The deadline for the 2018 Singapore International Violin Competition is fast approaching. Interested candidates must submit their application by 30 September.
SIVC held its first edition in 2015 and immediately marked itself as one of the world’s top violin competitions. This is partly thanks to the prizemoney – first place will take home USD50,000 (€42,000) for the 2018 edition – but also due to the strength of its artistic team, led by celebrated violinist Qian Zhou, who chairs the jury.
“I have been through the competition system myself, so I know what the competitors really want from a competition,” explained Zhou in an interview with IAM. “It is not so much about the money as it about securing a concert career and so we put all we can in place to help that happen.”
Additional benefits for SIVC laureates include a three-year loan of a violin from the Rin Collection, a recording deal with Naxos, as well as career management and mentoring from SIVC staff including Zhou.
Added Zhou: “When I was a teenager, I had the opportunity to play on instruments of quality and that made a real difference to my early career. And so, as part of the prize package, we’ve managed to loan six instruments that will be given to the six finalists for them to use for three years, after which they pass them to the next winners. During those three years, they have sufficient time to source a new instrument.”
Applicants for this year’s edition must be born after 1987. Thirty competitors will be selected for the finals, which runs over three rounds from 28 January – 8 February. The Grand Final on 8 February takes place at Esplanade Concert Hall, with the finalists accompanied by Singapore Symphony Orchestra.
The first edition of SIVC was won by Tseng Yu-Chien – known as Benny – who has since established himself as a successful soloist and now has a recording deal with Deutsche Grammophon.
Full details of the competition and how to apply can be found online on SIVC’s website.
