Japanese violinist Koshiro Takeuchi wins the CAD70,000 first prize package
On 4 June, the grand final of the Concours Musical International de Montréal (CMIM) took place. Three violinists performed a concerto with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and conductor Sascha Goetzel at the Maison symphonique de Montréal.
The first prize was awarded to 21-year-old Japanese violinist Koshiro Takeuchi. He wins a first prize package comprising a CAD30,000 (£16,000) cash prize and CAD40,000 (£21,500) career development prize. He also receives a three-year loan of a 1728-30 Guarneri ’del Gesù’ violin from the Canimex Music Instrument Collection. Following the competition’s first round in late May, he also won the Baroque Prize, worth CAD2,500 (£1,300).
21-year-old Japanese violinist Sara Watanabe came in second place, winning a CAD15,000 (£8,000) cash prize and CAD10,000 (£5,300) career development prize. Watanabe was also awarded the Mozart Prize for the best performance of a Mozart concerto on the 3 June finals. The prize is worth CAD3,000 (£1,600).
Third prize was awarded to US violinist Laurel Gagnon, 31. She wins a CAD10,000 cash prize and CAD10,000 career development prize. Gagnon also won the Canadian Work Prize and the Sonata Prize, both worth CAD2,500.
The Audience Prize, worth CAD5,000 (£2,700), was awarded to Turkish-Belgian Bade Dastan, 19, who was one of the five finalists. She, as well as 17-year-old finalist Aozhe Zhang from China, also receives a CAD3,000 finalist grant.
Tokyo-born Koshiro Takeuchi is a student of the Manhattan School of Music and the Tokyo College of Music. He studies with Koichiro Harada, Lucie Robert and Mayuko Kamio. He won first prize at the 2025 Ion Voicu International Violin Competition and third prize at the 2023 Long-Thibaud International Music Competition.
He made his debut in 2024 with a performance with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Tadaki Otaka. He has since performed with orchestras including the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre de la Garde républicaine and Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, among others.
The 2026 violin edition of CMIM saw over 250 applicants. 24 violinists were chosen to attend the live first round in Montreal, ten of which proceeded to the semi-finals, in which they played hour-long recitals at Salle Bourgie. Five were chosen to compete in the first part of the final round, playing a Mozart concerto with the OSM, after which three grand finalists were chosen to perform a concerto from a provided list.
Montreal-born Lucie Robert chaired the 2026 competition jury, which comprised Ju-Young Baek, Glenn Dicterow, Simin Ganatra, Yuzuko Horigome, Régis Pasquier, Barry Shiffman and Pavel Vernikov.
CMIM has been held annually since its inception in 2002, rotating between disciplines of violin, piano and voice. The 2023 violin edition was won by Dmytro Udovychenko.
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