The California Music Center is inviting applications for the 39th edition of the Irving M. Klein International String Competition, a prestigious event taking place on June 1 and 2, 2024, at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. This competition is open to talented string players aged between 15 and 23, regardless of nationality, who do not currently have professional management.

A total prize pool of $30,000 is up for grabs, and eight to nine semifinalists will be chosen to compete for cash prizes and performance contracts. The application deadline is February 3, 2024. Interested participants can submit their applications via the provided link.

The jury for the 2024 edition includes renowned cellist and Klein laureate Mark Kosower, Daniel Stewart, Music Director of the Santa Cruz Symphony and the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, violinist Ian Swensen, Barbara Day Turner, Music Director of San José Chamber Orchestra, and commissioned composer John Wineglass. Additional jury members will be announced soon.

Applicants are required to submit a high-quality audio recording showcasing approximately thirty minutes of music. The repertoire should include five minutes of solo Bach, a substantial concerto movement, and a selection from the 20th/21st century lasting approximately ten minutes.

John Wineglass, the Composer-In-Residence with the Monterey Symphony, is the designated composer for the 2024 competition.

In organizational news, Marcy Straw, who served as the executive director for seven years, will now act as Interim Executive Director, focusing on finance and resource development support. Zoe Lin has assumed the newly created role of Deputy Director.

Notable past winners of the competition include violists Emad Zolfaghari and Yuchen Lum, cellist Gaeun Kim, and violinist Gabrielle Després.