Applications Open to Kloster Schöntal International Violin Competition 

Now open to international violinists aged up to 21, applications will close on May 31, 2024

First held in 1989, the biennial Kloster Schöntal International Violin Competition aims to discover and promote young emerging artists, and to offer them the chance to create international networks.

Supported by the Hohenlohe Cultural Foundation, this year’s edition will be held from August 22 to September 1, 2024, at the Schöntal Monastery.

The competition is open to candidates of any nationality up to the age of 21. All participants will be allocated to one of three age groups: aged 15 and younger, aged up to 18 years, and aged up to 21 years.

The number of candidates this year is limited to 65. Cash prizes will reach up to €3,000, which is the amount for the first-prize winner in the oldest age group. In total, cash and non-cash prizes of over €30,000 will be distributed.

Other awards include the €5,000 Reinhold Würth sponsorship, concert engagements, a quality instrument from Florian Leonhardt Fine Violins, a violin bow, and GEWA cases.

Candidates who do not make it through stage one will receive a Certificate of Participation, and those who are eliminated in stage two will receive a Certificate of Honour.

The jury will comprise internationally renowned musicians and teachers and will work in line with the rules of the competition and set judging criteria.

Further information on repertoire lists and age groups can be found under the “Competition” tab on their website. 

To apply, click here. 

The competition now honors its late artistic director Petru Munteanu, who passed away last year. In previous years, Muneanu had helped create complementing activities for the competition, including the annual international masterclasses at Kloster Schöntal, concert opportunities during the “Hohenloher Kultursommer” festival, and concerts by the CONCERTINO ensemble.

Other activities include masterclasses and professional development, such as counseling, arrangement of scholarships and placements at musical colleges, or the organization of additional concerts.

Previous major prize winners include VC Artists Inmo Yang, Sarah Christian, Yury Revich, Ziyu He, and Igor Pikayzen, Alexander Conunova, Nikita Boriso-Glebsky, Rennosuke Fukuda, and Ioana Christina Goicea.