Greek cellist Maria Elli Petridou wins $5,000 and further performance engagements
The final round of the 11th edition of the World’s Biggest Stage Competition took place on 26 May at the Kaufman Music Center’s Merkin Hall in New York City, NY, US. Formerly known as Getting to Carnegie, the competition alternates between editions for violin, cello and voice. This year was dedicated to the cello.
The four finalists each premiered a movement from a new cello sonata by composer and pianist Julian Gargiulo, who performed on piano with them. The winner was determined in equal measure by the jury’s vote and the audience vote.
This year, the first prize was awarded to Greek cellist Maria Elli Petridou. She receives a $5,000 cash prize, a concert engagement at the Museum of Russian Art in Minneapolis for a further $5,000, and an engagement with the Water Island Music Festival.
The other finalists were South Korean cellist Cheyoon Lee, Sammarinese cellist Francesco Stefanelli and German cellist Juliet Wolff, each receiving a cash prize of $1,500.
Previous string winners of the competition include violinists Maria Dueñas, Masha Lakisova, Nathan Meltzer and Haeji Kim, and cellists Johannes Gray, Rachel Siu and Chae Won Hong.
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