The Concertos by Knussen and Lindberg Have Been the Most Popular Choices Among Competitors

According to the revised rules, the final rounds of the competition will feature Sibelius’ Violin Concerto and one of the following works Unsuk Chin: Violin Concerto No. 1 (2001), Oliver Knussen: Violin Concerto (2002), Magnus Lindberg: Violin Concerto No. 2 (2015) or Kaija Saariaho: Graal Theatre (1994).

All concertos have been selected, but Knussen’s and Lindberg’s concertos proved to be the most popular, with 16 contestants choosing Knussen’s concerto and another 16 choosing Lindberg’s, alongside Sibelius. 

President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb Named Patron of the Competition

The President of the Republic of Finland, Alexander Stubb, serves as the patron of the XIII International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition. In his greeting to the competition, Stubb states:

“Finland is a country that punches above its weight in classical music. One proof of this is the competition bearing the name of composer Jean Sibelius, once again bringing together young top violinists in Helsinki.”

The First Rounds of the Sibelius Violin Competition will take place at the Sibelius Academy Concert Hall (R-building) on 19–21 May, and the Second Rounds on 23–25 May. The finals will be held at the Helsinki Music Centre (Musiikkitalo) on 27–29 May. Out of the 42 selected violinists, 18 will proceed to the semi-finals and six to the finals.