BREAKING | VC Young Artist María Dueñas Awarded 1st Prize at 2021 Menuhin Competition

18-year-old VC Young Artist María Dueñas from Spain has been awarded first prize in the Senior Division of the Menuhin Competition Richmond 2021

A student of Boris Kuschnir at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna and the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, María is a former 1st prize winner at the Leonid Kogan, Georg Philipp Telemann, Yankelevitch, and Zhuhai International Violin Competitions and this year's 'Getting to Carnegie' Competition.

She will receive USD $20,000 and a 2-year loan of a golden period Stradivarius violin from the private collection of Jonathan Moulds CBE, courtesy of the Beare’s International Violin Society, plus a bow made by Christophe Landon.

VC YOUNG ARTIST MARIA DUEÑAS & EVGENY SINAISKI | LALO | SYMPHONIE ESPAGNOLE | 1ST MVT | MENUHIN COMPETITION RICHMOND 2021 | SENIOR 1ST PRIZE

2nd and 3rd prizes were awarded to 20-year-old Simon Zhu from Germany and 18-year-old Hana Chang from Singapore/Japan/United States.

4th prize was awarded to 21-year-old Karisa Chiu from the United States.

This year's jury comprised violinist Pamela Frank (Chair), violinist and conductor Joji Hattori (Vice-Chair), violinist and entrepreneur Aaron Dworkin, pianist Piers Lane, violinists Soyoung Yoon, VC Artists Noah Bendix-Balgley and Angelo Xiang Yu, violinist, conductor, and educator Alf Richard Kraggerud, and conductor and Music Director of the Richmond Symphony, Valentina Peleggi.

15-year-old Keila Wakao from Japan/United States was awarded first prize in this year's Junior Division.

María Dueñas was also awarded the Senior Division audience prize — as voted by this year's online viewers.

MENUHIN COMPETITION RICHMOND 2021

SATURDAY 22ND MAY 2021

SENIOR DIVISION FINAL ROUND

LIVE FROM RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES

Karisa Chiu (21, United States) | Pianist: Inah Chiu

• Mendelssohn | Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64, Allegro molto appassionato
• Mozart | Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major, K. 218, Andante cantabile
• Ysaÿe | Solo Sonata No. 3 in D minor “Ballade”

María Dueñas (18, Spain) | Pianist: Evgeny Sinaiski

• Lutoslawski | Subito
• Mozart | Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major, K. 218, Andante cantabile
• Lalo | Symphonie Espagnole in D minor, Op. 21, Allegro non troppo

Simon Zhu (20, Germany) | Pianist Alkistis Milioni

• Wieniawski | Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22, Allegro moderato
• Mozart | Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, K. 219, Adagio
• Ysaÿe | Solo Sonata No. 6 "Manuel Quiroga"

Hana Chang (18, Singapore/Japan/United States) | Pianist: Lorena Tecu

• Mendelssohn | Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64, Allegro molto appassionato
• Mozart | Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major, K. 216, Adagio
• Kreisler | Viennese Rhapsodic Fantasietta