Swiss violinist Edna Unseld scooped an impressive prize package, which also includes a two-year loan of an Italian violin, career mentorship and a future performance engagement
The 2025 edition of the Thomas and Evon Cooper International Competition was held from 6 to 10 January at Oberlin Conservatory. The competition is open to young violinists aged 13 to 18 who have not yet enrolled in college.
Following a week of juried performances from 19 violinists, three contestants proceeded to the final round on 10 January, where the violinists each performed a concerto with the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Norman Huynh.
13-year-old Swiss violinist Edna Unseld won first prize, following her performance of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. Winner of the 2022 Il Piccolo Violino Magico Competition, Unseld received a cash prize of $20,000 and a two-year loan of a rare Italian violin made by Venetian violin maker Marco Antonio Cerin (circa 1785-90), courtesy of Jonathan Solars Fine Violins.
Additionally, she will receive a two-year partnership with MKI Artists for career mentorship, a future performance engagement with the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra which includes a $500 Arkady Fomin Scholarship Fund Opportunity Award from the North Shore Chamber Music Festival, as well as a lesson with ProMusica Chamber Orchestra Creative Partner Vadim Gluzman.
Second prize of $10,000 went to Julia Xiaozhuo Wang, who performed Brahms Violin Concerto, while third prize of $5,000 went to Tiantian Lu, who also performed Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto.
The top three finalists will be awarded full four-year tuition scholarships to Oberlin Conservatory, pending admission.
Jinan Laurentia Woo, Emrik Revermann, and Lauren Yoon earned fourth through sixth place respectively, and each took home a prize of $1,500. Revermann also earned the Audience Prize, which includes an award of $500.
The jury was chaired by competition director Sibbi Bernhardsson and comprised Catherine Cho, Francesca dePasquale, Peter Herresthal, Xie Nan, William van der Sloot, and John Zion, managing director of MKI Artists.
Bernhardsson described the finals concert as ‘phenomenal’ and was impressed with the contestants’ level of commitment, dedication, and love put into the music.
’It’s shown us that the future is bright and that life is good,’ he said.
The Cooper Competition has been presented annually by the Oberlin Conservatory of Music since 2010, alternating between piano and violin disciplines. Previous violin winners include South Korean violinist Seohyun Kim in 2022, US violinist Eric Charles Chen in 2019 Swedish violinist Johan Dalene in 2017.
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