BREAKING | Prizes Awarded at Birmingham's 2021 Aronowitz International Viola Competition

22-year-old Edgar Francis from Wales was today awarded first prize at the 2021 Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competition, in Birmingham, England

A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music where he studied with Juan-Miguel Hernandez and Hélène Clement, Edgar is a former recipient of the Wilfrid Parry Prize, Regency Award, Sir John Barbirolli Memorial Prize, and the Olwen Doreen Leyshon Prize.

He will receive £5000, an album recording with Champs Hill Records, a fine viola bow made by Robert Shallock, courtesy of Bishop Instruments & Bows, plus a set of Pirastro Evah Pirazzi Gold Viola Strings and Rosin and a Pirastro Viola KorfkerRest.

The second and third prizes were awarded to 20-year-old Noga Shaham from Israel and 20-year-old Haneul Park from South Korea.

All rounds of this year's competition were streamed live HERE on The Violin Channel and are available now for playback.

The 2021 jury comprised Thomas Riebl, Matthew Jones, and Garth Knox.

Previous first prize winners include VC Artist Timothy Ridout.