

The 23-year-old Russian cellist has just won the Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad’s invitation-only competition, the prize of which includes a recording with orchestra. She talks to Charlotte Gardner

Singapore International Violin Competition enters semi-final stage

Event returns for second edition with $100,000 total prize fund, of which $50,000 goes to the winner

Nancy Zhou plays the Sibelius Concerto at the Harbin Competition's gala concert

American violinist Nancy Zhou, who recently won first prize at the inaugural International Music Competition Harbin, China, here performs the Sibelius Violin Concerto at the winners’ gala concert.

Berlin-based Vision String Quartet picks up €60,000 award

Biennial Jürgen Ponto Foundation award also includes concerts at its four partner festivals

Nancy Zhou wins $50,000 first prize at International Music Competition Harbin

American violinist, 25, adds the Chinese accolade to a number of recent competition successes

International Music Competition Harbin in China enters final round

Four young violinists from China, South Korea, Russia and the US compete for $50,000 first place in first edition of Chinese competition

Menuhin Competition 2018 announces 44 successful candidates for live rounds

Over 90% of participants began playing the violin before the age of five and average age across junior and senior categories has dropped to 15 for the first time, with the youngest aged ten and oldest 21

Cecil Aronowitz Viola Competition names winner

Emma Wernig from Los Angeles wins Birmingham Conservatoire based competition in second edition

Finalists announced at Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competition

Birmingham Conservatoire based competition in second edition names five young violists competing in Friday’s final

Menuhin Competition receives record number of applications

Event taking place in Geneva in April 2018 receives 317 applications across junior and senior categories

Singapore International Violin Competition announces 2018 participants

Event returns for second edition with $100,000 total prize fund, of which half goes to the winner

Argus Quartet and violinist Yoojin Jang win Concert Artists Guild competition

New York recital and CAG management contract are part of package of benefits for winners

European instrument and bow makers in 3/4-size benevolence

39 instruments and 41 bows now loaned to children aged 8 to 13 through second Con-takt Junior competition organised by Klanggestalten group

Trondheim competition winning Maxwell Quartet plays Beethoven String Quartet no.12 (op.127)

The Maxwell Quartet’s winning performance at the Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition - see news story here

Scottish quartet wins jury and audience prizes in Trondheim

The ninth Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition, running alongside the Chamber Music Festival in Trondheim, Norway, was won by the Scotland-based Maxwell Quartet

Linus Roth appointed artistic director of Leopold Mozart Competition

German violinist taking on Augsburg violin competition in time for tenth edition and 300th anniversary of Leopold Mozart’s birth

Menuhin Competition announces programme for 2018 event in Geneva

Taking place from 12 to 22 April 2018 the competition features 44 international entries as well as a festival of concerts and masterclasses

Rustem Khamidullin wins second Benyamin Sönmez Cello Competition

Russian wins competition in Fethiye, Turkey, named in honour of brilliant Turkish cellist who died aged 28 in 2011

Zhuhai International Mozart Competition enters violin finals

Young musician competition has announced winners for two of three age groups

Cosima Soulez-Larivière wins inaugural Bartók World Competition

Twenty-year-old, educated at Menuhin School in England, takes first prize in all-female final

ARD Violin Competition awards no first prize – again

Munich event has many precedents of leaving the top spot empty, including at its last edition in 2013

Mone Hattori performs at International Wieniawski Violin Competition 2016

Mone Hattori performs Wieniawski's Legende, Kreisler's La Gitana and Grieg's Third Violin Sonata in the second round of the International Wieniawski Violin Competition 2016.

'Teachers should never sit on juries if their students have entered those competitions,' says Aaron Rosand

String playing competitions are more popular than ever, but do they represent the best platform for launching careers? Charlotte Smith asks jurors, winners and organisers for their views

Violinist Yoojin Jang gives winning Mendelssohn and Stravinsky performances at Sendai Competition

Yoojin Jang gives her winning performances of Mendelssohn and Stravinsky violin concertos in the final of the 2016 Sendai International Violin Competition with the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Junichi Hirokami.

Violinist Ayana Tsuji gives winning Sibelius performance at Montreal Music Competition

18-year-old Japanese violinist Ayana Tsuji gives her winning performance of Sibelius's Violin Concerto at the 2016 Montreal International Music Competition with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.

Violinist Aaron Rosand on how to succeed in competitions and auditions

The American virtuoso covers technical issues including accuracy, rhythm, intonation and vibrato, and also discusses musical authenticity and practice

13-year-old violinist Eduard Kollert performs Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen

13-year-old violinist Eduard Kollert, who yesterday won the Junior first prize at the 2016 Novosibirsk International Violin Competition in Russia, performs Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen at the International ‘Nutcracker’ Contest for Young Musicians in Moscow in 2015.

BBC Young Musician cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason performs on Britain's Got Talent

2016 BBC Young Musician finalist, cellist Sheku-Kanneh Mason performs with his siblings on Britain's Got Talent in 2015.

Postcard from the Carl Nielsen International Violin Competition

It wasn’t just the first prize that was split at the Nielsen Competition in Odense on Friday, writes Andrew Mellor, it was also the jury – but isn’t that the point?

It’s the taking part that counts’: Are competitions always defined by results?

This year’s Menuhin Competition promoted a ‘non-competitive atmosphere of learning and exchange’, but how true was this for the performers, asks Charlotte Smith

12-year-old Yesong Sophie Lee gives 2016 Menuhin Competition winning performance

12-year-old Yesong Sophie Lee gives her winning performance in the 2016 Menuhin Competition Junior Finals at London's Royal Academy of Music.

20-year-old Yu-Ting Chen performs at Menuhin Competition 2016

20-year-old violinist Yu-Ting Chen performs in the 2016 Menuhin Competition Senior Semi-Finals.

Yesong Sophie Lee performs at Menuhin Competition 2016

12-year-old violinist Yesong Sophie Lee performs in the 2016 Menuhin Competition Junior Semi-Finals.

16-year-old Ziyu He performs at Menuhin Competition 2016

12-year-old Yeyeong Jin performs at Menuhin Competition 2016

12-year-old violinist Yeyeong Jin performs in the 2016 Menuhin Competition Junior Semi-Finals.

11-year-old Samuel Tan performs at Menuhin Competition 2016

11-year-old Samuel Tan, youngest competitor in the 2016 Menuhin Competition, performs in the first round of the Junior Division.

Crash course: are there benefits when things go wrong in a competition?

There was drama at the inaugural Carl Nielsen International Chamber Music Competition this week, in everything but the string result, writes Andrew Mellor

Video: Sergei Dogadin's winning Shostakovich performance at the Joseph Joachim Violin Competition

Sergei Dogadin gives his winning performance of Shostakovich's First Violin Concerto at the 2015 Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition Hannover.

Amalia Hall performs at the 2015 Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition Hannover

New Zealand violinist Amalia Hall, one of six finalists currently taking part in the 2015 Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition Hannover, performs Mozart's Fifth Concerto in the semi final.

Diana Tishchenko performs at the 2015 Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition Hannover

Diana Tishchenko, one of 12 remaining candidates currently taking part in the 2015 Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition Hannover, performs Mozart's First Concerto in the semi final.

Richard Lin performs at the 2015 Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition Hannover

Richard Lin, one of 12 semi-finalists currently taking part in the 2015 Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition Hannover, performs Ysaÿe's Sonata, op. 27 no. 4, Bach's Partita no. 2 and Joachim's Romance, op. 2 no. 1 in the competition's preliminary round.

8-year-old Leia Zhu gives winning Mendelssohn Violin Concerto performance

British violinist Leia Zhu has won the International Russian Rotary Music Competition in Moscow, open to children aged between 8 and 12, in string, wind, piano and harp disciplines. Zhu is the youngest prize winner in the competition's 13-year history, receiving a prize of $3000. In the final she performed ...

How to prepare for a competition, by Queen Elisabeth winning violinist Ji Young Lim

The violinist won the competition in Brussels in May this year, receiving €25,000, concert performances and the loan of the ‘Huggins’ Stradivarius for four years.

Ji Young Lim performs Mozart at the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition 2015

Ji Young Lim performs Mozart's Fourth Violin Concerto at the 2015 Queen Elisabeth Music Competition in Brussels - where she took home the €25,000 first prize.

Listening to my idols makes me a better violinist, says Alexandra Conunova

Listening to recordings is a valuable part of practice, the 2015 Tchaikovsky Competition finalist tells Pauline Harding

Tchaikovsky Competition 2015: violinist Alexandra Conunova performs in the final

Why no Gold Medal violinist at this year’s Tchaikovsky Competition?

For those witnessing the violin finals, the results of the 2015 competition were an anti-climax. But, writes Charlotte Smith, perhaps they were inevitable.

Tchaikovsky Competition 2015: cellist Andrei Ionuț Ioniță performs Stravinsky

Tchaikovsky Competition 2015: violinist Yu-Chien Tseng performs in the final

Tchaikovsky Competition 2015: Pablo Ferrández-Castro performs Bach

Cellist Pablo Ferrández-Castro, Onyx recording artist and 2015 winner of the Rheingau Music Festival award, performs the Prelude from Bach's Cello Suite no.3 at the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition, which is currently underway. Ferrández-Castro is one of six cello finalists competing for the top prize this week.

Tchaikovsky Competition 2015: Alexandra Conunova performs Kreisler

Violinist Alexandra Conunova, winner of the 2012 International Josef Joachim Violin Competition in Hannover, performs Kreisler's Gypsy capriccio at the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition, which is currently underway. Conunova is one of six violin finalists competing for the top prize this week.

Tchaikovsky Competition 2015: violinist Clara-Jumi Kang performs Chausson

Tchaikovsky Competition 2015: violinist Yu-Chien Tseng performs Valse-Scherzo

Violinist Yu-Chien 'Benny' Tseng, winner of this year's inaugural Singapore International Violin Competition, performs Tchaikovsky's Valse-Scherzo at the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition, which is currently underway. The names of those violin and cello candidates progressing to the final will be revealed this evening.

Ji Young Lim performs Brahms's Violin Concerto

Ji Young Lim performs the first movement of Brahms's Violin Concerto in the finals of the 2014 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis in which she came third.

Violinist Ray Chen performs Ysaÿe's Solo Sonata no.6

Violinist Ray Chen performs Ysaÿe's Solo Sonata no.6 at the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition in Belgium in 2009 - which he later won.

Suliman Tekalli performs Bartók at the Seoul International Music Competition

27-year-old Suliman Tekalli performs Bartók's Violin Concerto no.2 with the Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra in the final of the 2015 Seoul International Music Competition. Tekalli shared second prize with 17-year-old Ayana Tsuji; no first prize was awarded.

Leia Zhu, aged 8, gives winning performance of Wieniawski's Second Violin Concerto

British violinist Leia Zhu, aged 8, has been named the youngest ever winner of the International Competition ‘Young Virtuosos’ in Sophia, Bulgaria. The competition's 2015 edition included violin, viola, cello and percussion categories, each divided into four age groups.

Finalists perform Mozart at the Singapore International Violin Competition

The three Grand Finalists of the Singapore International Violin Competition have now been announced: Sirena Huang, USA; Richad Lin, Taiwan; and Yu-Chien Tseng, Taiwan.

Alexandra Conunova performs at Singapore International Violin Competition

Alexandra Conunova performs Beethoven's Violin Sonata no.8, Poulenc's Violin Sonata, Koh's kilo and Wieniawski's Faust Fantasy at the Singapore International Violin Competition 2015 Semi-Finals.

Virtuosity and intuition combine at Berlin's Feuermann Cello Competition

The recent Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann in the German capital was a fitting tribute to the man it was named after, writes Rebecca Schmid

What I look for in a competition winner, by violinist Pierre Amoyal

The Singapore International Violin Competition jury member gives an insight into his decision-making process

Jinjoo Cho performs Saint-Saëns's Introduction et rondo capriccioso

Jinjoo Cho, winner of the 2014 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, performs Saint-Saëns's Introduction et rondo capriccioso, op.28 in 2010.

The six laureates of the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis

South Korean violinist Jinjoo Cho won first prize, worth $30,000, at the 2014 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis (IVCI) on Saturday, following her performance of Korngold's Violin Concerto.

Samuel Tan performs Kreisler's Praeludium and Allegro

An eight-year-old Samuel Tan from Singapore performs Kreisler's Praeludium and Allegro. The violinist has just won the top prize at the 21st International Andrea Postacchini Violin Competition in Fermo, Italy at the age of nine – competing against musicians ...