2 mins
COMPETITIONS
Yeyeong Jenny Jin
Emad Zolfaghari
Sterling Elliott
JIN PHOTO TAM LAN TRUONG. ZOLFAGHARI PHOTO NICOLE MCH PHOTOGRAPHY. ELLIOTT PHOTO DENNY MOE’S MEDIA HOUSE
South Korean violinist Yeyeong Jenny Jin, 20, received the NZ$40,000 first prize at the Michael Hill International Violin Competition. She was also awarded a recording contract, winner’s tour and a personalised development programme. She is currently studying at the Juilliard School. US–German violinist Claire Wells, 21, took second prize and $10,000, while Swedish violinist Lorenz Karls, 21, won third prize and $5,000.
Canadian violist Emad Zolfaghari, 18, has won first prize and $5,000 at the Klein International String Competition. The prize also comes with performance opportunities. US violinist Audrey Goodner, 17, took home second prize and $3,500, while US violinist Ray Ushikubo, 21, won the $2,500 third prize and the award for best performance of the commissioned work.
The International Society of Bassists Double Bass Competition took place from 5–6 June and included solo, jazz and orchestra divisions. In the solo division,
Jacob Warren, 27, won the Gary Karr prize and $5,000. Jared Beckstead-Craan, 26, won first prize and $5,000 in the jazz division, and Davis Pierson, 22, won first prize in the orchestra division. All winners are from the US.
US cellist Sterling Elliott, 23, has been named one of three recipients of the Sphinx Medal of Excellence. The award comes with a $50,000 career grant. Elliott completed both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Juilliard School and is currently a Kovner fellow there. The other two recipients were conductor Kalena Bovell and tenor David Portillo.
APPOINTMENTS
Polish violinist Łucja Madziar has been named the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra of Vienna’s first concertmaster US bassist Joseph
Conyers has become the Philadelphia Orchestra’s new principal double bass The National Orchestra of Spain has appointed violinist Valerie Steenken as its concertmaster London’s Royal Academy of Music has made British violist Timothy Ridout visiting professor of music, and British cellist Robert Cohen has been named the William Pleeth professor of cello
FORTHCOMING COMPETITIONS & AWARDS
Goodmesh Competition in The Hague, Netherlands, for any instrument or group aged over 18. First prize €5,000 Deadline 17 September; competition 27 November Web www.goodmesh.nl
Grażyna Bacewicz International Violin Competition in Łódź for all violinists. First prize PLN25,000 (£4,800). Deadline 20 September; competition 3–9 December Web bit.ly/3mJO0Y5
Jenő Hubay Violin Competition in Miskolc, Hungary, for violinists aged 6–22 and from Poland, the Czech Republic or any country bordering Hungary. First prize €1,200 Deadline 30 September; competition 17–19 November Web bit.ly/3Ajeenj
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