Concours Musical International de Montréal Holds "Mini Violini" Concerts

11-year-old Japanese violinist Himari won the $5,000 Audience Prize

The "Mini Violini" serves as the opening concert of the Concours Musical International de Montréal (CMIM), currently being held in Montreal, Canada until May 4. Conceived as a showcase concert rather than a competition, the concert sees five violinists aged between 10 and 15 perform across two afternoons at Montréal's Bourgie Hall.

11-year-old Japanese violinist Himari was named the winner of the audience prize of the "Mini Violini." As part of her prize, she receives $5,000 cash, which was generously donated by the Wicha Music Foundation.

She was among the five violinists selected to perform — including Mark Chia (10, Singapore), Sofia Demetriades (14, United Kingdom), Corina Deng (15, Canada), and Edna Unseld (11, Switzerland).

Himari began to study the violin at aged 3 and she made her solo debut at aged 6. In 2022, she began studying with Ida Kavafian at the Curtis Institute of Music.

Himari won the grand prize at the International Competition for Young Violinists in Honour of Karol Lipinski and Henryk Wieniawski, the first prize and special grand prize at the 12th Arthur Grumiaux International Violin Competition in Belgium, the first prize and special prize at the 26th Andrea Postacchini International Violin Competition in Italy, and the first Prize at the 2nd Leonid Kogan International Violin Competition in Belgium.

You can hear Himari's winning concerto performance below.

The 2023 Concours Musical International de Montréal (CMIM) is currently underway, seeing violinists of all nationalities, born between January 1, 1993, and December 31, 2006, compete for nearly $160,000 CAD in prizes and awards.

Tune in to watch the competition LIVE on The Violin Channel.