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 * Home
 * About
   * History History
   * President
   * Artistic director
   * Composer-in-Residence
   * Partners
   * Past Editions
 * General Info
   * Repertoire
   * Prizes
   * FAQ
     
 * 6 ways to CVO
   * Tokyo
   * Vienna
   * New York
   * London
   * Rome
   * Dubai
 * Press
   * News and Articles
   * Accreditation
   * Media Coverage
   * Streaming
 * Contact Us

Classic Violin Olympus is the final to the "6 ways to Classic Violin Olympus".
To сompete for the main prize you need to be in top 2 at any of below
competitions.
Grand Final:
22–28 April 2025
Dubai, UAE
•
Click
here
for
info!
•
Vienna
1–5 April
· 2024 ·



•
Click
here
for
info!
•
Tokyo
17–21 March
· 2024 ·



•
Click
here
for
info!
•
New York
27–31 May
· 2024 ·



•
Click
here
for
info!
•
London
26–30 August
· 2024 ·



•
Click
here
for
info!
•
Dubai
1-5 November
· 2024 ·



•
Click
here
for
info!
•
Rome
9-13 September
· 2024 ·









ABOUT THE COMPETITION

Classic Violin Olympus marks the final stage of the groundbreaking ‘Six Ways to
Classic Violin Olympus’ initiative, which consists of six international violin
competitions held across the world’s major music capitals. Each of these
preliminary contests carries with it a prize fund of €35,000, and features a
jury board made up of 5 Internationally-acclaimed artists. To be eligible for
entry to Classic Violin Olympus, participants must first compete, and rank as
one of the top two contestants, in any of these six competitions listed below.

Open to participants of all ages

Programme
of the competitions




TOTAL PRIZE FUND €310 000

First Prize
€200 000

The remaining 11 finalists will each be awarded €10 000 in prize money.
Moreover, in addition to the monetary prizes on offer, the 23-member jury board,
which will be exclusively made up of preeminent conductors and directors of
acclaimed orchestras, festivals and concert series, shall each offer a number of
finalists at Classic Violin Olympus the unique opportunity of performing live on
stage at one of their upcoming concerts.
Special Prize
The winner of the Classic Violin Olympus will receive a spectacular Stradivari
model violin specially crafted by the violinmaker Fabio Piagentini.



MEDIA COVERAGE

The events at Classic Violin Olympus shall be brought to the eyes of the world
thanks to a number of leading press organisations who have lent their support to
this unprecedented competition. These include amongst them such major platforms
as Euronews, Medici.tv, The Violin Channel and Bachtrack, each of whom will be
sending press teams to cover the competition, carry out interviews with
participants and jury members, and publish a series of reports, social media
updates, blog posts, newsletters and articles about the contest. 

Additionally, both Medici.tv and Euronews will be creating a special live series
about Classic Violin Olympus. Medivi.tv shall air a programme incorporating the
events on stage, behind-the-scenes segments offering a glimpse into the
proceedings, and a live studio show featuring a variety of esteemed experts who
will be discussing all aspects of the competition in real time. Simultaneously,
the Medici team will be filming a number of short documentaries focusing on many
of the important stakeholders present in Dubai.   

Euronews, meanwhile, shall have a team from their CULT department present in the
UAE for this project that will include a filming crew and presenters who shall
be creating film clips that will be published on the Euronews website as well as
broadcast on their media channels.

While these collaborators represent the major media partners for this event,
Classic Violin Olympus will also be supported by a host of significant names
within the classical music industry. These include such influential platforms as
Gramophone Magazine, das Orchester, Pizzicato, and many, many more, all of whom
shall be playing their part in bringing what is arguably the most significant
new event in the contemporary music world to the eyes of cultural lovers
worldwide.





THE BIGGEST NEW COMPETITION
TO SHAKE UP THE WORLD OF VIOLIN STARTS IN:



Days
 * 1
   1
 * 1
   1

 * 6
   6
 * 7
   7

 * 5
   5
 * 6
   6

Hours
 * 9
   9
 * 0
   0

 * 1
   1
 * 1
   1

Minutes
 * 3
   3
 * 4
   4

 * 1
   1
 * 0
   0

Seconds
 * 0
   0
 * 5
   5

 * 5
   5
 * 4
   4


STREAMING

Thanks to our Media Partners, classical music lovers from all four corners of
the globe will be able to experience the groundbreaking events in Dubai from the
comfort of their own homes, with the competition set to be streamed and
broadcast on multiple channels.

Medici.tv, the world's premier resource for classical music programming, will be
broadcasting the entirety of competition’s penultimate and final rounds on their
station. The Violin Channel, meanwhile, billed as the world's leading classical
music news source, shall be going one step further, live-streaming all the
rounds of the Grand Finale in full on their official online channels as well.





Pavel
Vernikov
Artistic director

DEAR LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

I am very proud to welcome you all to the first ever edition of Classic Violin
Olympus!

There is no shortage of violin competitions in this day and age, it is true, but
with the birth of this competition we are truly marking the beginning of
something that has never been tried before, all brought to life in a manner that
the violin world has yet to experience.

Read more →





PROGRAMMES
OF THE COMPETITIONS


THE FINAL GRAND COMPETITION IN DUBAI

will consist of two obligatory parts:

PART 1

a)
Finalists may choose ONE of the followings concertos for violin with orchestra
 * L. van Beethoven Op. 61
 * J. Brahms Op. 77
 * P. I. Tchaikovsky Op. 35
 * J. Sibelius Op. 47
 * D. Shostakovich No. 1 Op. 77

b)
Finalists will lead an orchestra as concertmaster performing ONE of the
following works:
 * R. Strauss: “Ein Heldenleben”;
 * J. S. Bach:
   “Matthäus-Passion” BWV 244. No. 39, “Erbarme Dich”
 * L. van Beethoven:
   “Missa Solemnis” - “Sanctus” – Benedictus
 * R. Strauss:
   “Der Bur̈ger als Edelmann” suite, No. 4,
   Auftritt und Tanz der Schneider:
 * P. I. Tchaikovsky:
   “Swan lake”, Act 2, No. 5. Pas d'action.
   Andante—Andante non troppo

PART 2

a)
First movement of the Triple concerto for violin, cello and piano with
orchestra, Op. 56, in C major, by L. van Beethoven
b)
ONE of the following concertos by Alexey Shor:
 * Concerto No. 4
   in B minor
 * Concerto No. 5
   in C minor
 * “Carpe Diem”
   Concerto

c)
Any encore of the finalists’ choice
which does not exceed 5 minutes in duration
d)
Conversation / exchange /
Q&A with jury panel

Show programme ↓

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


6 WAYS TO DUBAI · COMPETITIONS

FIRST ROUND (MAXIMUM 30 MINUTES DURATION)

a)
N. Paganini
ONE of the 24 caprices
for solo violin, Op. 1
b)
W. A. Mozart
First movement
(with cadenza of one’s choice – could be also own cadenza)
from ONE of the following concertos:
 * KV216, G major, No. 3
 * KV218, D major, No. 4
 * KV219, A major, No. 5

c)
Shor-Pletnev
Violin Sonata

SECOND ROUND (MIN. 30 / MAX. 40 MINUTES DURATION)

Candidates may choose their programme freely but must include one virtuoso piece
for violin with piano or violin solo.

Show programme ↓

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


PRELIMINARY ROUND BY VIDEO SELECTION

to participate in 6 Ways to Dubai competitions

VIDEO REQUIREMENTS:

 * The recording can be made with a phone, camera or any other equipment
   available to you.
 * The description/title of your video must include your name, the name of the
   composer and the name of the piece you are performing.
 * Your hands, face and the whole silhouette must be clearly visible. - We
   accept only unedited videos.
 * Submit links to public platforms like YouTube or Vimeo. Please do not send
   files for us to download.
 * Please make sure your video is not marked as “private” so we can have free
   access.

1)
J. S. Bach
Fuga from ONE of the
following sonatas for violin solo:
 * G minor, No. 1, BWV 1001
 * A minor, No. 2, BWV 1003
 * C major, No. 3, BWV 1005

2)
First movement
of any violin concerto
of 19th or 20th century.

Show programme ↓




LATEST NEWS

25 September 2024

Konstantin Ishkhanov “Excited” for Final Preselection for Classic Violin Olympus
Konstantin Ishkhanov, President of the Classic Violin Olympus International
Competition, is thrilled to announce that the 6th, and last, preselection
contest for this groundbreaking event will be taking place in Dubai, UAE from
November 1st to 5th.
13 September 2024

Rome Classic Violin Competition Announces Winners
Haik Kazazyan and Lorenz Karls secured the top two spots in the fifth
preselection competition for the Classic Violin Olympus
11 September 2024

Rome Classic Violin Competition Releases Finalists
Ten violinists are competing for two spots in the Classic Violin Olympus, to be
held in Dubai in April 2025
3 September 2024

Classic Violin Olympus Announces Prize Winners at London Classic Violin
Competition
Boris Brovtsyn and Jinzhu Li received top prizes in the fourth preselection
contest for the Classic Violin Olympus

See all news →





FOR QUERIES OR REQUESTS

please fill in the form below and we will get back to you shortly
2017
In early 2017, Konstantin Ishkhanov, together with Karen Shahgaldyan, conceived
of putting together a new music competition with a difference, aimed at
discovering and supporting the most talented young musicians of our time. A few
months later, in May 2018, this ambitious idea came to fruition, resulting in
the First Edition of the Classic Strings International Cello and Violin
Competition.




2018
The inaugural edition of Classic Strings took place in Riga, Latvia, between the
10th and 17th of May. Full attention was given to the smallest of details,
starting from the host country itself, with Riga being chosen due to its status
as one of the oldest and most prestigious cultural centres of Europe.
Announcing its entry onto the world stage with a flourish, this first iteration
of Classic Strings immediately attracted the attention of music lovers all
around the world, with a jury board featuring preeminent stars including Boris
Andrianov, Dmitry Yablonsky and Meehae Ryo, amongst others, and a groundbreaking
total prize fund of €40,000.



2019
By 2019 Classic Strings had become recognised as one of the major events in the
classical music scene, and organisers responded by raising the stakes on every
level.
Taking place in Vienna from May 11th to 18th, this iteration opened up the stage
to not just violinists and cellists, but also violists as well, with these three
separate contests each offering participants monetary prizes amounting to
€47,000! Apart from changes to the venue, competition format, and prize fund,
Classic Strings 2019 also saw a shift in participation numbers, with the success
of the 2018 edition attracting more than 200 young musicians from all over the
world to Vienna, firmly establishing the contest as one of the most exciting new
events in the sector.



2022
2022 saw Classic Strings help to spearhead the influx of classical music into
the Middle East.
Arriving on the back of a sterling reputation in Europe, the contest brought
countless cultural tourists to the UAE for the first time, marking the largest
strings competition that the region had ever seen. Held from the 9th to the 23rd
of May, this edition consisted of two separate contests for violin and cello,
and saw the most distinguished panel of jurors of any contemporary string
competition preside over the event, with legendary artists including Martin
T:son Engstroem, Andrey Baranov, Pavel Berman, Zakhar Bron, Boris Kuschnir, Dora
Schwarzberg, Dominique de Williencourt and Julian Lloyd Webber, amongst others.
Musicians from around the world flocked to Dubai to take part in the event, with
organisers upping the ante once more by offering a €320,000 prize fund to the
most accomplished amongst them.



2025
Just seven years after its debut, Classic Strings has now enjoyed such
a meteoric rise that it has been deemed to be too vast a project to host in just
one event.
Thus, the decision was taken to split Classic Strings into separate events, each
dedicated to one instrument. For this first phase of its new life, the
instrument chosen is the violin, with Classic Violin Olympus 2025 marking the
inauguration of this new standalone competition. This focus on a single
instrument has allowed the contest to be taken to hitherto unimagined levels,
with six pre-selection contests being held around the globe, all leading to the
invite-only Grand Finale in Dubai. The acclaimed Pavel Vernikov will be taking
on the role of Artistic Director, with a handpicked 23-person jury board
presiding over the performances. Participants, all of whom are award-winners at
one of the pre-selection contests, will compete for a €310,000 prize fund, along
with a series of special awards, including the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to
be selected by one of the jury members to join in live performance at one of
their future contests.






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Greeting
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Pavel
Vernikov
Artistic director

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very proud to welcome you all to the first ever edition of Classic Violin
Olympus!

There is no shortage of violin competitions in this day and age, it is true, but
with the birth of this competition we are truly marking the beginning of
something that has never been tried before, all brought to life in a manner that
the violin world has yet to experience.

With six pre-selection contests held in all the music centres around the globe,
Classic Violin Olympus is guaranteed to be an exclusive event of the highest
level, open only to those musicians who have what it takes to shine on the world
stage. These artists will be judged by a panel of the very highest calibre,
representing some of the most historic and influential musical institutions of
our time, and will be competing head-to-head for an unmatched series of prizes,
including a record-breaking monetary prize fund of €300,000!

All these factors are being brought together with one clear goal – to identify
the best violinists playing today and give them the resources and exposure they
need to forge their career on the global stage.

This goal is why Classic Violin Olympus has been conceived, and it is a mission
that we are very excited to be embarking on together with you.

Artistic director
×
Pavel
Vernikov
Artistic director

Pavel Vernikov, a student of David Oistrach and S. Snitkowsky, gained a
reputation as a virtuoso violinist more than twenty years ago. Among other
prizes he won the International ARD Violin Competition in Munich and the Grand
Prix at the International Violin Competition “Vittorio Gui” in Florence. He has
appeared at such prestigious venues as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Carnegie
Hall and Kennedy Center in New York, Wigmore Hall in London, La Salle Gaveau in
Paris, La Scala in Milan and Santa Cecilia in Rome.

For the past 30 years he has been a member of the Tchaikovsky Trio.

His artistic partners have included Sviatoslav Richter, James Galway, Alain
Meunier, Patrick Gallois, Maria Tipo, Natalia Gutman, Oleg Kagan, Yuri Bashmet,
Elisso Virsaladze, Christian Zimmermann and Anthony Pay. He inaugurated the
Russian Academy of Higher Learning in Portogruaro and was the Artistic Director
of the Gubbio Music Festival, the Dubrovnik Chamber Music Festival and the Eilat
Chamber Music Festival.

He teaches and gives masterclasses around the world, in Italy, France, Finland,
Spain (Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofia Madrid), Israel (Rubin Academy),
Germany (Kronberg Academy), etc. and has been invited to be a member of the jury
at international competitions (Szigeti, Kreisler, Gui, ARD-Competition in
Munich, Sendai (Japan), Budapest, Sarasate, Wieniawski, etc.).

Pavel Vernikov has recorded for RCA, Ondine and Dynamic.

He was a Professor at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique de Lyon.
At present he is a Professor at the famous Konservatorium Wien University and at
the Haute Ecole de Musique de Lausanne (Site de Sion).

Among his many laureate students are people like Massimo Quarta (1. Prize
Paganini International Violin Competition, Genua), Fumiaki Miura (1. Prize
Hannover International Violin Competition), Lorenza Borrani (Leader of the
Chamber Orchestra of Europe), Fanny Clamagirand (1. Prize Fritz Kreisler
International Violin Competition, Vienna and 1. Prize International Monte Carlo
Violin Competition) and Miki Kobayashi (2. Prize Wieniawski Competition).

In 2013 he was appointed Artistic Director of the Sion Festival in Switzerland,
and in 2023, he was appointed as the Artistic Director of the Classic Violin
Olympus International Competition, whose inaugural edition is set to take place
in 2025 in Dubai, UAE.

Pavel Vernikov plays a Giovanni Battista Guadagnini, 1757, violin.

President
×
Konstantin
Ishkhanov
President of
Classic Violin Olympus
International Competition

Born on the 23rd of January 1970 in Baku, Azerbaijan Konstantin Ishkhanov has
now gone on to become one of the world’s leading cultural philanthropists,
spearheading countless initiatives around the globe within the realms of
classical music, ballet, opera, motion pictures, and many more. 

From early life, Konstantin Ishkhanov was surrounded by arts and culture, with
his parents both being heavily involved in the sector and fostering an
appreciation for cultural heritage that would remain with him all his life. 

In later years, he put this appreciation to good use and began to focus his
efforts on cultural projects, dedicating himself to the strengthening of
international cultural relations and educational development and laying the
groundwork for various major projects, many of which have now gone on to become
internationally-established endeavours with a wide international following. In
addition, Konstantin Ishkhanov is the President of many  highly-esteemed
competitions. Together, these projects represent some of the most important
contemporary entries in the world of music competitions, offering daring new
formats, an unprecedented global reach, record-breaking prizes and awards, and
jury panels made up of the most celebrated classical music personalities active
today.

Konstantin Ishkhanov is also behind the organisation of several major original
productions, including ice shows, ballet performances, among many others, and is
further involved in hundreds of other projects, ranging from music academies,
concerts and conferences to exhibitions, international tours, movies and many
more, in various different capacities.

Composer-in-residence
×
Alexey
Shor
Composer-in-residence
of Classic Violin Olympus
International Competition

Alexey Shor was born in Ukraine in 1970, immigrated to Israel in 1991, and now
lives primarily in the USA.

His compositions have been performed at some of the most prestigious concert
halls, including Wiener Musikverein, Berlin Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy
Center (Washington DC), Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory, Mariinsky Theatre
(St. Petersburg), Kremlin Palace (Moscow), The Concertgebouw (Amsterdam),
Gasteig (Munich), Wigmore Hall (London), Teatro Argentina (Rome) and many
others. Concerts with his music have been broadcast on MediciTV, Mezzo and
Euronews. Mr Shor’s music has been showcased on Fox Business News and the
websites of Bloomberg News, the New Yorker, Yahoo and the Huffington Post. The
Overture to his ballet “Crystal Palace” was performed at the 40th Gramophone
Classical Music Awards ceremony in London. In 2018 he has been awarded an
honorary professorship at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan. In 2022
Mr.Shor has been appointed as Yehudi Menuhin School’s first associate composer.

Mr. Shor’s scores are published by Breitkopf & Hartel, Universal Edition and
P.Jurgenson.

CDs with his compositions have been issued by Warner Classics, DECCA, SONY
Classics, Naxos, Delos, Berlin Classics and Melodiya.

Mr. Shor is the Composer-In-Residence for the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra.

Many internationally acclaimed artists have performed Mr Shor’s music, including
(in alphabetical order) Behzod Abduraimov, Salvatore Accardo, Ray Chen, Steven
Isserlis, Evgeny Kissin, Denis Kozukhin, Shlomo Mintz, Mikhail Pletnev, Gil
Shaham, Yeol Eum Son, Yekwon Sunwoo, Maxim Vengerov, Nikolaj Znaider and many
others.

He also holds a Ph.D. in mathematics.

Conductor
×


SERGEY SMBATYAN




Armenian conductor Sergey Smbatyan is the Founding Artistic Director and
Principal Conductor of the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra and Principal
Conductor of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. 

The Armenian State Symphony Orchestra is a symphony orchestra performing
internationally to great acclaim. Under Smbatyan’s artistic direction, its
players are energetic, enthusiastic musicians with the shared objective of
raising cultural awareness in Armenia and pursuing spiritual excellence through
classical music. 

Smbatyan has presented the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra and the Malta
Philharmonic throughout Europe, Russia and the United States. Performances
include Vienna’s Musikverein, the Berlin Philharmonie, Salzburg’s Großes
Festspielhaus, London’s Barbican Centre, the Gasteig Munich, Rudolfinum in
Prague, Grand Hall of the Moscow State Conservatory and New York’s Carnegie Hall
where he made his debut at the age of 28.

The 2022-23 highlight includes touring with the Armenian State Symphony
Orchestra and the Romanian National Philharmonic Orchestra in the United Kingdom
in a series of venues including Cadogan Hall, London; Usher Hall, Edinburgh; 
Bridgewater Hall, Manchester; Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham.

Born in Yerevan, Smbatyan was first introduced to music by his grandmother, the
violinist and teacher Tatyana Hayrapetyan, who gave him violin lessons from an
early age. He later studied at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan and the
Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory, receiving lessons from Bagrat Vardanyan
and Zakhar Bron. Whilst studying for a PhD in Fine Arts in Yerevan with Yuri
Davtyan, Smbatyan developed his passion and conducting skills working with the
Armenian State Symphony Orchestra which he founded aged 18. As a conductor,
Smbatyan has been significantly influenced by his lessons with Riccardo Muti and
Sir Colin Davis which he undertook during his studies at the Royal Academy of
Music in London. 

A winner of multiple European conducting and violin competitions, Smbatyan has
developed an international reputation that includes guest conducting engagements
at the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia
Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Prague Radio Symphony
Orchestra, the Russian National Orchestra, Dresden Philharmonic, Sinfonia
Varsovia, and many others.

In 2015, Smbatyan became the youngest recipient of the Chevalier of the Order of
Arts and Letters. He was presented with the award by the French Minister of
Culture attended by Krzysztof Penderecki and Charles Aznavour, among other
guests of honour. In recognition of his efforts to promote Armenian music and
culture, the President of the Republic of Armenia presented Smbatyan with the
title of Honoured Artist of the Republic of Armenia.

Smbatyan’s championing and commissioning living composers, promoting cultural
heritage and developing new audiences are central to his artistic life and are
reflected in his work as the Founder and Artistic Director of the Armenian
Composing Art Festival; the Penderecki Contemporary Classics' Festival; the
“Armenia” International Music Festival and the Khachaturian International
Festival. The latter has its distinct positioning in Smbatyan’s cultural
activities as a calling card for the Armenian performing arts. These values also
define his work as Artistic Director of the Khachaturian International
Competition.

Smbatyan deeply believes that only culture can shape our future and unite
everyone by spreading harmony and peace. This is the main message conveyed in
the orchestras he has founded: 24/04 World Orchestra, the “Generation of
Independence” All-Armenian Choir and Orchestra and the Pan-Armenian Symphony
Orchestra. Smbatyan’s passionate advocacy for increasing the level of cultural
education and engagement, and social responsibility among young people was
fulfilled by founding the UNICEF Children’s Chamber Orchestra and DasA, an
educational program for high school students offering a close-up experience with
classical music.

Sergey Smbatyan founded the "Music for Future" Cultural Foundation (M4FF) in
2019 and has been the President of its Board of Trustees since then․

A recognised pioneer in the uses of AI and other technologies in classical
music, Smbatyan has developed multiple collaborations with leading institutions.
As part of the 2019 World Congress of Information Technology he conducted the
first-ever concert of music written live by AI. An audience of over 75,000
people watched the open-air concert performed by the WCIT World Orchestra, a
specially created orchestra of players from the fifteen countries that had ever
hosted the Congress.

A creative concert programmer, Smbatyan has worked with the world’s leading
soloists and actors including John Malkovich who performed and toured with him
several projects in Latin America, Asia and Armenia including narrating excerpts
from The Book of Lamentations by the Armenian medieval poet Grigor Narekatsi. 

Smbatyan’s discography is rich and includes many recordings for ArmSyphony
Records including Khachaturian’s Symphony No.2, The Bell, which was made to
celebrate the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra’s 15th anniversary. The recent
collaboration included the release of Joseph Calleja’s new album of sacred music
AVE MARIA with Decca Records.

A particular focus of Smbatyan’s recording activities is contemporary music
which he primarily records with the Armenian State Symphony and Malta
Philharmonic orchestras, alongside other orchestras such as the London Symphony
Orchestra. 

Sergey Smbatyan has been UNICEF Armenia Ambassador since 2023.

Press Accreditation
×


PRESS ACCREDITATION FORM

Thank you for your interest in attending and covering Classic Violin Olympus
International Violin Competition in Dubai. The Competition Press Office grants
press accreditation to a limited number of journalists. Accredited press receive
limited complimentary screening tickets.

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History
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2017

In early 2017, Konstantin Ishkhanov, together with Karen Shahgaldyan, conceived
of putting together a new music competition with a difference, aimed at
discovering and supporting the most talented young musicians of our time. A few
months later, in May 2018, this ambitious idea came to fruition, resulting in
the First Edition of the Classic Strings International Cello and Violin
Competition.

2018

The inaugural edition of Classic Strings took place in Riga, Latvia, between the
10th and 17th of May. Full attention was given to the smallest of details,
starting from the host country itself, with Riga being chosen due to its status
as one of the oldest and most prestigious cultural centres of Europe. Announcing
its entry onto the world stage with a flourish, this first iteration of Classic
Strings immediately attracted the attention of music lovers all around the
world, with a jury board featuring preeminent stars including Boris Andrianov,
Dmitry Yablonsky and Meehae Ryo, amongst others, and a groundbreaking total
prize fund of €40,000.

2019

In 2019 Classic Strings moved from being the new kid on the block to becoming
one of the major players on the global music scene, and the organisers responded
by raising the stakes for practically every factor of the event. Taking place in
the Austrian capital of Vienna from the 11th to the 18th of May, this iteration
of Classic Strings opened up the stage to not just violinists and cellists, but
also violists as well, with these three separate contests each offering
participants monetary prizes amounting to €47,000, for a staggering total prize
fund of €141,000! So vast in scope was this project that it did not merely have
one artistic director, but an entire artistic board, namely Soon-Deog Kwon, Igor
Petrushevski, and Christian Schulz. Apart from changes to the venue, competition
format, and prize fund, Classic Strings 2019 also saw a shift in participation
numbers, with the success of the 2018 edition attracting more than 200 young
musicians from all over the world to Vienna, firmly establishing the contest as
one of the most exciting new events in the sector.

2022

2022 saw Classic Strings reach new milestones, with the competition helping to
spearhead the influx of classical music into the global city that is Dubai, UAE.
Coming into the emirate on the back of a sterling reputation in Europe, the
contest helped to bring countless cultural tourists to Dubai for the first time,
while also inspiring young musicians across the Middle East and beyond with the
largest strings competition that the region had ever seen. Held from the 9th to
the 23rd of May, this edition was the longest in the competition’s history, with
Dmitry Yablonsky returning to the event once more to take the helm as Artistic
Director. Consisting of two separate contests for violin and cello, Classic
Strings 2022 saw the most distinguished panel of jurors of any contemporary
string competition preside over the event, with legendary artists including
Martin T:son Engstroem, Andrey Baranov, Pavel Berman, Zakhar Bron, Boris
Kuschnir, Dora Schwarzberg and Avi Shoshani judging the violin competition, and
Dominique de Williencourt, Boris Andrianov, Alexander Chaushian, Julian Lloyd
Webber, and Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, amongst others, evaluating performances in the
cello rounds. Musicians from around the world flocked to Dubai to take part in
the event, with the organisers upping the ante once more by offering a €320,000
total prize fund to the most accomplished amongst them. 

2025

A mere seven years after its debut, Classic Strings has now enjoyed such a
meteoric rise that it has been deemed to be too vast a project to host in just
one event. To this end, the organisers took the decision to split Classic
Strings into separate events, each dedicated solely to one instrument, thereby
allowing all stakeholders to focus their full efforts and attention on that
particular contest. For this first phase of its new life, the instrument chosen
is the violin, with Classic Violin Olympus 2025 marking the inauguration of this
new standalone competition. This focus on a single instrument has freed
organisers to take the contest to a hitherto unimagined level, with six
pre-selection contests being held in all fours corners of the globe, all leading
up to the invite-only Grand Finale in Dubai. The acclaimed Pavel Vernikov will
be taking on the role of Artistic Director, with a 23-person jury board
consisting of the conductors and directors of some of the most esteemed musical
institutions of our time presiding over the performances themselves.
Participants, all of whom are award-winners at one of the pre-selection
contests, will be in with a chance of sharing in the €310,000 total prize fund
that will be on offer, along with a series of special prizes and awards,
including the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be selected by one of the jury
members to join in live performance at one of their future contests. 

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