In Sion, Switzerland, the International Tibor Varga Violin Competition recently concluded its two-part final round over the weekend. The entire event was livestreamed on The Violin Channel, featuring three finalists who performed alongside the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra under the baton of conductor Sergej Krylov.

The youngest participant, Seohyun Kim from South Korea, aged 14, clinched this year's top prize. Raphael Nussbaumer (17, Switzerland) secured the Second Prize, and Rennosuke Fukuda (23, Japan) received the Third Prize.

In addition to her victory, Seohyun Kim also garnered the Youth Jury Prize, while Raphael Nussbaumer claimed both the Audience Prize and the "Over-20s" Jury Prize.

Seohyun Kim, Rennosuke Fukuda, and Mahiro Kurasawa were recognized for their exceptional performances of the commissioned piece "Macerie" (Wreckage) by Silvia Colasanti, which had its world premiere in the first round, featuring all the competition's candidates.

The 2023 jury panel consisted of Augustin Dumay (President), James Brown, Mihaela Martin, Natsumi Tamai, Ingolf Turban, Pavel Vernikov, Silvia Colasanti, Ashley Wass, Stella Chen, and Alexander Chaushian.

Augustin Dumay expressed his delight at the exceptional musical talents discovered during the competition, emphasizing the importance of finding not just technically skilled violinists but true musical personalities capable of captivating audiences with their storytelling abilities.

The competition witnessed a record-breaking number of entries, with 24 talented violinists under the age of 26 participating.

Olivier Vocat, President of the Sion Violon Musique Foundation, praised the event's remarkable artistic caliber, noting the presence of unique and engaging personalities among the contestants, some of whom were remarkably young. He also expressed joy that these outstanding violinists received enthusiastic applause from the large audience in attendance.