VC LIVE | 2023 Michael Hill Violin Competition

All rounds of this year’s event are available now on The Violin Channel for playback

 

20-year-old Yeyeong Jenny Jin from Korea/United States has been awarded 1st prize at the 2023 Michael Hill International Violin Competition, in Auckland, New Zealand.

Second prize was awarded to Claire Wells from the United States and third place to Lorenz Karls from Sweden/Austria.

 

A current student of Li Lin and Itzhak Perlman at The Juilliard School, Jenny will receive $40,000 NZ cash prize, a recording contract with the Atoll label, and a multi-city winners tour with Chamber Music New Zealand,

4th, 5th and 6th prizes were awarded to Gabrielle Despres from Canada, Eva Rabchevska from Ukraine, Aoi Saito from Japan.

The 2023 Sheila Smith Prize, the three-year loan of an Domenico Montagnana violin administered by Rare Violins of New York, was awarded to Yeyeong Jenny Jin.
This year's audience prize was awarded to Gabrielle Despres.

All rounds of this year’s competition is being streamed LIVE here on The Violin Channel.

This year's jury is made up of Hon Christopher Finlayson (Chairperson), violinists Bella Hristova, Ning Feng, Natalia Lomeiko, Wilma Smith, James Ehnes, Anthony Marwood and international pianist Piers Lane.

 

FRIDAY 9 JUNE | FINAL ROUND | AUCKLAND TOWN HALL, GREAT HALL

Three finalists will each perform a major violin concerto with conductor Andrew Litton and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.

 

Lorenz Karls - Sibelius Violin Concerto in d Minor Op.47

Claire Wells - Britten Violin Concerto Op. 15

Yeyeong Jenny Jin - Brahms Violin Concerto in D major Op. 77

 

TUESDAY 6 JUNE | SEMI-FINAL ROUND III | AUCKLAND TOWN HALL CONCERT CHAMBER

The advancing six semi-finalists’ will lead Mozart string quintets with violinist Amalia Hall, violists Gillian Ansell and Robert Ashworth and celllist Ashley Brown.

 

 

Yeyeong Jenny Jin (20, South Korea/United States)

Gabrielle Despres (22, Canada/United States)

Eva Rabchevska (26, Ukraine/Germany) 

 

WEDNESDAY 7 JUNE | SEMI-FINAL ROUND III | AUCKLAND TOWN HALL CONCERT CHAMBER

The advancing six semi-finalists’ will lead Mozart string quintets with violinist Amalia Hall, violists Gillian Ansell and Robert Ashworth and celllist Ashley Brown.

 

Claire Wells (22, United States/Germany) 

Aoi Saito (25, Japan/Germany) 

Lorenz Karls (21, Sweden/Austria)

 

THURSDAY 1 JUNE 10:30PM (ET) | QUARTER-FINAL ROUND 1 | QUEENSTOWN MEMORIAL HALL

Each of the 16 candidates, in this their first of two quarter-final performances, will present selected movements from the solo J.S. Bach Partitas and Sonatas, a Paganini caprice, a violin salon work plus an Ad Libitum selection of their own choosing. Both quarter-final rounds are performed in collaboration with pianists Sarah Watkins and Somi Kim.

 

Kingston Ho (21, United States)

Hani Song (25, Switzerland/Germany)

Yeyeong Jun (19, South Korea/United States)

Gabrielle Despres (22, Canada/United States)

 

 

Eva Rabchevska (26, Ukraine/Germany)

Jiayi Chen (25, China/Austria)

Tianyu Liu (23, China/United States)

Karen Su (24, United States/Belgium)

 

 

FRIDAY 2 JUNE 6:00PM (ET) | QUARTER-FINAL ROUND 1 | QUEENSTOWN MEMORIAL HALL

Each of the 16 candidates, in this their first of two quarter-final performances, will present selected movements from the solo J.S. Bach Partitas and Sonatas, a Paganini caprice, a violin salon work plus an Ad Libitum selection of their own choosing. Both quarter-final rounds are performed in collaboration with pianists Sarah Watkins and Somi Kim.

 

 

Audrey Park (20, United States)

Yuri Tanaka (17, Japan/Germany)

Claire Wells (21, United States/Germany)

Ayaka Uchio (25, Japan/Germany)

 

 

Julia Mirzoev (26, Canada)

Seonglan Hong (21, South Korea)

Aoi Saito (25, Japan/Germany)

Lorenz Karls (21, Sweden/Austria)

 

 

SATURDAY 3 JUNE 6:00PM (ET) | QUARTER-FINAL ROUND II | QUEENSTOWN MEMORIAL HALL

Each of the 16 candidates, in this their second of two quarter-final performances, will present a major violin and piano sonata, the brand-new commission work by New Zealand composer Michael Norris and a virtuosic violin show piece. Both quarter-final rounds are performed in collaboration with pianists Sarah Watkins and Somi Kim.

 

Kingston Ho (21, United States)

Hani Song (25, Switzerland/Germany)

Yeyeong Jun (19, South Korea/United States)

Gabrielle Despres (22, Canada/United States)

 

 

 

Eva Rabchevska (26, Ukraine/Germany)

Jiayi Chen (25, China/Austria)

Tianyu Liu (23, China/United States)

Karen Su (24, United States/Belgium)

 

SUNDAY 4 JUNE 6:00PM (ET) | QUARTER-FINAL ROUND II | QUEENSTOWN MEMORIAL HALL

Each of the 16 candidates, in this their second of two quarter-final performances, will present a major violin and piano sonata, the brand-new commission work by New Zealand composer Michael Norris and a virtuosic violin show piece. Both quarter-final rounds are performed in collaboration with pianists Sarah Watkins and Somi Kim.

All performance times listed below are in New York (ET) time.

 

Audrey Park (20, United States)

Yuri Tanaka (17, Japan/Germany)

Claire Wells (21, United States/Germany)

Ayaka Uchio (25, Japan/Germany)

 

 

Julia Mirzoev (26, Canada)

Seonglan Hong (21, South Korea)

Aoi Saito (25, Japan/Germany)

Lorenz Karls (21, Sweden/Austria)

 

TUESDAY 6 JUNE | SEMI-FINAL ROUND III | AUCKLAND TOWN HALL CONCERT CHAMBER

The advancing six semi-finalists’ will lead Mozart string quintets with violinist Amalia Hall, violists Gillian Ansell and Robert Ashworth and celllist Ashley Brown.

 

WEDNESDAY 7 JUNE | SEMI-FINAL ROUND III | AUCKLAND TOWN HALL CONCERT CHAMBER

The advancing six semi-finalists’ will lead Mozart string quintets with violinist Amalia Hall, violists Gillian Ansell and Robert Ashworth and celllist Ashley Brown.

 

FRIDAY 9 JUNE | FINAL ROUND | AUCKLAND TOWN HALL, GREAT HALL

Three finalists will each perform a major violin concerto with conductor Andrew Litton and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.