Prizewinners Announced at the Violins&Soul Competition

Audrey Park received the Grand Prize and will be loaned a Stradivarius violin

Held annually, the AMADEUS Festival Vienna brings together international musicians at the AMADEUS International School Vienna for a series of performances and workshops.

In 2022, the festival launched a competition that focuses solely on the genre of salon music. The second edition of the Salon Music Violin Competition "Violins&Soul” held its final round on June 27, 2025.

The competition received applications from violinists of over 15 nationalities, including China, the United States, South Korea, Cuba, Romania, Peru, Hong Kong, and more. Three finalists were selected following a blind first round (performed behind a curtain) followed by an open second round.

Audrey Park received the Grand Prize of €5,000, along with a two-year loan of the 1709 Antonio Stradivari Violin from the Goh Family Collection.

A current student of Hyo Kang at The Juilliard School, Park has appeared with ensembles such as the L.A. Virtuosi Orchestra and the Peninsula Symphony, and has claimed prizes at the Chicago International, Ronald Sachs, Bellagrande, and Edith Knox competitions. She has been a semi-finalist at major international competition,s including Indianapolis, Stuttgart, Lipinski, and was invited to the 2024 Queen Elisabeth Competition.

Second Prize of €3,000 went to Siyi Li, who also received the Public Prize of €500, and a loan of a fine violin from the Goh Family Collection.

Third Prize of €1,000 went to Lorenz Karls.

"The level of musicality demonstrated by all three contestants was truly outstanding, setting a high bar for future
competitors," said Brendan Goh, Artistic Director of the AMADEUS Festival Vienna. "As a Juilliard alumnus, it was an especially proud moment to see a current Juilliard student on stage, sharing the artistry and dedication we all cultivated during our time."

"On behalf of the Goh Family, it is with great pleasure that we loan the 1709 Antonio Stradivari violin to Audrey Park and the 1665 Jacob Stainer violin to Siyi Li," said Dana Goh, Visual Arts Coordinator of the AMADEUS Festival Vienna. "As an artist and curator based in London (Royal College of Art 2024), I am honored to share these instruments steeped in craftsmanship, history and soul, with two musicians whose artistry echoes the very essence of the Violins & Soul competition. In their hands, we believe that these violins will not only continue the legacy but sing through the hands of those who carry their souls forward."\