17-year-old Corina Deng took the top prize of €7,000, a future concert engagement, plus multiple string accessories
The final round of the Markneukirchen International Instrumental Competition for violinists was held on 15 May 2025. Three finalists performed Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, having progressed from three previous rounds earlier in the week.
The participants were accompanied by the Vogtland Philharmonic Orchestra Greiz/Reichenbach under the direction of Simon Edelmann.
17-year-old Canadian violinist Corina Deng won first prize of €7,000, plus a future concert engagement with the Chursächsische Philharmonie Bad Elster. As first prizewinner, she also receives a GEWA Air 2.1 violin case, strings, rosin and shoulder rest from PIRASTRO, a personalised strings workshop and a year’s supply of strings from Larsen Strings.
Deng is currently studying with Ida Kavafian at the Curtis Institute of Music. At the International Tibor Varga Junior Violin Competition 2024, she won the first prize as well as the Audience prize, Calma Management prize and Best Interpretation prize for the compulsory piece. She made her orchestral debut at the age of eight and her first recital at the age of ten, and has performed with orchestras in Europe, the US and Canada.
26-year-old Australian violinist Josephine Chung won second prize of €5,000, while 25-year-old Serbian-Italian violinist Teofil Milenkovic won third prize of €3,500. Both competitors also receive accessories from PIRASTRO.
The top three winners will receive their prizes in-person at the prizewinners’ concert on Saturday 17 May, where the Max-Reger-Prize worth €1,000 for the best interpretation of Reger’s Präludium and Fuge d minor op. 117 No. 6 for solo violin will be awarded. All prizewinners receive accessories, vouchers and sheet music in addition to their main awards.
The finals for the viola division of the competition will take place on Friday 16 May. The three finalists are Brian Isaacs, Antoine Thévoz and Carla Usberti.
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Read: Dover Quartet violinist Joel Link appointed concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra
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