The International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition, established in 1965, is set to take place from May 18–29, 2025, in Helsinki, Finland. The competition, held every five years, is open to violinists under the age of 30.
The event will consist of three rounds, with the first and second rounds taking place at the Sibelius Academy Concert Hall (Pohjoinen Rautatienkatu 9), and the final rounds at the Helsinki Music Centre Concert Hall.
Applications for the competition must be submitted by January 29, 2025. For more details and to apply, visit the official competition website.
The jury, chaired by conductor John Storgårds, includes violinists Elise Båtnes, Jan Söderblom, Jean-Jacques Kantorow, Jinjoo Cho, Levon Chilingirian, Liza Ferschtman, violin professor Réka Szilvay, and violinist Sung-Ju Lee.
Finalists will perform with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Pekka Kuusisto, and the Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dima Slobodeniouk.
In the final rounds, participants will perform the Sibelius Violin Concerto alongside one of four pre-selected contemporary concertos by Unsuk Chin, Oliver Knussen, Magnus Lindberg, or Kaija Saariaho. Contemporary music will also feature in the semi-finals, where a piece commissioned from Outi Tarkiainen for the competition will be a mandatory selection.
Conductor Storgårds emphasizes the competition’s focus on modern compositions: “In many major competitions, the final programme is very traditional. The most recent composers are often Stravinsky or Bartók. This competition is an excellent opportunity to turn this new page. It is also a good message from Finland to the world of music!”
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