Chinese violinist Mingzhe Ye won first prize of $20,000, plus loan of a fine violin and future performance opportunities
The 2026 edition of the Thomas and Evon Cooper International Violin Competition was held from 6 to 10 August at Oberlin College and Conservatory, Warner Concert Hall. 18 violinists between the ages of 13 and 18 had been selected to participate in the live rounds.
Mingzhe Ye (16, China) won first prize of $20,000, following a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D Major, op.35.
Ye’s prize package also included the use of a fine violin from Jonathan Solars Violins and an appearance with the ProMusic Chamber Orchestra during its season, a $500 Arkady Fomin Scholarship Fund Opportunity Award, granted directly to the winner by the North Shore Chamber Music Festival, as well as a lesson with ProMusica Chamber Orchestra Creative Partner Vadim Gluzman.
Ye was born in Beijing in 2010 and began his violin studies at the age of four. He studied at the Central Conservatory of Music primary and middle schools from the age of nine and currently studies with Jiazhi Wang.
He won first prize at the junior division of the Ysaÿe International Music Competition in Belgium, aged 13. He is also a prizewinner at the Korea Incheon International Music Competition, the 31st Andrea Postacchini International Violin Competition, Belgian International Jean-Pierre Rampal Competition, Massa International Young Music Competition, the 31st City of Barletta International Competition for Young Musical Artists and Hong Kong International Chamber Music Competition.
Elizabeth (Poppy) Song (16, US) won second prize of $10,000, while Minji Choi (16, US) won third prize of $5,000. The top three finalists were awarded full four-year tuition scholarships to Oberlin Conservatory, pending admission, as well as performance opportunites with the Bar Harbor Music Festival.
The ProMusica Chamber Orchestra accompanied the top three finalists, under the direction of David Danzmayr.
Emrick Revermann (18, Canada) took fourth place, while Hyunsuk Ryu (13, South Korea) and Jiye Kang (13, South Korea) took fifth place. They each received $1,500.
This year’s competition jury comprised Sibbi Bernhardsson, Jinjoo Cho, Scott Mello, Ami Oike and Qian Zhou.
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