The three finalists will perform at Geneva’s Victoria Hall on 12 November
The viola semi-finals of this year’s Concours de Genève took place from 6 to 9 November at the Conservatoire de Genève in Geneva, Switzerland. The eight semi-finalists undertook three rounds: a 60-minute recital with a free choice of programme, a chamber music round and the presentation of an artistic project.
Three finalists have been chosen to proceed to the 12 November finals. They are Brian Isaacs (USA), Sarah Strohm (Switzerland) and Ayaka Taniguchi (Japan). The three will perform a concerto with the Orchestra de la Suisse Romande at Geneva’s Victoria Hall as well as the compulsory piece, Nouvel Élan, by Léo Albisetti (the winning work of the 2024 competition’s composition edition).
The first prizewinner will receive CHF20,000 (£17,600), with second and third place receiving CHF12,000 (£10,500) and CHF8,000 (£7,050) respectively.
Additional special prizes are the Audience Prize, Students’ Prize, the Rose-Marie Huguenin Prize, Arts Society Prize, Concerts de Jussy Prize and Hindemith Prize.
This year’s competition jury is chaired by Tabea Zimmermann, and comprises Tomoko Akasaka, Ettore Causa, Pauline Sachse, Cynthia Phelps, Jean Sulem and German Tcakulov.
The 12 November finals will be livestreamed on The Strad website.
The Concours de Genève is held annually, rotating disciplines between piano, flute, clarinet, cello, viola, string quartet, voice and percussion, with composition offered every second year.
The first viola edition was held in 1942 and was won by Paul Doktor. Jury chair Zimmermann won first prize at the 1982 edition, while the last viola edition was held in 2005, with Ukrainian violist Maxim Rysanov and US violist Jennifer Stumm receiving joint second prize.
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