Dubai Classic Violin Competition Announces Finalists

Ten violinists are competing for two spots in the Classic Violin Olympus, to be held in Dubai in April 2025

The sixth preselection battle for the Classic Violin Olympus International Competition commenced this weekend in Dubai at the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management. Candidates of the Dubai Classic Violin Competition began by performing one of Niccolò Paganini's 24 caprices of their choice, followed by the first movement of a concerto by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and the Violin Sonata by Composer-in-Residence Alexey Shor and Mikhail Pletnev.

The Jury includes Jury Chairman Pavel Vernikov (Switzerland), Eszter Haffner (Austria), Massimo Quarta (Italy), Itzhak Rashkovsky (UK), and Yamei Yu (China/Germany).

The finalists that will be going head-to-head in the Final Round of the Dubai Classic Violin Competition include:

• Sofie Leifer
• Ruifeng Lin
• Lucilla Mariotti
• Lilia Pocitari
• Ruslan Talas
• Elli Choi
• Agafia Grigoreva
• Bobirjon Eshpulatov
• Molin Han
• Issei Kurihara

The final round will see each violinist perform a virtuoso piece for violin solo or accompanied by piano, within 30-40 minutes, as they challenge each other for a €35,000 prize fund.

These violinists are also competing for the opportunity to participate in the Classic Violin Olympus’s Grand Finale and only the top two prizes will win eligibility to do so. The Grand Finale will be held in Dubai, UAE, from April 22-28, 2025, featuring €310,000 worth of monetary prizes as well as other awards and opportunities for all finalists there.

The currently underway Dubai Classic Violin Competition marks the last of the preselection rounds leading up to the Grand Finale. Previously, the winners have been announced at the other five preselection Classic Violin Competitions — London, Rome, New York, Vienna, and Tokyo.

For more information, visit classicviolinolympus.com.