Meet the 2015 Sibelius International Violin Competition Finalists [VIDEO]

As we close in on this evening's commencement of the Final Round of the Sibelius International Violin Competition in Helsinki, Finland, we take a quick moment to meet our six highly-talented 2015 Finalists.

VC ‘YOUNG ARTIST’ EMMANUEL TJEKNAVORIAN (AUSTRIA) | 2015 SIBELIUS INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN COMPETITION | FINALIST

CHRISTEL LEE (UNITED STATES) | 2015 SIBELIUS INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN COMPETITION | FINALIST

FRIEDERIKE STARKLOFF (GERMANY) | 2015 SIBELIUS INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN COMPETITION | FINALIST

NANCY ZHOU (UNITED STATES) | 2015 SIBELIUS INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN COMPETITION | FINALIST

MAYUMI KANAGAWA (UNITED STATES) | 2015 SIBELIUS INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN COMPETITION | FINALIST

MINAMI YOSHIDA (JAPAN) | 2015 SIBELIUS INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN COMPETITION | FINALIST

For the Final round, to be held on the evenings of the 1st to the 3rd of December, each candidate will present Sibelius Violin Concerto in D Minor, plus a major Romantic/20th Century Concerto of their own choice – with conductors Hannu Lintu and John Storgards and the Finnish Radio Symphony and Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestras.

The 1st prize winner will receive €25,000 (US $28,000) and a number of important international engagements – including a performance of the Sibelius Concerto with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra at the ‘Sibelius 150 Birthday Jubilee Gala Concert’ in Hameenlinna, Finland.

Live streaming and playbacks of all performances available at the Finnish Broadcaster Yle: http://bit.ly/1QYr7Xc

PICTURED: 2015 Jean Sibelius International Violin Competition Finalist, Nancy Zhou from the United States.