Yeyeong Jenny Jin, a 20-year-old musician hailing from Korea and the United States, has achieved the prestigious honor of winning the first prize at the 2023 Michael Hill International Violin Competition in Auckland, New Zealand.

The second prize was granted to Claire Wells from the United States, while Lorenz Karls from Sweden and Austria secured the third place.

Jenny, currently studying under the guidance of Li Lin and Itzhak Perlman at The Juilliard School, will be bestowed with a cash prize of $40,000 NZ, along with a recording contract from the Atoll label and a winners tour across multiple cities with Chamber Music New Zealand.

Gabrielle Despres from Canada, Eva Rabchevska from Ukraine, and Aoi Saito from Japan claimed the fourth, fifth, and sixth prizes, respectively.

Additionally, Yeyeong Jenny Jin was awarded the prestigious 2023 Sheila Smith Prize, which includes the three-year loan of a Domenico Montagnana violin facilitated by Rare Violins of New York. The audience prize for this year was bestowed upon Gabrielle Despres.

The jury panel for the competition comprised Hon Christopher Finlayson (Chairperson), along with notable violinists Bella Hristova, Ning Feng, Natalia Lomeiko, Wilma Smith, James Ehnes, Anthony Marwood, and internationally acclaimed pianist Piers Lane.

Throughout its history, the Michael Hill International Violin Competition has served as a launching pad for the careers of numerous globally recognized soloists, teachers, concertmasters, and ensemble players. Esteemed musicians such as Joseph Lin, Ning Feng, Natalia Lomeiko, and VC Artists Nikki and Timothy Chooi, Sergey Malov, Josef Spaček, and Bella Hristova have all benefited from the competition's platform.