Finalists announced for LA’s Play with Ray competition

Three violinists have been announced as finalists for the Play with Ray competition, they will be flown out to LA to meet and practise with Ray Chen and Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil).

After Chen announced in March that he was running a competition, more than 800 students and amateur violinists submitted video auditions; applicants came from 73 countries, across six continents, and were aged six to 76.

The three finalists are 13-year-old Adriana Bec from the US, Youngki Kim, 22, from South Korea and 17-year-old Laura Kukkonen of Finland. They were selected by a panel of judges that included Chen and members of the LA Phil. The finalists will also attend masterclasses and concerts in the days leading up to the concert.

On 8 August the winner will have the chance to perform at the Hollywood Bowl alongside Chen and the LA Phil, performing Bach’s Double Violin Concerto led by Ben Gernon. The performance will be streamed on YouTube and Facebook Live.

laphil.com | raychenviolin.com