Prizewinners Announced at Italy's Lipizer Competition

Chinese violinist Ziling Guo received the First Prize of €15,000

The 42nd edition of Italy's Rodolfo Lipizer International Violin Competition, which was held from September 8 to 17, 2023, has recently come to a close. Founded in 1982, the competition is open to violinists under the age of 35 and is held in Gorizia, Italy — the birthplace of the violinist Rodolfo Lipizer.

In total, 41 violinists from 17 different nations took part in the competition, with six progressing to the final: Sofiia Plakhtsinska (Ukraine), Reika Sato (Japan), Elena Luisa Schwalbe (Germany), Giulio Greci (Italy), Ziling Guo (China), and Emiri Kakiuchi (Japan).

The Chinese violinist Ziling Guo took out the top prize and received €15,000. The other candidates were ranked from second through to sixth as follows: Kakiuchi, Schwalbe, Plakhtsinska, Greci, and Sato.

In addition, a number of special prizes were awarded. Nazarii Kisiuk of Ukraine gave the best interpretation of an etude by Lipizer, Emiri Kakiuchi of Japan won the Alberto Quali Memorial Prize, Serbia's Veronika Mona Bogić won the Giorgio Gratton Memorial Prize, Elena Luisa Schwalbe gave the best solo Bach performance, and Giulo Greci won the prize for the best interpretation of a Mozart concerto.

In 2023, the jury comprised Giovanni Albini (President), Laura Grandi (Italy), Florin Croitoru (Romania), Gunars Larsens (Australia), and Ihor Pylatiuk (Ukraine).