Prizewinners Awarded at Ilona Fehér International Violin Competition

• 1st place - Constantin Stefan Cristian (Romania) - €2000
• 2nd place - Hana Hoshino (Japan) - €1250
• 3rd place - Kimia Corke (Switzerland) - €750

The prizes for Group 2 are as follows:

• 1st place - Leonhard Baumgartner (Austria) - €2000
• 2nd place - Maksym Synytsky (Ukraine) - €1500
• 3rd place - Tao-Yuan Hsiao (Taiwan) - €1000

Multiple special awards were given including the Youngest Competitor Special Prize, which went to Lin Xi from China. The Best Bartók Duos Special Award went to Zhang Jinger (China) from Age Group 1 and Henry Jin Quan (United Kingdom) from Age Group 2.

The best performance of the contemporary pieces composed for the 80th anniversary of the Holocaust include:

• • Matthew Balogh: A Lament of Rembrandt’s Jeremiah - Leonhard Baumgartner (Austria)
  • Bella Mate: The White Chaconne - Constantin Stefan Cristian (Romania)
  • Peter's Tower: Stolperstein - Maksym Synytsky (Ukraine)
  • Shlomo Mintz: In Memory - Kimia Corke (Switzerland)

The President of the Jury is Shlomo Mintz, a former student of the legendary Hungarian-Israeli violin teacher, Ilona Fehér. Alongside him, the jury comprises Alissa Margulis, Andreas Vierziger, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Dora Schwarzberg, Keller András, Magdalena Ursu, Pauk György, Peter Herresthal, Qian Zhou, and Kelemen Barnabás.

Leonhard Baumgartner, born 2007 in Vienna, is currently studying with Dora Schwarzberg at the University for Music and Performing Arts Vienna. Parallel he also studies with Ingolf Turban at the University for Music and Theatre Munich. Previously Leo studied with Regina Brandstaetter at the University for Music Graz.

In August he will represent Austria at the Final of Eurovision Young Musicians in the 2024 European Capital Bodø /Norway after winning the national competition for this event. In June 2022 Leo won Wiener Symphoniker Talent Award and debuted as a soloist with the Wiener Symphoniker (Vienna Symphony Orchestra- WSY) at Konzerthaus Vienna. In 2024/25, he will perform there in the cycle Musica Juventutis and as a soloist with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra.

Other accolades include Second Prize at Il Piccolo Violino Magico Competition 2021, First Prize at the Zhuhai International Mozart Competition, the Discovery Award of International Classical Music Awards 2023, First Prize at the Hong Kong International Music Competition 2022, and the Carl-Flesch- Prize at the Carl Flesch Academy. Leo plays a violin by J.B. Vuillaume, Paris 1854, on generous loan by a member of Stretton Society.