Winners Announced at the 2021 Hindemith International Viola Competition

25-year-old Japanese violist Emiko Yuasa received first prize

As the first iteration of the competition, this year's Hindemith International Viola Competition took place between October 14 and October 20, 2021, at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich.

Organized by the Viola Foundation Walter Witte and the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich, the competition focuses on young violists embarking on an international solo career, with an emphasis on the repertoire of the 20th and 21st centuries.

For the final round, competitors were asked to perform Mozart's "Kegelstatt" Trio in E-flat Major KV 498 with Martin Spangenberg on clarinet, and Angelika Merkle on piano, as well as Hindemith's "Kammermusik Nr. 5 für Viola und größeres Kammerorchester" accompanied by the orchestra of the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich.

25-year-old Emiko Yuasa from Japan was awarded first prize.A student at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich under the tuleage of Hariolf Schlichtig, she is a former prize winner at the International Johannes Brahms Competition Pörtschach. She was awarded €5,000.

The second and third prizes were awarded to Njord Kårason Fossnes from Norway and Carla Usberti from Germany/France, respectively.

The special €1,000 "Walter Witte" prize, awarded for the best interpretation of the commissioned piece by Atar Arad, was awarded to Alona Khlevna. The Audience Award of €500 was given to Emiko Yuasa.

This year's jury was comprised Hariolf Schlichtig (Chairman), Atar Arad, Naoko Shimizu, Lars Anders Tomter, Danusha Waskiewicz, and Angelika Merkle.