Cosima Soulez-Larivière wins Bartók World Competition

Cosima Soulez-Larivière has won the inaugural Bartók World Competition (BWC) for violin. Organised by the Liszt Academy in Budapest, the event aims to identify the world’s finest players.

French-Dutch violinist Soulez-Larivière won for her rendition of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, accompanied by the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. The 20-year-old takes home a cash prize of €22,000.

In addition, Soulez-Larivière will receive engagements with Budapest Spring Festival, Cziffra Festival, Singapore Violin Festival, Festival Academy Budapest, Győr Philharmonic Orchestra and Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra.

Meanwhile second place went to Hungarian Ágnes Langer, who performed Bartók’s Violin Concerto No 2. Takagi Ririko from Japan took third place with her performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. Langer and Ririko won €14,000 and €8,000 respectively.

Italian violinist and conductor Salvatore Accardo chaired the jury, which also included Qian Zhou, Takashi Shimizu, Vilmos Szabadi, Barnabás Kelemen and Joel Smirnoff.

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