Semi-finalists for the Klein International String Competition announced

Read more news stories here

The Klein International String Competition has announced the nine semi-finalists competing for a share of performance prizes worth $30,000.  

The 38th edition of the competition held at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music will see these nine musicians perform the premiere of a commissioned work by composer Gity Razaz, a piece of Bach and movements from concertos and sonatas from 3-4 June.  

The semi-finalists, chosen from 111 entrants are:  

• Vincent Garcia-Hettinger, cello, 17 (TX). Attends Brandeis HS and studies with Kenneth Freudigman 

• Audrey Goodner, violin, 17 (VA). Attends Langley HS and studies with Ryan Meehan and Jing Qiao 

• Mei Hotta, cello, 20 (CA). Attends the Colburn School and studies with Clive Greensmith 

• Haddon Kay, cello, 23 (IL). Attends the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern and studies with Hans Jørgen Jensen 

• Blaire Kim, violin, 19 (KOREA). Attends the Juilliard School and studies with Li Lin and Itzhak Perlman 

• Zechariah Mo, viola, 21 (IL). Attends the Colburn School; he is a student of Tatjana Masurenko 

• Ray Ushikubo, violin, 21 (CA). Attends the Colburn School and studies with Robert Lipsett 

• Sophia Werner, violin, 20 (NY). Attends the Juilliard School and studies with Laurie Smukler 

• Emad Zolfaghari, viola, 18 (CANADA) Attends the Curtis Institute of Music and studies with Hsin-Yun Huang

The winner of the competition will receive $5,000 and concert appearances with the Peninsula Symphony, Santa Cruz Symphony and Gualala Chamber Series worth $13,000. The second prize is $3,500 and a concert appearance with San José Chamber Orchestra. Cash-only prizes are awarded to third place ($2,500), two fourth places ($1,500 each), the Bach Prize ($500) and the commissioned work ($500). All non-placing semi-finalists will receive a participation award of $1,000 

Previous winners of the Klein Competition include Alban Gerhardt, Jennifer Koh, Vadim Gluzman, Francesca dePasquale and Tessa Lark.  

Playing

In The Best of Technique you’ll discover the top playing tips of the world’s leading string players and teachers. It’s packed full of exercises for students, plus examples from the standard repertoire to show you how to integrate the technique into your playing.

Teaching

The Strad’s Masterclass series brings together the finest string players with some of the greatest string works ever written. Always one of our most popular sections, Masterclass has been an invaluable aid to aspiring soloists, chamber musicians and string teachers since the 1990s.

Calendars

This year’s calendar celebrates the top instruments played by members of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony, Australian String Quartet and some of the country’s greatest soloists.