Singapore International Violin Competition (SIVC) is underway and already at the semi-final stage. 12 candidates have made it through after 17 were eliminated in the first found.
Spread over three days, the semi-finals take place at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. The semi-finalists are: Chisa Kitagawa, Sergei Dogadin, Kyung Ji Min, Tatjana Roos, Anna Lee, Ji-Won Song, Laurel Gagnon, Elly Suh, Oleksandr Korniev, Lisa Yasuda, Xiaoxuan Shi and Luke Hsu.
A jury that consists of Qian Zhou (chair), Mauricio Fuks, Kam Ning, Kim Nam Yun, Boris Kuschnir, Silvia Marcovici, Paul Roczek, Takashi Shimizu, David Takeno and Viktor Tretiakov will select the successful candidates. The grand final itself takes place on 8 February at Victoria Concert Hall, following preliminary finals on 5 and 6 February.
First place will receive USD50,000 (€40,200). Second place picks up USD25,000 while the third-placed finalist collects USD6,000.
A highlight from from this year’s event was a recital from 10-year-old Singaporean violinist Chloe Chua at a special gala opening. There will also be a series of masterclasses from Shlomo Mintz, and a concert of works by Eugène Ysaÿe on 31 January.
All rounds of the competition are live-streamed on Facebook: facebook.com/singaporeinternationalviolincompetition/