First prize of ZAR 100,000 (£4,500) was awarded to 22-year-old cellist Ethan Lawson

392883928_906629264286881_1291522887616938587_n

Competition jury with winner Ethan Lawson (second from right) | facebook.com

Read more news stories here

The winner of the 2023 Mabel Quick Overseas Bursary Competition was announced at the conclusion of the final round on Friday 20 October at the Endler Hall in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The prize of ZAR 100,000 (£4,500) was awarded to 22-year-old cellist Ethan Lawson. Other finalists included violinist Zoë Coetzee, clarinettist David Cyster, and tenor Jason September.

Lawson is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Stellenbosch University, studying cello with Dr Peter Martens. He also won the Mabel Quick Instrumental Bursary the previous day, valued at ZAR 15,000 (£650).

‘I didn’t go into the competition with any expectations, I just really enjoyed the performance, and I am very grateful that the adjudicators did too,’ said Lawson.

The Mabel Quick Overseas Bursary Competition is open only to current students and alumni of Stellenbosch University, and the prize money may only be used to pursue further studies abroad. It takes place biennially, with the last competition occurring in 2021.

This year’s jury comprised professor Hendrik Hofmeyr, Aubrey Lodewyk, and Nerina von Mayer.

Best of Technique

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.

Masterclass

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.

Calendars

American collector David L. Fulton amassed one of the 20th century’s finest collections of stringed instruments. This year’s calendar pays tribute to some of these priceless treasures, including Yehudi Menuhin’s celebrated ‘Lord Wilton’ Guarneri, the Carlo Bergonzi once played by Fritz Kreisler, and four instruments by Antonio Stradivari.