Two first prizes and two third prizes were awarded
The finals of the Vasco Abadjiev International Violin Competition took place on 22 November at the National Academy of Music in Sofia, Bulgaria. The prizes were then awarded on 23 November.
Michael Germer from Denmark and Hyukjun Sohn from South Korea were both awarded the €3,000 first prize. Second prize and €2,000 went to South Korean Jiyoung Kim while the €1,000 third prize was awarded to both Kae Tanimura from Japan and Arsen Ivlev from Russia. A special prize comprising participation at the Sofia Musical Weeks Festival was given to Elizaveta Brakhman from Israel.
At the age of 16, Michael Germer began his studies at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University with Dora Schwarzberg. He is currently an artist diploma student at the Royal Danish Music Conservatory studying with Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider.
In 2019 he won first prize at both the Grumiaux International Violin Competition and Postacchini International Violin Competition. He is also a laureate of the 2020 Khachaturian International Violin Competition where he came second and won the prize for the best interpretation of Paganini.
As a soloist, he as performed with the Turin Symphony Orchestra, Haifa Symphony Orchestra, Copenhagen Philharmonic, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, Odense Symphony Orchestra, among others.
Born in Seoul, Hyukjun Sohn is currently studying at the Cologne University of Music and Dance with Ariadne Daskalakis. Other competition success includes first prize at the HfMT Cologne Violin Competition and third prize at the Tunbridge Wells International Music Competition. He is currently an academy member of the WDR Symphony Orchestra and a member of the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie.
As a soloist, he has performed with the Philharmonie Südwestfalen and the Korean Chamber Orchestra, among others. He has undertaken masterclasses with Antje Weithaas, Yair Kless, Vadim Gluzman and Tobias Feldmann.
The jury comprised Janna Galdenman, Ksenia Milas, Yoanna Kamenarska, Giovanni Angeleri, Stefan Iliev and Yosif Radionov.
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