YSAŸE
International Music Competition
Edition 2026
Violin Junior - Senior
PRESELECTION January 26 - February 2, 2026 Verviers, Belgium
SEMIFINAL February 15 - 18, 2026 Vise, Belgium
FINAL July 6 - 12, 2026 Icheon Art Hall, Korea
Rules
Program
Jury 2026
HRACHYA AVANESYAN
Belgium
Hailed as a "sensitive and highly skilled musician with expressive nuances" (Gramophone Magazine) and a "soloist with passionate power, feeling and sweet tone" (Frankfurter Allgemeine), Hrachya Avanesyan has secured his place as an outstanding violinist with first prizes at the prestigious Yehudi Menuhin and Carl Nielsen competitions.
Avanesyan has performed with renowned orchestras such as the Copenhagen Philharmonic, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, the Belgian National Orchestra, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Orchestre de Chambre de Pelléas, the Gulbenkian Orchestra, the National Orchestra of Lille, Sinfonia Varsovia, the Warsaw Philharmonic, the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, the Liège Philharmonic, the Belgrade Philharmonic, the Arthur Rubinstein Philharmonic, the State Orchestra of the Rhenish Philharmonic, the Brussels Philharmonic, the Royal Flemish Philharmonic, the Tokyo Symphony and the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. These collaborations have been led by renowned conductors such as Eliahu Inbal, Marc Soustrot, Walter Weller, Lan Shui, Christopher Warren-Green, Joji Hattori, Paul Goodwin, Paul Watkins, Joana Carniero, Alexander Vedernikov, Joshua Weilerstein, Patrick Davin and Daniel Raiskin.
Avanesyan has given stirring concerts in famous concert halls such as Amsterdam's Concertgebouw, London's Wigmore Hall, Salle Gaveau and Théatre des Champs Elysées in Paris, Santury Hall in Tokyo, the Great Hall of the Moscow Kremlin, the Danish Radio Concert Hall in Copenhagen, the National Auditorium in Madrid, and the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. Memorable performances include a joint appearance with Joshua Bell and Maxim Vengerov at St. David's Hall in Cardiff, playing with Ashley and drummer Joshua Bell. Memorable performances include playing with Ashley and drummer Joshua Bell at St. David's Hall in Cardiff, performing with Ashley Wass at the Wigmore Hall, and collaborating with Maria João Pires, Maxim Rysanov, Andreas Brantelid, Alexander Chaushian, Lise de la Salle, Marianna Shirinyan, Lily Maisky, Ashot Khachatourian, Natalia Gutman, Narek Hakhnazaryan and many others at festivals such as Montpellier, Menton, the Strasbourg Music Festival in Memory of Yehudi Menuhin, Al Bustan and the Copenhagen Summer Festival.
Avanesyan's notable discography includes his premiere recording of Vieuxtemps' Violin Concerto No. 2, released in a comprehensive box set of Vieuxtemps' concertos with the Liège Philharmonic Orchestra and Patrick Davin. His highly acclaimed album of music by Dvorak, recorded with Sinfonia Varsovia and Augustin Dumay, was also highly praised. in 2017, his CD of masterpieces by R. Schumann and J. Brahms, recorded with Boris Brovtsyn, Diemut Poppen, Alexander Chaushian and Yevgeny Sudbin, was released on the BIS record label and was named an iTunes A-List recording and BBC's Best Chamber Music Recording of the Year. in 2018, a video recording of his concert with Maria João Pires was released on Imagine Clarity and reached millions of views on the platform.
Born in Armenia, he moved to Belgium at the age of 17 and studied at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels under the direction of Igor Oistrakh. He continued his training at the Queen Elisabeth College of Music with Augustin Dumay and at the Cologne Hochschule with Mihaela Martin. During his studies at the Queen Elisabeth College of Music, he also honed his chamber music skills under the direction of the esteemed Artemis Quartet.
Avanesyan plays on a remarkable 1864 J.B. Vuillaume violin, which enhances the beauty and depth of his performances. With his extraordinary talent and passion, Hrachya Avanesyan captivates audiences around the world and contributes to his ever-growing reputation as one of the most important violinists of his generation.
ANDREY BARANOV
Switzerland-Russia
Andrey Baranov is one of the most accomplished violinists of his generation, renowned for his expressive artistry, technical mastery, and compelling stage presence. He enjoys an international career as a soloist and chamber musician, appearing regularly on leading stages and at prestigious festivals across Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Baranov gained international recognition after winning the Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition in 2012, as well as the Benjamin Britten and Henri Marteau International Violin Competitions. He is also a prizewinner at over twenty other prestigious international competitions, including those held in Indianapolis, Sendai, Seoul, Qingdao, Pretoria, and
Moscow. Since his orchestral debut in 2005 with the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra under Vasily Petrenko, Baranov has performed with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Luxembourg Philharmonic, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Brussels Philharmonic, National Orchestra of Belgium, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra London, Camerata Salzburg, Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, MusicAeterna Orchestra, and Sendai Philharmonic, among many others. He has collaborated with distinguished conductors such as Teodor Currentzis, Yuri Temirkanov, Kent Nagano, Vladimir Fedoseev, Emmanuel Krivine, Walter Weller, Thomas Sanderling, Michael Sanderling, Alexander Vedernikov, and Michel
Tabachnik. As the founding first violinist of the David Oistrakh String Quartet, established in 2012, Baranov has become a prominent figure in the chamber music world. His chamber music partners have included celebrated artists such as Martha Argerich, Julian Rachlin, Boris Andrianov, Pierre Amoyal, Eliso Virsaladze, Alexander Buzlov, Daniel Austrich, Andrey Gugnin, Liana Isakadze, Ashot Khachatourian and Kirill Gerstein. His album The Golden Violin, released by MUSO and featuring romantic violin repertoire, was awarded the Diapason d’Or in 2018. In addition to his performing career, Baranov is a passionate educator. At just 23, he was appointed assistant to Pierre Amoyal at the Haute école de musique de Lausanne. He later served for several years as Professor of Violin at the Folkwang Universität der Künste in Germany and at the Academia del Ridotto in Italy. He now devotes himself fully to performance, while continuing to give masterclasses worldwide. Baranov was born in Saint Petersburg in 1986 and began playing the violin at the age of five. He studied at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory in Saint Petersburg and at the Haute école de musique de Lausanne, under the guidance of Lev Ivaschenko, Vladimir Ovcharek, and Pierre Amoyal.
ENSIK CHOI
Korea
Korean-born violist Ensik Choi’s extraordinary talent was recognized by maestro Myung-Whun Chung at his early age. He was accepted to study on a full scholarship at Crossroads High School for Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica, California, studying with Heiichiro Ohyama, principal violist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Joseph de Pasquale, principal violist of the Philadelphia Orchestra.
While a student at Curtis, he formed the Borromeo String Quartet, of which he was a member for five years. They won second prize at the Evian International Chamber Music Competition in France (1990) and the 1991 Young Artists International Auditions in New York. Mr. Choi’s numerous concerts have included performances in the United States, Europe and Asia, including the 92nd street Y and Alice Tully Hall in New York, Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Suntory Hall in Tokyo, and Wigmore Hall in London. Choi has performed at many festivals, including Spoleto Festivals in both Charleston, South Carolina and Italy; Orlando Festival in the Netherlands; Vancouver Festival in Canada; Cape and Islands Festival in Massachusetts; Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival in New Mexico; Beijing International Music Festival in China; Seoul Spring chamber music; and Just Vivace Festival in Korea.
For three years, Choi was a faculty member at New England Conservatory of Music in Boston where he earned his Artist Diploma with distinguished violist Walter Trampler. He later served on the faculty at the college-conservatory at the University of Cincinnati. He is currently professor of Viola at College of Music, Seoul National University, and the artistic director for the Just Vivace Festival in Korea.
Belgium
Alexandre was born in the centre of Belgium in 1985. He started playing the violin at the age of eight with music teacher Benoit Meulemans, from whom he took lessons until entering the Brussels Royal Music Conservatory in 2001.
At the age of 16 he integrated the class of prof. Adam Korniszewski and graduated two years later with high distinction, obtaining the first prize for violin and chamber music in 2003.
In 2006 he received his Master in music with the highest distinction as first nominee (instrument and chamber music). Afterwards he studied two years in the Hochschule für Musik in Karlsruhe (Germany) with the highly distinguished prof. Ulf Hölscher.
He is the first laureate, among others, of the following prizes: Edouard Bastin, Horlait-Dapsens, Van Straelen, Maurice Lefranc and de Bisschop-Matthyssens.
Alexandre has been passionate about chamber music since very young age and has not stopped performing in Belgium and abroad (France, Luxembourg, Spain, Austria, Poland, Romania, Germany, Switzerland, Russia, Mexico, Italy, Hungary, United Kingdom, the Netherlands...) either in recital, duo, piano trio or string quartet.
In 2001 Alexandre Feye founded the CoryFeye quartet together with his cellist brother Raphael. He played first violin in the quartet until 2018.
The quartet was first formed around the members of Danel Quartet, then they honed their craft during two years under the aegis of Artemis Quartet in the Queen Elisabeth Musical Chapel Brussels. The quartet has also the opportunity to work with the members of Alban Berg, Pražak, and Talich quartets.
As a chamber musician, soloist or concertmaster, Alexandre has performed in the majority of the concert halls in Belgium, namely Bozar, Flagey, de Singel, Bruges Concertgebouw etc. as well as in many prestigious European concert places such as Berlin Philharmony, Munich Philharmony, Berlin Konzerthaus, Rome Opera, Luxembourg Philharmony, Polish Baltic Philharmony Gdansk amongst others.
In parallel to his musical career, Alexandre has been passionate about history and ancient languages which he teaches since 1999 in the International School for Greco-Latin Classical Humanities - Schola Nova (Walloon-Brabant, Belgium), of which he is also a co-director since 2017.
ALEXANDRE FEYE
GABRIEL GHEORGHE
Romania
Gabriel Gheorghe is a distinguished Romanian violinist, currently serving as the Principal Second Violin of the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra in Bucharest. With over 30 years of artistic experience, he has built a versatile and highly respected career, performing an extensive repertoire ranging from early music to contemporary works.
Since 2007, he has also been concertmaster of the Bucharest Symphony Orchestra, with which he has performed in numerous concerts and undertaken extensive international tours across Europe, North America, South America, and Asia, significantly contributing to the ensemble’s international profile. Throughout his career, Gabriel has collaborated with leading conductors and soloists, including Seiji Ozawa, Sir Neville Marriner, Sergiu Comissiona, Michel Plasson, Paavo Järvi, Vasily Petrenko, John Axelrod, Charles Dutoit, Maxim Vengerov, Lawrence Foster, Radu Lupu, Angela Gheorghiu, Hilary Hahn, among many others. His artistic activity includes major international tours, festival appearances, television performances, and professional studio recordings. A dedicated chamber musician, he is a long-standing member of ensembles such as the Traffic Strings Quintet, KLASIKVM Ensemble and Camerata Classica—the only conductorless chamber orchestra in Romania—through which he has continued to explore a wide stylistic range and reach diverse audiences worldwide. Alongside his performing career, Gabriel is a faculty member at the National University of Music in Bucharest, where he is deeply committed to guiding young musicians and supporting their artistic and professional development. He is also involved in cultural development as founder and organizer of major cultural projects through the Philson Young Association, collaborating with prominent national institutions to promote
classical music and cultural heritage. Gabriel holds a Doctorate in Music from the National University of Music in Bucharest and is
certified as a professional artistic manager. His work embodies a lifelong dedication to artistic excellence, cultural leadership, and the advancement of classical music on both national and international stages.
STEFAN JACKIW
Korea
Stefan Jackiw is one of America’s foremost violinists, captivating audiences with playing that combines poetry and purity with impeccable technique. Hailed for playing of “uncommon musical substance” that is “striking for its intelligence and sensitivity” (Boston Globe), Jackiw has appeared as a soloist with the Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco symphony orchestras, among others. In the 2025–26 season, Stefan Jackiw returns to the Pittsburgh Symphony for Korngold's Concerto, the Baltimore Symphony for Beethoven's Triple Concerto alongside Inon Barnatan and Hayoung Choi, conducted by Jonathan Heyward, and the Indianapolis Symphony for Berg's Violin Concerto. He launches the Austin Symphony’s season with Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2, which he also performs later with the Vancouver Symphony. Jackiw joins the Seoul Philharmonic and Mei-Ann Chen for Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy. In winter 2026, he opens the Laguna Beach Music Festival with three consecutive concerts featuring a varied repertoire, including Janáček’s Kreutzer Sonata. He also performs Dvořák’s Concerto with the Kansas City Symphony.
Jackiw is set to make his debut at London’s iconic Southbank Centre in a highly anticipated special trio project with cellist Alisa Weilerstein and pianist Inon Barnatan. He continues touring with Junction Trio with engagements at Chamber Music Sedona, Sanford-Hill Piano Series, Noe Music, Caramoor, Jacksonville Symphony, and additional dates to be announced. As a recitalist, he returns to Montclair State University, Denver Friends of Chamber Music, Harvard University, Friends of Music Sleepy Hollow, and The Rockefeller University, with additional performances to be announced.
Jackiw's 2024-25 season highlights include performances with the Cleveland Orchestra under Santtu-Matias Rouvali, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Suwon Philharmonic, Pasadena Symphony, The Florida Orchestra, Erie Philharmonic and the Jacksonville Symphony. He continued touring with Junction Trio, returning to the 92NY stage with a program including the world premiere of a new work by John Zorn and performing at Rockefeller University.
Jackiw opened his 2023-24 season returning to the New York Philharmonic to perform the Barber Concerto with Jaap van Zweden. His season also included a quadruple World Premiere of new works at Roulette, performances with the Taiwan Philharmonic, China National Symphony, and the Junction Trio's highly praised debut at Carnegie Hall.
Jackiw tours frequently with his musical partners, pianist Conrad Tao and cellist Jay Campbell, as part of the Junction Trio. In 2021, Jackiw performed a new Violin concerto, written for him by Conrad Tao and premiered by the Atlanta Symphony and Baltimore Symphony. He also enjoys collaborating with pianist Jeremy Denk with whom he recorded the complete Ives Violin Sonatas on Nonesuch Records. The album was universally lauded by critics, with The New Yorker's Alex Ross naming Jackiw's performance "a new standard." In 2019, he recorded Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with Inon Barnatan, Alisa Weilerstein, Alan Gilbert and Academy St. Martin in the Fields. He has also premiered David Fulmer’s concerto Jauchzende Bögen with Matthias Pintscher and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen at the Heidelberger Frühling.
Jackiw has performed in numerous major festivals and concert halls around the world, including the Aspen Music Festival, Ravinia Festival, Caramoor International Music Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City Festival, the Philharmonie de Paris, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, the Celebrity Series of Boston, and the Washington Performing Arts Society.
Born to physicist parents of Korean and Ukrainian descent, Stefan Jackiw began playing the violin at the age of four. His teachers have included Zinaida Gilels, Michèle Auclair, and Donald Weilerstein. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University, as well as an Artist Diploma from the New England Conservatory, and is the recipient of a prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant. Jackiw plays a violin made by Domenico Montagnana “ex. Rossi” c. 1730, generously loaned by a private foundation. He lives in New York City.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF YIMC
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JURY CHAIRMAN
ASHOT KHACHATOURIAN
Belgium
Ashot Khachatourian is widely regarded as one of the most inspiring and accomplished artists of his generation.
Known for his exceptional artistry, technical brilliance, and deep musicality, he has become a prominent figure in the world of classical music.
Ashot began his piano studies at the age of five at the Charles Aznavour Music School in Armenia, under the guidance of Valentina Melikyan and Elena Galustova. He continued his education with renowned teachers Gerard Wyss in Basel, Switzerland, Eliso Virsaladze in Fiesole and Munich, and was mentored by the esteemed Maria João Pires, who recognized him as one of the most promising young talents of his time.
As the creator and artistic director of the YSAYE INTERNATIONAL MUSIC COMPETITION, Ashot has also played a pivotal role in nurturing the next generation of classical musicians.
His interpretations of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concertos No. 2 and No. 3 have been particularly lauded. Ashot’s career took off with his first-place victories at the Rachmaninov Piano Competition and the Martha Argerich Piano Competitionin 2007. He also won the 2nd Prize at the Top of the World Piano Competition in 2011 and the Concours d'Epinal in 2013.
Ashot Khachatourian has performed with leading orchestras across Europe, including the London Chamber Orchestra, the Norway Radio Orchestra, the Basel Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonie, and the Lausanne Sinfonietta. He has also appeared in prestigious concert venues such as Salle Pleyel, Cortot, Berliner Konzerthaus, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Salle Molière, Musis Sacrum Arnhem, and the Saint-Petersburg Philharmonie, among others. His collaborations include performances with world-class conductors and musicians such as Jan Caeyers, Daniele Gatti, Augustin Dumay, Rodolfo Fischer, and Christopher Warren-Green.
Ashot's chamber music collaborations are equally distinguished. He has shared the stage with celebrated artists like Misha Maisky, Maxim Vengerov, Cho-Liang Lin, Liana Issakadze, Zakhar Bron, Gary Hoffman, and many others.
His first solo album, released in 2013, was a tribute to Haydn and Beethoven, followed by a highly praised recording of Chopin in 2019. His recordings have received widespread acclaim from the international press for their emotive depth and technical precision. His next album, featuring works by Schubert and Beethoven, is slated for release in 2022 on the Azur Classical label.
In addition to his solo career, Ashot frequently performs in duo with the legendary Maria João Pires, showcasing a profound musical partnership that highlights his artistry and commitment to sharing music at its most intimate and pure.
PHILIPPE KOCH
Belgium - Luxemburg
In addition to being leader of the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, Philippe Koch is a professor of violin at the Luxemburg Conservatoire and the Liège Royal Conservatoire, a soloist, a chamber musician and a co-founder of the Koch Trio with his daughter Laurence (violon) and his son Jean-Philippe (piano): they played together all over the world, especially at the Berliner Philharmonie, in London,Tokyo, Paris, Dublin, and in many famous festivals… One of their recording was nominated at the Classical Awards. They received the distinction of "Export Artist Luxemburg" and were also chosen by the grand-ducal Court as Representative Artist for the official visit at the imperial Court in Japan.
As a descendant of the famous Belgium School of Violin (H.Vieuxtemps, E.Ysaye, A.Grumiaux, H.Koch…), after perfecting his craft with master violinists C. Ferras, P. Amoyal and mostly during 6 years with A. Grumiaux, he embarked on a solo career in Europe, Japan, Canada, Korea (Center of Art), the United States and Latin America, performing concerti and other works with many famous orchestras and conductors as P. Jaarvi, Y. Ahronovich, A.Dmitriev, E. Krivine, M.Stern, B.Towey, G.Gimeno, K. Min... He played more than 30 different concerti from Bach to Korngold, through Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovski, Brahms, Dvorak, Kachaturian, Piazzola, Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy and concerto. He has recorded more than 35 CDs, many of which have won prestigious awards (including twice the Diapason d’or, Choc de la musique, Recommandé par Répertoire, Classica and Pizzicato). He has served as a judge at the Concours Grumiaux, Concours Vieuxtemps and twice for the famous Queen Elisabeth Competition (violin). Philippe Koch is also chamber musician, performing with the Trio Grumiaux, the Brussels String Quartet, the Quatuor Louvigny, G. Caussé, A.R.El Bacha, F.Moguilevski, J.C.Vanden Heyden, S. Wieder-Atherton, P. Gililov, L. Devos, M. Kliegel, and many others.
As a teacher he regularly gives master classes around the world (Japan, Korea, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Latin America…) and a lot of his students are now members of different orchestras in many countries (Belgium, Holland, Chile, Germany, Japan, France, Italy, Luxemburg) or teachers through Europe, Asia and South America.
Philippe Koch is also "Chevalier avec la Couronne de l’Ordre civil et militaire de la famille de Nassau" and "Officier de l’Ordre de Léopold" (Belgique).
KARA NAM
USA - Korea
Widely recognized from an early age for her exceptional musical gifts, Korean-American violinist Kara Nam began her musical life at the piano at the age of three. At seven, she made her debut performing a Mozart concerto and presented her first full recital featuring works by Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin. She began the violin at the age of nine, and in just over a year appeared as a soloist with the Seoul Philharmonic—an early milestone that marked the beginning of an international career spanning South Korea, Europe, and the United States.
Her musical education, from her formative training through her doctoral studies, was completed entirely on full scholarship. She studied at the Juilliard School Pre-College under Won-Bin Yim and Dorothy DeLay, earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from The Juilliard School with Joel Smirnoff and David Chan, and later received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
Renowned for her striking accuracy, commanding projection, and distinctive natural presence on stage, Nam combines instinctive spontaneity with a deeply analytical and intellectually grounded musical approach. Her artistry spans both classical and contemporary repertoire, and she is also active as an improviser. She has premiered numerous works in close collaboration with leading living composers, reflecting a sustained commitment to new music.
She has performed in many of the world’s major venues, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, the Konzerthaus, and Smetana Hall, among many others. As a soloist, she has appeared with the Czech National Symphony, the Seoul Philharmonic, the Suwon Philharmonic, the Busan Philharmonic, the Gwangju Philharmonic, the Budapest Symphony, the Janáček Philharmonic, and the Aspen Music Festival Orchestra, as well as with orchestras throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States. Her most recent recording was completed at the Wiener Konzerthaus for the SONY label.
Widely regarded in Korea as one of the leading violin pedagogues of her generation, Nam is frequently invited to serve on the juries of major international competitions, including the Brahms, Khachaturian, Osaka, and Ysaÿe International Competitions. In her earlier career, she was awarded first prize in several distinguished competitions, including the Young Artists International Auditions, the Grand Music Festival Concerto Competition, the Young Artists Chamber Music Competition, and the Korean Newspaper Competition.
In 2022, Nam co-founded the Korea International School of Arts (KISA) with her husband, conductor Junghyun James Cho. Korea’s first fully integrated and highly selective music institution for students in grades 4 through 12, KISA combines rigorous academic study with world-class artistic training. Its uniquely structured curriculum—unmatched in Korea—has earned international recognition and continues to attract distinguished musicians from around the world. Nam leads the school’s artistic and educational vision while remaining actively engaged as a performer and collaborator.
Her contributions to performance and arts education have been recognized with major honors, including the 2024 UN Peace Prize (Arts Division), the Korea Herald Future Management Award (Grand Prix), and the STN Korea Corporate Social Responsibility Award (Grand Prix).
EREZ OFER
Germany-Israel
Born in Tel Aviv, Erez Ofer has enjoyed a prolific career as a soloist, chamber-musician as well as concertmaster of some of the world’s most prestigious orchestras. After completing his studies on 3 continents with some of the world’s best teachers he has performed extensively on stages such as Carnegie Hall, Concertgebouw, Berlin Philharmonie, Gasteig Munich, with such orchestras as The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Israel Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony, Belgian National Symphony and many others. Mr. Ofer has also been recognized by several international juries including the Queen Elisabeth competition, the Z. Francescatti competition as well as the ARD Munich competition, winning prestigious prizes at all three. Mr. Ofer has collaborated on stage with such musicians as Y. Bronfman, I. Stern, W. Sawallisch and many others.
He currently resides in Berlin, Germany.
Erez Ofer plays a violin made by Domenico Montagnana in 1729.
JOEL SMIRNOFF
USA
Conductor, violinist, and pedagogue Joel Smirnoff, a native of New York City, served as President of the Cleveland Institute of Music from 2008 until 2016. As violinist, Mr. Smirnoff performed on four continents over 23 years as a member of the Juilliard String Quartet, joining as second violin in 1986 and replacing the legendary Robert Mann as first violin in 1997. In addition to his Grammy-nominated SONY disks with the Juilliard Quartet, Mr. Smirnoff also has an extensive catalog of solo recordings, including the world premiere recordings of numerous twentieth-century works by composers as diverse as Louis Gruenberg and Joan Tower. In 1983, as second-prize winner of the International American Music Competition for Violin, Mr. Smirnoff was awarded debuts at Carnegie Hall on its Emerging Artists series and at Town Hall on its Midtown Masters series. Mr. Smirnoff was concerto soloist in the summer of 1998 at Tanglewood, performing the Berg Violin Concerto under the direction of Bernard Haitink in a special memorial concert dedicated to violinist Louis Krasner.
Encouraged by Seiji Ozawa to “take up the baton,” Mr. Smirnoff developed into a highly acclaimed conductor with an impressive and wide-ranging repertoire. Presented by Maestro Ozawa at the Bernstein Memorial Concert of 1998 at Tanglewood, Mr. Smirnoff made his official American conducting debut with the San Francisco Symphony in July, 2000, conducting an all-Tchaikovsky program. Engagements quickly followed with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Phoenix Symphony, the Louisiana Philharmonic, the Chicago Philharmonic, the New World Symphony, and others. In Europe, Mr. Smirnoff has led the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Basel Sinfonietta, and the Kuopio (Finland) Symphony; in Japan, the Saito Kinen Orchestra in Matsumoto; in Korea, the Busan Festival Orchestra; and in China, the Beijing Symphony Orchestra.
Mr. Smirnoff received the Lifetime Grammy Award in 2011 for his many recordings with the Juilliard String Quartet and was honored that same year with the Alumni Professional Achievement Award from the University of Chicago, his Alma Mater.
As music educator, Mr. Smirnoff has served on the chamber music faculty of the Juilliard School since 1986 and on the violin faculty since 1989, serving as Chair of the Violin Faculty from 1992 until 2008. A long-time faculty member of the Tanglewood Music Festival, Mr. Smirnoff was conducting assistant to Maestro Seiji Ozawa and Head of String Studies from 1995 to 2000. Mr. Smirnoff has served on the juries of the Naumburg, Seoul, Bartok, Indianapolis, and Sendai Violin Competitions.
Mr. Smirnoff also plays jazz and has appeared frequently as improvising violinist with the great jazz singer Tony Bennett in concert and on TV. His improvised solo on “Fly Me to the Moon” can be seen on Tony Bennett Live by Request, and two improvised jazz solos can be heard on the Grammy award-winning CD Tony Bennett Sings Ellington Hot and Cool. He has also been guest soloist with Gunther Schuller and the American Jazz Orchestra, and the Billy Taylor Trio.
Mr. Smirnoff was born into an eminent New York musical family. His mother sang with the Jack Teagarden Band under the stage name of Judy Marshall, and his father, Zelly Smirnoff, played in the NBC
Symphony under Toscanini, performed with the Bach Aria Group, and was second violinist of the Stuyvesant String Quartet.
KIRILL TROUSSOV
Germany
Kirill Troussov
Founder & Artistic Director of the Sarasate Academy
Founder & Director of the Engers Academy in Frankfurt
Chairman & Artistic Director of the Hong Kong International Young Musicians Competition
Vice President & Artistic Director of the Carl Flesch Competition
Artistic Director of the Festival International de Musica Pago de la Jaraba
Artistic Advisor of the Kaposvar International Music Festival
Supported and guided by Sir Yehudi Menuhin from a young age, Kirill Troussov is now widely recognized as one of the leading violinists of his generation. The international press describes his playing as "impressively elegant, with irreproachable technique, exceptional musical sensitivity, and sonorities of immaculate beauty."
A regular guest at prestigious concert halls and renowned international music festivals around the world, Troussov has collaborated with celebrated conductors such as Sir Neville Marriner, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Daniele Gatti, Lawrence Foster, Jiri Belohlàvek, Michail Jurowski, David Stern, Christoph Poppen, Vladimir Spivakov, Mikko Frank, and Louis Langrée. His engagements have taken him to major orchestras, including the Staatskapelle Berlin, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre National de Lyon, Orchestre National de France, Hessischer Rundfunk Radio Orchestra, Baden-Baden Radio Symphony Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, and Bamberg Symphony Orchestra. His performances have been heard in iconic venues such as the Tonhalle Zürich, Berliner Philharmonie, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, Théâtre du Châtelet, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, De Doelen, NCPA Beijing, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Auditorio Nacional de Música Madrid, the Verbier Festival, the Schleswig-Holstein Festival, and the Menuhin Festival Gstaad.
Kirill Troussov is deeply passionate about chamber music and maintains close friendships with fellow artists including Sol Gabetta, Yuja Wang, Daniel Hope, Joshua Bell, Gautier and Renaud Capuçon, Yuri Bashmet, Mischa Maisky, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Julian Rachlin, Christian Zacharias, and Natalia Gutman.
Some of the highlights of his career include substituting for Gidon Kremer in Paris, touring Asia with the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, a remarkable performance at the BBC Proms, and serving as a jury member at international competitions such as the Schoenfeld International String Competition.
His numerous international awards include the European Cultural Award "Pro-Europa", the Davidoff Prize at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, the Yamaha International Prize, and the Reuters Prize at the Verbier Festival.
Kirill Troussov regularly teaches master classes at prestigious institutions such as the Mozarteum Salzburg, Colburn School Los Angeles, Beijing and Nanjing Central Conservatories, European Music Institute Vienna, and in cities like Cremona, Milan, Madrid, Dublin, Berlin, Munich, Oslo, Budapest, New York, Hong Kong, and Japan. Since 2021, he has served as Chairman and Artistic Director of the Hong Kong International Young Musicians Competitionand Vice President and Artistic Director of the Carl Flesch Competition in Hungary.
His CD recordings, released by labels including EMI Classics, Warner Classics, Dabringhaus & Grimm, Naxos, and Farao Classics, have been consistently praised by the international press. In 2023, Orchid Classics began releasing the "Kirill Troussov Live" series, featuring over 40 of his celebrated live performances. The series has reached over 2.5 million streams on audio streaming platforms.
In 2024, Troussov founded the Sarasate Academy in Madrid (Spain) and the Engers Academy near Frankfurt (Germany). He also became the Artistic Advisor of the Kaposfest International Music Festival in Hungary and Artistic Director of the Ammerseerenade Festival near Munich (Germany).
Kirill Troussov completed his studies with Zakhar Bron and Christoph Poppen. His mentors have included Igor Oistrach, Herman Krebbers, and Sir Yehudi Menuhin.
He plays the Antonio Stradivari violin "Brodsky" of 1702, the same violin on which Adolph Brodsky performed the world premiere of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto on December 4, 1881.
