The Michael Hill International Violin Competition (MHIVC), which is scheduled to take place from June 2 to June 10, 2023, has announced the quarterfinalists for this year's event. The competition received an unprecedented 160 applications and is often referred to as the "Olympics of the violin world." A panel of esteemed international judges will evaluate the performances of 16 exceptional violinists, who will compete for the top prizes.
The following are the quarterfinalists in alphabetical order:
Jiayi Chen, 26 - China/Austria
Gabrielle Després, 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 - Japan/Germany
Hani Song, 25 - Switzerland/Germany
Karen Su, 24 - USA/Belgium
Yuri Tanaka, 17 - Japan/Germany
Ayaka Uchio, 25 - Japan/Germany
Claire Wells, 21 - USA/Germany
The MHIVC is open to violinists from around the world between the ages of 18 and 26. Starting this year, the competition will be held every three years instead of every two. Another change introduced is the inclusion of a newly commissioned work from New Zealand, which will be performed by the candidates using a static digital recording, marking the first time this has been done in the competition's history.
The grand final concert will feature the top three finalists performing with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra at Auckland's Town Hall on June 10, 2023. The winners will receive prestigious prizes that will propel their music careers, including a cash prize of $40,000 (NZ), a recording contract with the Atoll label, and a Winners Tour with Chamber Music New Zealand in 2024. Additionally, one of the awards includes a three-year loan of a fine violin from Rare Violins of New York.
The jury for the competition consists of Bella Hristova, Ning Feng, Natalia Lomeiko, Wilma Smith, Piers Lane, James Ehnes, and Anthony Marwood, along with past MHIVC winners.
Anne Rodda, the Executive Director, expressed the panel's diligent efforts in assessing all the applicants' videos over a span of five days. She also noted the emerging trend among the current generation of violinists who strive for a multi-faceted and self-initiated career path, demonstrating an awareness of the industry's changes. Many of them also express a genuine desire to serve their communities and engage with new audiences in non-traditional settings.
The MHIVC has been a launching pad for numerous internationally renowned soloists, teachers, concertmasters, and ensemble players, including Joseph Lin, Josef Spaček, Ning Feng, Anna Im, Benjamin Baker, as well as VC Artists Nikki and Timothy Chooi, and Sergey Malov.
