Prizes Awarded at 2025 Klein International String Competition

Violinist Julia Schilz, aged 22, won the grand prize, including $5,000 and performance opportunities

Open to musicians aged 15 to 23, the Irving M. Klein International String Competition's 40th edition has come to a close.

Watch the Final Round here on The Violin Channel!

22-year-old New York-based violinist Julia Schilz won the grand prize, which includes $5,000 cash, generously funded this year by the MOCA Foundation, with performance contracts with the Peninsula and Santa Cruz Symphonies, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, Gualala Arts Chamber Series, Music in the Vineyards, among others, and is valued at $15,000.

21-year-old Chicago-based cellist Noam Ginsparg won the second prize, generously given by Ruth Short in memory of Elaine H. Klein of $3,500 cash. It is valued at $5,500 with a performance with the San José Chamber Orchestra.

The third prize went to 22-year-old LA-based cellist Miles Reed of $2,500 cash, generously given in memory of Milton Preves by Judith and David Anderson.

Two fourth prizes of $1,500 each are awarded, one given to 15-year-old New Jersey violinist Elizabeth Poppy Song by Maria Klein in memory of Jerry Lee Klein and one given to 17-year-old LA cellist Joshua Kováč by the Tarka Quartet in memory of Ron Goldman.

The Allen R. Weiss and Susan E. Weiss award of $500 for best performance of the commissioned work by John Harbison was given to Elizabeth Poppy Song by the Weiss family, and the award of $500 for the best performance of solo Bach was given to Joshua Kováč.

Each semifinalist not awarded a named prize received $1,000: Eiline Tai, cello, Julia-Xiaozhuo Wang, violin, Shengyu Meng, cello, and Yunji Jang, viola.

The 2025 jury comprises Glenn Dicterow, Karen Dreyfus, Barbara Day Turner, Hal Robinson, John Wineglass, Jory Fankuchen, and Eileen Moon.

Past winners of the competition include Frank Huang, Jennifer Koh, Mark Kosower, Oliver Herbert, Robert deMaine, Teng Li, Vadim Gluzman, and VC Artists Tessa Lark, Nikki Chooi, and Zlatomir Fung.