The finals will be held in Helsinki from 27 to 29 May, with contestants performing concertos by Sibelius and modern composers
The semi-finals of the eighth Jean Sibelius Violin Competition took place from 23 to 25 May. 18 violinists performed solo and accompanied works with pianist, including the competition’s commissioned work, The Seasons Remembered, by Outi Tarkiainen.
The jury, comprising John Storgårds (chair), Elise Båtnes, Jan Söderblom, Jinjoo Cho, Levon Chilingirian, Réka Szilvay and Sung-Ju Lee, has selected six violinists to progress to the final round, which will take place from 27 to 29 May at the Helsinki Music Centre. They are:
Gabrielle Després (Canada, b.2000)
Otto Antikainen (Finland, b.1999)
Claire Wells (US, b.2001)
Minami Yoshida (Japan, b.1998)
Amia Janicki (Switzerland, b.1997)
Sueye Park (South Korea, b.2000)
The finalists will perform as soloists with both the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to the Sibelius Violin Concerto, the final will feature modern violin concertos by Kaija Saariaho, Magnus Lindberg, Oliver Knussen and Unsuk Chin, for the first time in the competition’s history.
The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra will be conducted by Dima Slobodeniouk and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra by Pietari Inkinen and Geoffrey Paterson. Inkinen and Paterson replace Pekka Kuusisto, who has cancelled his appearance due to illness.
The prizes up for grabs include first prize of €30,000, second prize of €20,000 and third prize of €15,000. Three other finalists will receive €3,000 and all contestants who reach the second round will receive €1,000 from the Sibelius family.
The Finnish Composers will donate a special prize of €2,000 for the best performance of the 2025 competition’s commissioned work.
J&A Beare and the Beare’s International Violin Society will facilitate the loan of a fine violin to a candidate for one year, with possible extension.
Additionally, winning candidates will receive mentorship and future performance engagements.
Read: ‘Not allowed’: violinist turned away from Norse Atlantic Airways flight
Read: 28 violinists selected for 2025 Tibor Varga Violin Competition
The number one source for playing and teaching books, guides, CDs, calendars and back issues of the magazine.
In The Best of Technique you’ll discover the top playing tips of the world’s leading string players and teachers. It’s packed full of exercises for students, plus examples from the standard repertoire to show you how to integrate the technique into your playing.
The Strad’s Masterclass series brings together the finest string players with some of the greatest string works ever written. Always one of our most popular sections, Masterclass has been an invaluable aid to aspiring soloists, chamber musicians and string teachers since the 1990s.
The Canada Council of the Arts’ Musical Instrument Bank is 40 years old in 2025. This year’s calendar celebrates some its treasures, including four instruments by Antonio Stradivari and priceless works by Montagnana, Gagliano, Pressenda and David Tecchler.
No comments yet