Classical Music News

Applications Open to 2023 Concours Musical International de Montreal

August 24, 2022

2 MIN READ

The violin edition will be held in Montreal, Canada from April 22 to May 4, 2023

Open to violinists of all nationalities, born between January 1, 1993, and December 31, 2006, the violin edition of the Concours musical international de Montréal (CMIM) will be held this coming spring.

Established in 2001, the competition has been held annually, alternating between violinists, pianists, and vocalists.

Applications to the CMIM Violin 2023 will be open until November 15, 2022. Violinists can apply here.

More than $156,000 CAD in prizes and awards will be given to the laureates and winners of Violin 2023.

First prize will be awarded $80,000, second prize will receive $15,000, and third prize will get $10,000. Additional awards include the People’s Choice Award, Best Canadian Artist, Best Interpretation of a Sonata, Best performance of a work by J.S. Bach, Best performance of an imposed Canadian work, among others. There is also a Normand Beauchamp Winner’s Tour to Three North American Cities worth $15,000.

Following the preliminary international video screenings, 24 violinists will be invited to participate in the first round live to the public in Montreal and live online across the world.

Travel and accommodation expenses are provided to the chosen violinists, who will also be encouraged to bring their own collaborative pianist — for whom the Concours will also provide housing and a stipend for travel. The six finalists will then perform a violin concerto with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal at the Maison symphonique.

As one of the competition’s official 2023 media partners, The Violin Channel will be providing exclusive rolling coverage – live from all venues. The 2023 violin jury will be announced soon and chosen violin candidates will be announced on February 1, 2023.

In 2019, VC Young Artist Hao Zhou was awarded first prize in the last violin edition. Other former major prize winners include VC Artists Ayana Tsuji, Bomsori Kim, Minami Yoshida, Benjamin Beilman, Nikita Borioso-Glebsky, Stephen Waarts, Marc Bouchkov, and Fedor Rudin.

At the 25th Prix Opus Gala by the Conseil québécois de la musique, the CMIM won the special prize for Music Event of the Year for its Piano 2021 edition — which was initially scheduled for 2020 but was held virtually the following year.

Watch 2019 first prize winner Hao Zhou below: