The 16 quarter-finalists have been confirmed for June’s Michael Hill International Violin Competition in Queenstown and Auckland.
Entries for the 11th event broke all previous records, with 160 young violinists from across the world vying for one of the coveted quarter-final spots.
It is the first time the formerly biennial, and now triennial, event — considered an ‘Olympics of the violin world’ — has been held since 2019.
It’s backed by the Hill Family Foundation for Arts and Music, and major supporters Michael Hill International, Craigs Investment Partners
and Chiron Group.
Open to the top violinists aged from 18 to 28 from all over the globe, the musicians first battle it out in Queenstown and then Auckland, aiming to be selected by the prestigious international judging panel as the top three to perform in the judged grand final concert with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra at Auckland’s Town Hall on June 10.
The winner will receive $40,000, a recording contract with Atoll label and a multi-centre Winner’s Tour, with Chamber Music New Zealand.
Also up for grabs is a three-year loan of a fine violin by Rare Violins of New York.
The 2023 finalists are Jiayi Chen, 26 (China/Austria); Gabrielle Despres, 22 (Canada/USA); Kingston Ho, 21 (USA); Seonglan Hong, 21 (South Korea); Yeyeong Jin, 19 (South Korea/USA); Lorenz Karls, 21 (Sweden/Austria); Tianyu Liu, 23 (China/USA); Julia Mirzoev, 26 (Canada); Audrey Park, 20 (USA); Eva Rabchevska, 26 (Ukraine/Germany); Aoi Saito, 25, Yuri Tanaka, 17, and Ayaka Uchio, 25 (Japan/Germany); Hani Song, 25 (Switzerland/Germany); Karen Su, 24 (USA/Belgium); and Claire Wells, 21 (USA/Germany).
Tickets for Queenstown’s June 2-5 quarter-final rounds go on sale next month via Eventfinda.
