BREAKING | Haruma Sato Awarded 1st Prize at Germany's ARD Cello Competition

21-year-old Haruma Sato from Japan has been awarded 1st Prize at the 2019 ARD International Cello Competition

21-year-old Haruma Sato from Japan has just minutes ago been awarded 1st Prize at the 2019 ARD International Cello Competition - in Munich, Germany.

2nd and 3rd prizes were awarded to 22-year-old Friedrich Thiele from Germany - and 26-year-old Sihao He from China.

A current student of Jens Peter Maintz at the Berlin University of the Arts, Haruma is a former 1st prize winner at the Domenico Gabrielli and Witold Lutoslawski International Cello Competitions.

Open to cellists of any nationality born between 1988 and 2000, Haruma will receive €10,000 (US $11,500).

HARUMA SATO | SHOSTAKOVICH CELLO CONCERTO NO. 2 IN G MAJOR | EUN SUN KIM & BAVARIAN RADIO SYMPHONY | 2019 ARD INTERNATIONAL CELLO COMPETITION | 1ST PRIZE | 21-YEARS OLD

The prize for the best interpretation of this year's contemporary set work, 'Like Ella' For Solo Cello by composer Martin Smolka, was awarded to Friedrich Thiele.

This year's audience prize was also awarded to Friedrich Thiele.

FRIEDRICH THIELE | SCHUMANN CELLO CONCERTO IN A MINOR | EUN SUN KIM & BAVARIAN RADIO SYMPHONY | 2019 ARD INTERNATIONAL CELLO COMPETITION | 2ND PRIZE | 22-YEARS OLD

SIHAO HE | SCHUMANN CELLO CONCERTO IN A MINOR | EUN SUN KIM & BAVARIAN RADIO SYMPHONY | 2019 ARD INTERNATIONAL CELLO COMPETITION | 3RD PRIZE | 26-YEARS OLD

The 2019 cello jury comprised: Lynn Harrell (Chairman), Ophélie Gaillard, Matt Haimovitz, Maria Kliegel, Torleif Thedéen, Tamás Varga and Pieter Wispelwey.

Launched in 1952, this year’s ARD International Music Competition was held in 4 instrumental categories: Cello, Clarinet, Bassoon and Percussion.

Previous ARD Competition 1st prize winners include: Yuri Bashmet, Christian Tetzlaff, Antoine Tamestit, Natalia Gutman, Christoph Eschenbach, Nobuko Imai, Jessye Norman and Mitsuko Uchida.

Full streaming of all rounds from this year's cello competition available on The Violin Channel.