BREAKING | Finalists Announced at England’s Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Comp

The 5 Finalists have just minutes ago been announced at the 2017 Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competition – at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, in Birmingham, England.

The 2017 Finalists are:

• • 21 year old Lara Albesano from Italy
  • 18 year old Sáo Soulez Larivière from France.
  • 18 year old Emma Wernig from the United States
  • 19 year old Yue Yu from China.
  • 20 year old Silas Zschocke from Germany

LARA ALBESANO & SOPHIA RAHMAN | VIEUXTEMPS VIOLA SONATA | 2017 CECIL ARONOWITZ INTERNATIONAL VIOLA COMPETITION | SEMI-FINAL | 21 YEARS OLD

SAO SOULEZ LARIVIERE & SOPHIA RAHMAN | BRAHMS VIOLA SONATA NO. 1 IN F MINOR | 2017 CECIL ARONOWITZ INTERNATIONAL VIOLA COMPETITION | SEMI-FINAL | 18 YEARS OLD

EMMA WERNIG & CAROLINE DOWDLE | REBECCA CLARK VIOLA SONATA | 2017 CECIL ARONOWITZ INTERNATIONAL VIOLA COMPETITION | SEMI-FINAL | 18 YEARS OLD

YUE YU & CAROLINE DOWDLE | YORK BOWEN VIOLA SONATA NO. 1 IN C MINOR | 2017 CECIL ARONOWITZ INTERNATIONAL VIOLA COMPETITION  | SEMI-FINAL | 19 YEARS OLD

SILAS ZSCHOCKE & ANTHONY HEWITT | REBECCA CLARK VIOLA SONATA | 2017 CECIL ARONOWITZ INTERNATIONAL VIOLA COMPETITION | SEMI-FINAL | 20 YEARS OLD

Open to international violists 21 years and younger, the 1st prize winner will receive £5000 and a recording with Champs Hill Records.

For the final round, to be held on the 24th November, each Finalist will present either the Bartok or Walton Viola Concerti or Hindemith's 'Der Schwanendreher'.

The 2017 jury comprises: Nicola Aronowitz, Ettore Causa, Thomas Selditz, Robin Ireland, Florian Leonhard and Thomas Riebl.

Previous 1st prize winners include VC Young Artist, violist Timothy Ridout.

PHOTOGRAPHED: 2017 Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competition Finalist, 20 year old Silas Zschocke from Germany