Get ready, viola enthusiasts! The highly anticipated 2025 Concours de Genève is upon us, and this year, the spotlight shines on the viola, marking its return to the competition since 2005.
Tonight, the festivities begin with an electrifying opening concert. You'll witness the brilliance of the jury chair, Tabea Zimmermann, alongside the incredibly talented Novo Quartet, winners of the 2023 string quartet edition.
The 79th Concours de Genève, viola edition, officially starts today, following the conducting edition. The opening concert will take place at Salle Franz Liszt, starting at 7 pm on November 4th. The Novo Quartet will perform Haydn's String Quartet in D minor, op.103 and Smetana's String Quartet no.1 ‘From my life’. Tabea Zimmermann, accompanied by pianist Thomas Hoppe, will present a recital featuring works by Robert and Clara Schumann, Brahms, Yedid, and Joachim.
Earlier this year, the selection process narrowed down the field to eight exceptional semi-finalists. From November 6th to 9th, these talented musicians will compete at the Geneva Conservatory in a demanding three-part semi-final: Solo Recital, Chamber Music, and Artistic Project.
Here are the gifted semi-finalists vying for a spot in the finals:
- Alessandra Yang, 21 years old, US
- Ayaka Taniguchi, 23 years old, Japan
- Brian Isaacs, 25 years old, US
- Emad Zolfaghari, 21 years old, Canada
- Eric Seohyun Moon, 28 years old, Korea
- Kinga Wojdalska, 26 years old, Poland
- Sarah Strohm, 20 years old, Switzerland
- Wassili Wohlgemuth, 24 years old, Germany
The selected finalists will then showcase their talent on November 12th at Victoria Hall, performing a concerto accompanied by the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, under the baton of Cornelius Meister.
The stakes are high! The first prizewinner will be awarded CHF20,000 (£17,600), with second and third place receiving CHF12,000 (£10,500) and CHF8,000 (£7,050), respectively.
But that's not all! A range of special prizes are also up for grabs, including the Audience Prize, Students’ Prize, the Rose-Marie Huguenin Prize, Arts Society Prize, Concerts de Jussy Prize, and Hindemith Prize, all offering cash rewards and exciting concert engagements.
This year's esteemed jury is led by Tabea Zimmermann and includes Tomoko Akasaka, Ettore Causa, Pauline Sachse, Cynthia Phelps, Jean Sulem, and German Tcakulov.
The Concours de Genève is a yearly event, showcasing different disciplines each year, including piano, flute, clarinet, cello, viola, string quartet, voice, and percussion, with composition featured every other year.
Did you know? The first viola edition took place in 1942, with Paul Doktor taking home the prize. Tabea Zimmermann, this year's jury chair, won first prize in the 1982 edition. The most recent viola edition was in 2005, where Maxim Rysanov and Jennifer Stumm shared the second prize.
What do you think? Will the viola be your favorite instrument after this competition? Share your thoughts and predictions in the comments below!
