Registration for the XIII International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition is now closed
The international elite of young violinists will gather in Helsinki in May for the XIII International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition. A total of 218 violinists from all over the world entered the competition. A jury appointed by the Competition Committee carried out a pre-selection based on the entry forms and video recordings sent in by the competitors. 45 young violinists were selected, three of them from Finland. The jury was chaired by violinist Jaakko Ilves, with Cecilia Zilliacus, Professor of Violin at the Sibelius Academy, and Petteri Iivonen, concertmaster of the Paris Opera Orchestra and winner of the second prize in the 2010 Sibelius Violin Competition.
“We are extremely pleased with the great interest in the Jean Sibelius Violin Competition,” says Päivi Pousar, Secretary General of the Competition. “The large number of applicants also shows that young violinists have not been deterred by the revised rules, which bring contemporary music into the competition programme.“
The revised program highlights contemporary music
The Sibelius Violin Competition will start with an opening ceremony and a draw on 17 May 2025. The first rounds of the competition will take place on 19-21 May and the semi-finals on 23-25 May at the Sibelius Academy Concert Hall. The final rounds will take place in Helsinki Music Centre on 27-29 May.
In the finals of the competition, one of the following works will be played in addition to the Sibelius Violin Concerto: 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). In the semi-finals, the compulsory piece to be played is The Seasons Remembered, commissioned by the competition from composer Outi Tarkiainen.
Change in the Jury
The Jury has been reduced by one member following the announcement of the resignation of violinist and conductor Jean-Jacques Kantorow for personal reasons. He will not be replaced.
The eight-member Competition Jury is composed of violinist Elise Båtnes, violinist-conductor Jan Söderblom, violinist Jinjoo Cho, violinist Levon Chilingirian, violinist Liza Ferschtman, violin professor Réka Szilvay and violinist Sung-Ju Lee. The jury will be chaired by conductor John Storgårds.
