South Korean violinist Jieun Son wins the €1,000 first prize in the senior solo violin category

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Prizewinner Jieun Son © Kreutzer International Music Competition/facebook.com

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The second Kreutzer International Music Competition concluded on 10 August at the Ghent Royal Conservatory’s Miry Concert Hall in Ghent, Belgium. The competition comprised multiple age categories and was open to solo violinists up to the age of 33, string chamber groups, and string chamber groups with piano.

In the first age category for the solo violin component of the competition, for violinists up to the age of 12, the first prize of a bow worth €800 was awarded to Chinese violinist Yibo Wen. Second prize of a violin case valued at €500 went to Lithuanian violinist Pranciskus Kurauskas, and the third prize of strings valued at €300 was won jointly by Japanese violinist Sara Kazama and US violinist Felix Zeng.

In the second age category, for violinists up to the age of 17, the first prize of €800 went to South Korean violinist Youngwoo Choi. The second prize of €500 was awarded to German violinist Elisabeth Pihusch, and the third prize of €300 to Slovenian violinist Mark Lev Krajnc.

In the third category, for violinists up to the age of 33, the first prize of €1,000 was won by South Korean violinist Jieun Son. Second prize of €700 was given to South Korean violinist Sunjae Ok, and the third prize of €400 to Romanian violinist Petre Abraham Smeu.

The chamber music component of the competition comprised two age groups. In the first, for chamber groups with members up to the age of 18, the first prize of €800 was awarded to the Duo Bernadel from Germany. Second prize of €500 went to the Mofi Sisters from the US, and the third prize of €300 to the Golden Strings from China.

In the second chamber music category, for chamber groups with members aged 19 and over, the first prize of €1,000 was not awarded. The second prize of €700 was won jointly by the Duo Baron-Fleury from France and the Freytag Trio from Germany, while the third prize of €400 went to Duo Marni from France.

This year’s jury comprised Hrachya Avanesyan, Nicolas Dupont, Pieter Jansen, David Makhmudov, Yannick Van de Velde, Yi Wang, Huiming Wen, and Yi Zhong, with Yuri Zhislin acting as president of the jury.

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