Sarah Strohm and Brian Isaacs have each won the CHF20,000 (£17,600) first prize
The finals of the 79th Concours de Genève’s viola edition took place on 12 November at Geneva’s Victoria Hall, where the three finalists performed with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (OSR). Alongside performing a concerto, they also played the compulsory work, Nouvel Élan for viola and chamber orchestra by Léo Albisetti (the winning work of the 2024 competition’s composition edition).
Joint first prize was awarded to Brian Isaacs (US, 25) and Sarah Strohm (Switzerland, 20). They each receive CHF20,000 (£17,600). Strohm also won the Audience Prize (CHF1,500), Young Audience Prize (CHF1,000), Students’ Prize (CHF1,000), Arts Society Prize (CHF3,000), OSR Musicians’ Prize and Concerts de Jussy Prize (CHF3,000).
The CHF12,000 (£10,500) second prize was awarded to Ayaka Taniguchi (Japan, 23). She also received the Fondation Etrillard Prize (CHF5,000) for the best artistic project from the semi-finals, Hindemith Prize (CHF3,000) for the best performance of a work by Paul Hindemith, and the Odysée Frank Martin Prize.
The Chamber Music Prize (CHF2,000), which was created during this year’s edition, was awarded to semi-finalist Alessandra Yang for the best performance in the semi-final chamber music round.
Born and raised in Geneva, Strohm studied viola at the Conservatoire de Musique de Genève with Noémie Bialobroda. She is currently based in Paris, where she is studying with Jean Sulem at the Paris Conservatoire. Her other competition success includes first prize at both the 2021 International Johannes Brahms Competition and the 2023 Valiant Forum Competition, as well as an honorary mention and special prize at the 2023 Oskar Nedbal International Viola Competition.
Originally from New York, Isaacs earned both a master’s in viola performance with Ettore Causa and bachelor’s in sociology at Yale University. He then studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt with Tabea Zimmermann and is currently a student in the Kronberg Academy Professional Studies Programme. He won second prize at the 2024 Max Rostal International Viola Competition, and third prize at both the 2024 Oskar Nedbal International Viola Competition and the 2025 Markneukirchen International Viola Competition.
This year’s competition jury was chaired by Tabea Zimmermann, and comprised Tomoko Akasaka, Ettore Causa, Cynthia Phelps, Pauline Sachse, Jean Sulem and German Tcakulov.
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