Prizewinners Announced at Germany's International Anton Rubinstein Competition for Junior Violin

Jayda Lu (Australia) and Valerie Bai (USA) shared First Prize

Germany's International Anton Rubinstein Competition for Junior Violin was held on May 5, 2024, in Düsseldorf. The competition is open to violinists of any nationality between the ages of 8 and 15.

The finalists had the opportunity to borrow an Italian violin and a French bow from the Blatov Foundation. These include a 3/4 violin by Carlo Bergonzi II from 1780 in Cremona, a violin by Bernardo Calcagno from 1743 in Genoa, a violin bow by Eugène Sartory, and a 3/4 violin bow by Louis Morizot.

First Prize of €1,000 was won by Jayda Lu (Australia) and Valerie Bai (USA). Second Prize of €750 went to Maelys Lauriac (France), while Raelene Pramana (Indonesia) took Third Prize of €500.

12-year-old Jayda Lu is a student of Robin Wilson at the UK's Yehudi Menuhin School. She was also a prizewinner at the 2023 “Il Piccolo Violino Magico” International Competition for Young Violinist. 

8-year-old Valerie Bai studies with Kelly Barr at the preparatory division of the New England Conservatory. She recently won the Rivers Symphony concerto competition and made her concerto debut with the same orchestra.

The results of the special prizes are as follows:

• Award for outstanding artistic performance and expressiveness: Vlada Pidhirna (Ukraine) and Kai Uemura (Japan)
• Award for outstanding interpretation of a work by L. van Beethoven: Aurora Yara Villalobos Salamanca (Germany)
• Award for the outstanding interpretation of a romantic work: Cecilia Arnau Toran (Spain)
• Award for the outstanding interpretation of a romantic violin concerto: Marianna Pazhik (Poland)
• Award for the outstanding interpretation of a work by H. Wieniawski: Estelle Presler (Switzerland)

In 2024, the jury comprised Misha Nodelman, Yury Bondarev, and Michael Blatow.