Finalists Announced at Primrose International Viola Competition

Tune in to The Violin Channel on Friday and Saturday for the exciting two final rounds!

The 17th Primrose International Viola Competition, presented by The Colburn School and the American Viola Society, is currently underway at Colburn School’s Zipper Hall. Featuring the world's best and most promising young violists, all live rounds are being streamed LIVE on The Violin Channel.

Out of eight semi-finalists, violists Andy Park, Kinga Wojdalska, and Emad Zolfaghari were chosen as the 2024 finalists!

They will compete in a chamber music final round on Friday, June 21, performing the entire Claude Debussy Trio for Flute, Viola, and Pedal Harp.

Then on Saturday, June 22, they will play in the Final Concerto Round. Emad Zolfaghari will play the Bartok Viola Concerto while Andy Park and Kinga Wojdalska will perform the Walton Viola Concerto.

The live-round competition jury includes Tim Frederiksen (Jury Chairman, Denmark), Atar Arad, Cathy Basrak, Ensik Choi, Steven Dann, Ayane Kozasa, and Geraldine Walther.

The first prize winner will receive $15,000; the second prize winner will receive $10,000; the third prize winner will receive $5,000; the Transcriptions Prize winner will receive $1,000; and the Illumination Prize winner, for best performance of a work by an underrepresented composer demographic, will receive $1,000. The first prize winner will perform at the 2026 American Viola Society Festival and receive an invitation to the semi-finals of the Concert Artists Guild Competition.

The 2024 competition is dedicated to the memory of Dr. David Dalton, who was one of the world’s greatest champions of the viola, and a former student and friend of William Primrose.

"The Primrose Competition is not just a showcase of exceptional talent, but a celebration of the viola's unique voice, highlighting its depth, richness, and versatility in the world of classical music,” said Colburn School President and CEO Sel Kardan. “We are excited to host the live round competitors at Colburn in collaboration with the American Viola Society, along with hundreds of violists from around the world attending the 2024 American Viola Society Festival. This will be a week filled with inspiring music and celebrations that recognize the next generation of rising stars in classical music.”

In conjunction with the Primrose International Viola Competition, the American Viola Society will host its 2024 Festival taking place at the Colburn School on June 19-22, 2024.