The competition has drawn entries from countries including Albania, Egypt, Macedonia, Thailand and the UAE

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The 2020 Menuhin Competition has received 321 entries - a record number since its 1983 inception.  The event, which will be held in Richmond, Virginia from May 14-24, has attracted applicants from countries including Albania, Egypt, Macedonia, Thailand and the UAE, all competing for the top prize of USD $20,000 plus a 2-year loan of a golden period Stradivarius violin from the private collection of Jonathan Moulds.

The competition’s Junior Division is open to violinists aged 15 and under, while its Senior Division is for ages 15 to 22. The previous event, in April 2018, took place in Geneva.

Sitting on this year’s jury are Pamela Frank, Joji Hattori, Noah Bendix-Balgley, Ray Chen, Aaron Dworkin, Ning Feng, Ralph Kirshbaum, Anton Nel and Soyoung Yoon. This will be the second time that the Menuhin Competition has taken place in the USA.

Alumni of the competition include Ray Chen, Tasmin Little, Ning Feng, Julia Fischer, Chad Hoopes, Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider and Stephen Waarts.