Organized under the auspices of the Fondation Sion Violon Musique, the Tibor Varga International Violin Competition, hosted in Sion, Valais, has the primary objective of unearthing emerging talents. The competition is dedicated to enhancing the participants' musical experience and expertise while offering the winners a boost for their future careers.
With an impressive 149 applications, the competition has witnessed a noteworthy surge in engagement, marking a 20% rise compared to its previous iteration. From this pool, a selective group of 25 candidates has been chosen to advance to the public rounds. This exclusive cohort comprises 11 contestants from Asia/Oceania, 12 from Europe, and 2 from the Americas. The youngest contender is a mere 14 years of age, while the average age hovers around 21.
The chosen participants are as follows:
Al-Saghir Léa, 23, Swiss
Arai Rio, 24, Japanese
Coppey Emmanuel, 23, French
Fukuda Rennosuke, 23, Japanese
Gogibedaschwili Elisso, 23, Austrian
Hirano Yuki, 19, Japanese
Im Anna, 25, South Korean
Jégou-Sageman Sarah, 25, French
Kim Seohyun, 14, South Korean
Kurasawa Mahiro, 20, Japanese
Lakisova Masha (Maria), 21, American
Meinrenken Emma, 23, Canadian
Ménétrier Alcide, 22, French
Nussbaumer Raphael, 17, Swiss
Oberhofer Muriel, 22, Swiss
Raviol Isabelle, 17, German
Saito Aoi, 25, Japanese
Schiffner Felicitas, 25, German
Tóth Kristóf, 23, Hungarian
Wang Sophie, 23, Taiwanese
Weissbecker Alexandra, 21, German
Weng Qingzhu, 21, Chinese
Yang Tien-Lin, 21, Taiwanese
Zamponi Yume, 17, Italian
Zou Zhang, 20, Chinese
This assembly of musicians will engage in the initial round on August 26 and 27. Successful participants will then proceed to the second round taking place on August 28 and 29. Finally, on August 31 and September 2, the ultimate showdown will unfold in two parts for the three finalists – one focused on chamber music and the other accompanied by an orchestra.
The distinguished jury for 2023 will consist of Augustin Dumay (President), James Brown, Mihaela Martin, Natsumi Tamai, Ingolf Turban, Pavel Vernikov, Silvia Colasanti, and Ashley Wass.
An impressive prize fund of up to 39,000CHF (~$40,000 US) will be granted to exceptional participants. The First Prize victor will receive CHF 20,000, the Second Prize awardee CHF 10,000, and the Third Prize recipient CHF 5,000.
In addition, the contender delivering the Best Interpretation of the piece by Silvia Colasanti will be bestowed with a prize valued at CHF 3,000. The competition will also present a Youth Jury Prize (CHF 500) and an Audience Prize (CHF 500).
The annals of past laureates encompass celebrated names like VC Artists Ji Won Song and Paul Huang.
