ANLAI International Violin Making Competition Names 2024 Winners

Paulo Virgoletti has won first prize for the professional violins category

 

An annual event bringing together skilled international luthiers to showcase exceptional craftsmanship, the International Violin Making Competition of Pisogne is organized by the National Association of Italian Lutherie (ANLAI) and Italy’s Commune of Pisogne. 

As outlined at the award ceremony by president Gualtiero Nicolini, this year’s 18th edition of the competition saw almost 200 string instruments submitted from 21 countries.

The 2024 winners and categories are:

 

Professional Violins:

1st: Paul Virgoletti (Italy)

2nd: Andrea Artoni (Italy)

3rd: Danielle Marni (Italy)

 

Antique Violins:

1st: Emmanuel Curtoni and Gabriel Natali (Italy)

2nd: Leo Gilbert (France)

3rd: Ching Seng (China) 

3rd: Kin Quiwen (China)

 

Violas:

1st: Zhen Shab Xia (China) 

2nd: Weitong Zhang (China)

3rd: Darius Dshokov (Germany)

 

Antique Violas:

1st: Leo Gilbert (France)

2nd: Fabien Peyruc (Switzerland)

3rd: Georgi Nikolov (Bulgaria)

 

Cellos:

1st: Ezio Usai (Italy)

2nd: Fabio Piagentini (Italy)

3rd: Andrea Bononi (Italy)

 

Bows:

1st: Minfeng Tsai (Taiwan)

2nd: Magdalena Sapeta (Poland)

3rd: Andrea Pedretti (Italy)

 

Violins — Non-Professional:

1st: Haee Chol (South Korea)

2nd: Xinle Yang (China) 

3rd: Zhu Meilun (China) 

 

Antique Violins — Non-Professional:

1st Kwanghoo Lee (China)

2nd: Rubino Gabrieli (Italy)

3rd: Snow Dong Shi (China)

 

Violas — Non-Professional:

1st: Hong Zeran (China)

2nd: Rosina Franco Merlo (Italy)

3rd: Changhun Lee (China)

 

Antique Violins — Non-Professional:

Daehee Jung (China)

 

Cellos — Non-Professional:

1st: Fiameni Luca (Italy)

2nd: Satoshi Ichinuse (Japan)

3rd: Zugliano Daniele (Italy)

 

Bows — Non-Professional:

1st: Laura Leandri (Italy)

 

Other prizes including the Acoustic Award went to Plamen Edrew from Bulgaria; the Dovarese Pedroni Bruno Cremona Island Award for Classical Guitar went to Italian maker Matteo Crotti, who also won the Gualazzini Prize.

In the category for bows, the Floriano Nofri prize went to Wong Perng Kien from Malaysia, while the San Ginesio prize was awarded to the Italian maker Ettore Belfiore. The Italian makers Alessandro Fendillo, Danile Fiorentini, and Fiameni Luca won the Balzarini prize, the Maggi prize, and Pietropaolo Award, respectively. 

According to KS Strings, the 2024 jury comprised twelve experts, including Thomas Tomazewski, Florian Leonhard, Gao Tong Tong, Saulo Barreto Dantas, Salvatore Fernando Lima, Ichiro Tsutsumi, Giorgio Scolari, Roberto Collini, Ji Sun Kim, Shuichi Takahashi, Sergio Palmiro Maggi, and Eleonora Pasquali.