Semi-finalists announced for the 2026 Oskar Nedbal International Viola Competition

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The Oskar Nedbal International Viola Competition has announced 16 semi-finalists selected for its 8th edition, the live rounds of which will be held at the Prague Conservatory from 29 October to 1 November 2026. The contestants were selected from a record 132 video applications from 40 countries and territories.

The 2026 semi-finalists (in alphabetical order) are:

· Diego Alvarado Sanchez (Venezuela/Chile, 2005)

· Vincenzo Calcagno (US, 2002)

· Junyan Du (China, 2008)

· Linda Emilia Emilsson (Germany, 2005)

· Andreas Grimstad (Norway, 2001)

· Jaeyun Han (South Korea, 2010)

· Jianxiu Jiang (China, 2004)

· Tabea Ockert (Germany, 2002)

· Momoka Okada (Japan, 2001)

· Laura Primavesi (Germany, 2003)

· Hannah Teufel (Germany, 2001)

· Antoine Thévoz (Switzerland, 2005)

· Guilherme Tomás (Portugal, 2003)

· Jeonghwan Yoon (South Korea, 1997)

· Pengxi Zhu (China, 2005)

· Jinglin Zhou (China, 2002)

Open to violists of all nationalities up to the age of 30, the Oskar Nedbal International Viola Competition is an annual event held in Prague and dedicated exclusively to the viola.

The competition will culminate in the final on 1 November, where the finalists will perform a concerto by Carl Stamitz or Franz Anton Hoffmeister, accompanied by the Czech chamber orchestra Barocco sempre giovane.

The competition offers a total prize fund of CZK125,000 (£4,400), together with a range of special prizes, including a fine viola bow by Luboš Odlas, GEWA viola cases, Pirastro strings and accessories, concert engagements, and additional awards provided by the competition’s partners. 

The international jury for the 2026 edition will be chaired by Lena Eckels and will comprise Kristina Fialová, Tim Frederiksen, Jan Pěruška and Máté Szücs.