Candidates Announced for 2018 Singapore International Violin Competition

The 34 candidates have been announced for the 2018 Singapore International Violin Competition – to be hosted by the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory from the 28th January – 8th February, 2018.

The 2018 opening round candidates are:

• VC Young Artist Luke Hsu (USA)
• VC Young Artist Minami Yoshida (Japan)
• VC Young Artist Ji Won Song (South Korea)
• VC Young Artist Sergei Dogadin (Austria)
• Misako Akama (Japan)
• Austin Berman (USA)
• Jung Min Choi (South Korea)
• Laurel Gagnon (USA)
• Zornitsa Ilarionova (Bulgaria)
• Yiying Jiang (China)
• Donghyun Kim (South Korea)
• Gyehee Kim (South Korea)
• Jeein Kim (South Korea)
• YuEun Kim (South Korea)
• Namhyun Kim (South Korea)
• Chisa Kitagawa (Japan)
• Oleksandr Korniev (Ukraine)
• Anna Lee (USA)
• Alexandra Lomeiko (New Zealand)
• Kyung Ji Min (South Korea)
• Gabriel Ng (Singapore)
• Kyoko Ogawa (Japan)
• Soo-Hyun Park (South Korea)
• Ashley Jeehyun Park (USA)
• Tatjana Roos (United Kingdom)
• Xiaoxuan Shi (China)
• Sumina Studer (Switzerland)
• Elly Suh (USA)
• Naoko Tajima (Japan)
• Yun Tang (China)
• Yukiko Uno (Japan)
• Eimi Wakui (Japan)
• Albert Yamamoto (Japan)
• Lisa Yasuda (Japan)

Open to candidates of any nationality born after the 31st December 1987, the 1st prize winner will receive USD $50,000, a number of important international solo engagements – plus the 3 year loan of a fine instrument from The Rin Collection.

In addition, all 6 prize winners at the 2018 competition will receive trophies made by the internationally renowned jewelry retailer, Tiffany & Co.

The 2018 jury will comprise: Qian Zhou (Chair), Mauricio Fuks, Kam Ning, Nam Yun Kim, Boris Kuschnir, Silvia Marcovici, Paul Roczek, David Takeno and Viktor Tretiakov.

Violinist Shlomo Mintz will serve as the 2018 competition’s ‘Artist in Residence’ – performing a recital, giving masterclasses – and taking on conducting duties.

The 2015 inaugural prize winners include: VC Young Artists Yu-Chien Benny Tseng, Richard Lin, Sirena Huang, Alexandra Conunova and Fedor Rudin.

PICTURED: 2018 Singapore International Violin Competition opening round candidates, VC Young Artists Luke Hsu and Minami Yoshida