23-year-old violist Carla Usberti won first prize of €7,000, a future concert engagement, plus multiple string accessories
The final round of the viola division for the 2025 Markneukirchen International Instrumental Competition was held on Friday 16 May 2025. Three rounds took place earlier in the week, with three violists progressing to the final round from 38 participants.
The three finalists performed concertos by Hoffmeister and Stamitz with the Vogtland Philharmonic Orchestra Greiz/Reichenbach, under the direction of the soloists themselves.
First prize of €7,000 was awarded to Carla Usberti (23, Germany). As the first-prizewinner, she also received a future concert engagement with the Chursächsischen Philharmonie Bad Elster, a GEWA Air 2.8 viola case, strings, rosin and shoulder rest from PIRASTRO, a personalised strings workshop and a year’s supply of strings from Larsen Strings.
Usberti studied at the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts under professor Roland Glassl and has been a scholarship holder at Villa Musica since 2021. She won third prize at the 1st International Hindemith Viola Competition in the same year.
She plays regularly with the Munich Philharmonic and has played with the Bavarian State Youth Orchestra and the Academy of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Second prize of €5,000 went to Antoine Thévoz (19, Switzerland), while third prize of €3,500 went to Brian Isaacs (25, US). Both competitors also received accessories from PIRASTRO.
All prizewinners received accessories, vouchers and sheet music in addition to their main awards.
The jury for the competition’s viola division was chaired by Barbara Westphal and comprised Katarzyna Budnik, Lena Eckels, François Gneri, Pauline Sachse, German Tcakulov and Simone von Rahden.
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