Prizewinners Announced at the Antonio Janigro International Cello Competition

15-year-old Chinese cellist Ziyang Zhao won First Prize

The eighth edition of the Antonio Janigro International Cello Competition has recently come to a close. In 2024, the competition was held in Zagreb, Croatia, and was open to cellists under the age of 33.

The Janigro Junior Competition takes place biennially, and participants must play at least one piece from their own country in each round.

The competition is named for the Italian cellist Antonio Janigro (1918-1989). Janigro is particularly associated with Croatia and the city of Zagreb: he taught at the city's Beethoven Music School and the Zagreb Music Academy, as well as conducted the Croatian Radio Television Chamber Orchestra and founded the Zagreb Soloists.

15-year-old Ziyang Zhao, from China, was named as the overall winner of the competition. Zhao receives a total cash prize of €11,000, as well as a number of concert engagements.

Second Prize went to 19-year-old Ari Peraza-Webb (USA), and 24-year-old Till Schuler (Germany) took out Third Prize. All finalists played a concerto with the Zagreb Philharmonic, which was led by the young Polish conductor Dawid Runtz.

Ziyang Zhao is presently studying at the pre-college department of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where her teachers are Jiwu Li and Jian Wang. She has won prizes at the Radda Rise International String Competition, Swiss International Music Competition, Gustav Mahler Prize Cello Competition, International Instrumental Competition Markneukirchen, Piła Festival & Academy, and the ArsClassica International Junior Competition.