France’s Mirecourt International Violin and Bow Making Competition Announces 2023 Winners

Delayed since 2020, this inaugural competition is being held by France’s Luthiers Archetiers Mirecourt Evénément from July 6–9, 2023

 

Founded in 2019 by members of two professional French luthier associations, the Luthiers Archetiers Mirecourt Evénément was formed as a non-profit organization to mark the 50th anniversary of the National Violin Making School of Mirecourt. 

Its inaugural Mirecourt International Violin and Bow Making Competition — promoting contemporary violin- and bow-making in France and abroad, and collaboration between musicians and craftsmen — is now completing its first edition after it was postponed from 2020. 

Held from July 6–9, 2023, the event program involves performances, exhibitions, conferences, film screenings, plus masterclasses for string quartet and violin-making with industry experts.

The competition component involved 10 categories — the instruments and bows for violin, viola, cello, string quartet, and double bass.

The 2023 winners in the bow-making competition for each category are:

VIOLIN

First Prize: Gerhard Seifert

Second Prize: Gabriel Pasquier 

Third Prize: Anna Klára Vaczula

Special Musician Prize: Gerhard Seifert 

Special Bowmaker Prize: Pascal Camurat 

 

VIOLA

First Prize: Clémence de Lartigue

Second Prize: Gabriel Pasquier 

Third Prize: Jon Hess 

Special Musician Prize: Clémence de Lartigue

Special Bowmaker Prize: Doriane Bodart

 

CELLO

Second Prize: Paul-Hugo Schloeder 

Third Prize: Pascal Camurat 

Special Musician Prize: Gabriel Pasquier

Special Bowmaker Prize: Pierre Nehr

Vatelot Foundation Prize: Paul-Hugo Schloeder

 

DOUBLE BASS

Second Prize: Julien Mortier

Third Prize: Henry Guerra

Special Musician Prize: Julien Mortier

 

The 2023 winners in the instrument-making competition for each category are:

VIOLIN

First Prize: Pawel Kubacka

Second Prize: Emma Draghi

Third Prize: Viateur Roy 

Special Luthier Prize: Piotr Pielaszek

Vatelot Foundation Prize: Emma Draghi

 

VIOLA

First Prize: Roland Belleguic

Second Prize: Pawel Kubacka

Third Prize: Viateur Roy 

Special Musician Prize: Nicolas Brunel

 

CELLO

First Prize: Viateur Roy

Third Prize: Lionel Enard

Special Musician Prize: Lionel Enard

Special Luthier Prize: Nicolas Perrin, Franck Ravatin, and Jean Seyral

 

DOUBLE BASS

Special Luthier Prize: Mathieu Mayoux

Special Musician Prize: Jurgen Preyer

 

Special Mention: Jim Wook Hong, for making a complete string quartet

 

An award ceremony was held in a City of Mirecourt hall at the competition’s conclusion, featuring performances with award-winning instruments and bows. All the instruments are currently displayed at the Mirecourt Espace Flambeau.

The jury for the violin-making competition comprised Eric Blot, Jan Bartos, Andrea Frandsen, and Joël Klépal. The jury for the bow-making competition included Christophe Schaeffer, Eric Grandchamp, Yannick Le Canu, and Benoît Rolland. 

The musicians who tested the instruments and bows were violist Nicolas Bône, cellist Pauline Bartissol, double bassists Yann Dubost and Léo Genet, plus members of Quatuor Diotima — violinists Yun-Peng Zhao and Léo Marillier, violist Frank Chevalier, and cellist Pierre Morlet.