Winners Announced at 2025 Sendai International Music Competition

While no first prize was awarded, second prize went to Boha Moon from Korea

The ninth edition of the triennial Sendai International Music Competition (SIMC) recently came to a close. Six violinists performed two concerti alongside the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Hirokami Junichi.

While no first prize was awarded, second prize went to Boha Moon, from Korea.

Third prize went to Aozhe Zhang from China, fourth to Jinzhu Li from China, and fifth to Seohyeon Park from Korea. Joint sixth prize went to Haram Kim from Korea and Hairui Lei from China.

First Prize (the Gold Medal) is valued at JPY 3,000,000, Second Prize is worth JPY 2,000,000, and Third Prize is JPY 1,000,000.

The winners of the fourth, fifth, and sixth prizes will receive JPY 800,000, JPY 700,000, and JPY 600,000, respectively.

The Audience Prize went to Haram Kim, Csikos Vilmos, and Momo Matoba. The Jury Encouragement Prize went to Momo Matoba.

In 2025, the violin jury comprises Horigome Yuzuko, Hori Masafumi, Young-Uck Kim, Boris Belkin, Friedemann Eichhorn, Jaime Laredo, Cho-Liang Lin, Mihaela Martin, Liviu Prunaru, Terakado Ryo, and Yonemoto Kyoko.

Past winners of the Sendai Competition include Alena Baeva, Clara-Jumi Kang, and VC Artists Richard Lin and Yoojin Jang.