The Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists (or simply the Menuhin Competition) is an international music competition for violinists under the age of 16. It was founded by Yehudi Menuhin in 1983 with the goal of nurturing young violinists. In its early years, the competition took place in Folkestone on the south coast of England. Since 1998, it has been held biennially in different cities around the world. Several of the competition's past laureates, including Julia Fischer, Tasmin Little, and Nikolaj Znaider, have gone on to major international careers.Miller, Joe (15 April 2016). "Highly strung: What does it take to win the Menuhin Competition?". BBC. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
Competition A member of the European Union of Music Competitions for Youth (EMCY), the Menuhin Competition runs every two years. Recent competitions have been live-streamed on the Internet.
The competition is open to violinists of any nationality under the age of 22. The competitors are pre-selected by video recording and compete in three rounds during the actual competition. There is a required repertoire, which is chosen by the competition's organizers. However, the competitors also play a virtuoso violin work of their own choice as part of the semi-finals. In the first round, each competitor is also given a four to eight bar phrase on which to improvise for three minutes.Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists (2016). Application Information . Retrieved 15 May 2016.
In later years the required repertoire and the gala concerts have included new works especially commissioned for the competition or works closely associated with the host country. At the 2010 Oslo competition, the previously required works by Paganini were replaced with works by the Norwegian violinist and composer Ole Bull to mark the bicentenary of his birth.Tripodianos, Maria (8 January 2010). "Menuhin Competition 2010" . Ole Bull 200th Anniversary (OleBull2010.no). Retrieved 16 May 2016. The 2008 competition in Cardiff saw the world premiere of Welsh composer Mervyn Burtch's Elegy for King Arthur. The 2014 Austin, Texas competition included two world premieres of Texas-themed works: Donald Grantham's Black-eyed Suzy and Dan Welcher's The Cowboy and the Rattlesnake.University of Texas, Austin. (22 January 2014). "Bringing an American Flavor to the Menuhin Competition" . Retrieved 16 May 2016. The three commissioned works premiered at the 2016 London competition were John Rutter's Visions, Roxanna Panufnik's Hora Bessarabia and Òscar Colomina Bosch's Shpigl.Kjemtrup, Inge (19 April 2016). "Report from the Menuhin Competition". Strings. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
In the Senior category cash prizes are awarded to the top four places, while in the Junior category (under 16 years old) cash prizes are awarded to the top five places. There are also a number of individual cash prizes. These include the Bach Prize for the best performance of Johann Sebastian Bach's violin works, donated in memory of Robert Masters, the founding director of the Yehudi Menuhin School. The First Prize winner in the Senior category also receives a one-year loan of a "golden age" Stradivarius violin. The First Prize winner of the Junior category receives a one-year loan of a "fine old Italian violin".
The 2016 competition had 44 competitors—37 girls and seven boys. The top four prizes in the Senior category were won by young violinists from China, South Korea, and Taiwan. The top prize-winners in the Junior category were from the United States, South Korea, Sweden, and Germany.
History
The competition was founded by Yehudi Menuhin and Robert Masters, who had been instrumental in the founding of the Yehudi Menuhin School. The competition took place for the first time in 1983 at Folkestone on the south coast of England and was based there for its first 15 years with Menuhin himself conducting master classes for the competitors. Following a three-year gap after the 1995 competition, it resumed in 1998 at Boulogne-sur-Mer on the French side of the English Channel and returned to Folkestone in 2000.Les Échos du Pas-de-Calais (27 March 2006). "Boulogne-sur-Mer accueille le concours Yehudi-Menuhin" . Retrieved 14 May 2016 . At the inauguration of the first competition, Yehudi Menuhin said:Jolly, James (15 January 2014). "The Menuhin Competition returns to London in 2016". Gramophone. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
After Menuhin's death, the pianist Gordon Back, who had been the competition's accompanist since its founding, took over the Artistic Directorship of the competition, expanding the program into a festival format with the competition taking place amidst concerts, master classes, and education and outreach events. The competition also began moving its venue to a different international city each time.Niles, Laura (14 February 2014). "Gordon Back and the History of the Menuhin Competition". Violinist.com. Retrieved 14 May 2016. From 2002 to 2014, the competition was held in: Boulogne-sur-Mer, based at the École nationale de musique et de danse (2002) London, based at the Royal Academy of Music (2004)Green, Andrew (18 March 2016). "Coming home: the Menuhin Competition returns to London". Classical Music. Retrieved 14 May 2016. Boulogne-sur-Mer, based at the École nationale de musique et de danse (2006) Cardiff, based at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama with its gala concerts held in St David's Hall (2008)Evans, Rian (16 April 2008). "Menuhin Competition". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 May 2016. Oslo, based at the Norwegian Academy of Music (2010) Beijing, based at China's Central Conservatory of Music (2012)Qian, Mu (26 April 2011). "Beijing to host Menuhin Competition". China Daily. Retrieved 15 May 2016. Austin, Texas, based at the Sarah and Ernest Butler School of Music (2014)Thompson, Damian (22 March 2014). "Menuhin is the world’s toughest violin competition. Why is it packed with Asians, and no Brits?". The Spectator. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
In 2016, the 100th anniversary of Menuhin's birth, the competition returned to London, where once again it was based at the Royal Academy of Music, with its gala concerts held at the Royal Festival Hall.Clements, Andrew (8 April 2016). "Philharmonia/Yamada review – moments of insight in Menuhin Competition curtain-raiser". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 May 2016.Jeal, Erica (18 April 2016). "Menuhin competition: young talent and hints of greatness to come". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 May 2016. The 2018 competition was held in Geneva, Switzerland.Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists. About. Retrieved 15 May 2016. The 2021 competition was held in Richmond, Virginia.
Organization The Menuhin Competition is operated by the ‘Fondation Concours Menuhin’, a foundation registered in Switzerland.Charity Commission for England and Wales. The Menuhin Competition Trust, Charity no. 284467. Retrieved 15 May 2016. Its president is H.S.H. Prince Etienne d’Arenberg. The foundation also has close ties to the Menuhin family. Yehudi Menuhin's daughter Zamira Menuhin-Benthall is its Life Patron and his grandson Aaron Menuhin serves as one of the trustees.Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists. The Trust . Retrieved 15 May 2016.
Past jury members have included American violinist Pamela Frank, Maxim Vengerov, Dong-Suk Kang, Arabella Steinbacher, Ray Chen, Jeremy Menuhin, Julia Fischer, and Tasmin Little.Classic FM (2008). "Playing to the Jury!" . Retrieved 15 May 2016.Quinton, Luke (3 March 2014). "Menuhin Violin Competition: A critic's wrap-up and review". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
Notable laureates Past laureates who have gone on to international careers include:All Menuhin Competition prizes in this list are sourced from: Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists. Laureates Archives . Retrieved 14 May 2016
Jiafeng Chen (Senior category 2nd prize in 2008) Ray Chen (Junior category 3rd Prize, 2004 and Senior category 1st prize in 2008) Julia Fischer (Junior category 1st Prize in 1995) Ilya Gringolts (Junior category 6th Prize in 1995) Joji Hattori (Senior category 4th Prize in 1987 and Senior category 1st Prize, Bach Prize, and Audience Prize in 1989) Daishin Kashimoto (Junior category 1st Prize in 1993) Tasmin Little (Senior category 3rd Prize in 1983 and Senior category 2nd Prize in 1985) Lara St. John (Junior category 4th Prize in 1985) Nikolaj Znaider (Senior category 5th Prize and Audience Prize in 1991)
As both Erica Jeal (the Guardian's music critic) and Gordon Back (the competition's artistic director) pointed out, winning the First Prize is no guarantee of a major career, and sometimes those who have become internationally renowned were not First Prize winners.
Previous prize winners Prizes are awarded in two categories: Senior for violinists aged 16 to 21, and Junior for violinists under the age of 16. Violinists aged 15 are permitted to enter the Senior category if they wish. The Senior category awards cash prizes to the top four places, while the Junior category awards cash prizes to the top five places. (Prior to 2002, the competition also awarded 6th, and on occasion 7th, prizes in the Junior category.) As of 2016, the 1st prize in the Senior category was £10,000 and the 1st prize in the Junior category was £5,000.European Union of Music Competitions for Youth. Menuhin Competition. Retrieved 14 May 2016. There are also a number of special prizes and awards. In 2018, for the first time in the competition's history, there was a joint 1st prize in the Junior category.The Strad (20 April 2018). "Chloe Chua and Christian Li share Menuhin Competition 2018 Junior Division first prize". Retrieved 21 April 2018.All results in these sections are sourced from: Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists. Laureates Archives . Retrieved 14 May 2016
Senior category Year 1st Prize 2nd Prize 3rd Prize 4th Prize 2021 María Dueñas Simon Zhu Hana Chang Karisa Chiu 2018 Diana Adamyan Nathan Mierdl Hyunjae Lim Tianyou Ma 2016 Ziyu He SongHa Choi Yu-Ting Chen Jeein Kim 2014 Stephen Waarts In Mo Yang Christine Seohyun Lim Stephen Kim 2012 Kenneth Renshaw Ji Eun Anna Lee Alexi Kenney Siyan Guo 2010 Xiang Yu Nigel Armstrong Suyeon Kang Ji Won Song 2008 Ray Chen Jiafeng Chen Evgeny Sviridov Stella Chen 2006 Hrachya Avanesyan Robin Scott Shuai Shi Sulki Yu 2004 Hye-Jin Kim Daniel Khalikov Je Hye Lee Yusuke Hayashi 2002 Soyoung Yoon Rintarō Ōmiya Simone Lamsma Maksim Brylinski 2000 Akiko Ono Feng Ning Viatcheslav Chestiglazov Chen Gu 1998 Susie Park Akiko Ono Boris Brovtsyn Xu Yang 1995 Lisa Kim Corina Belcea Yoo-Kyung Min Zhanna Tonaganyan 1993 Gabriela Demeterová Alina Komissarova Stefan Milenkovich Márta Ábrahám 1991 -- Qing Guo Evgeny Andrusenko Birgit Kolar 1989 Joji Hattori Yuan-Qing Yu Bartlomiej Niziol Karen Lee 1987 Elisabeth Glass Elisa Barston Zheng Qing Joji Hattori 1985 Xiao-Dong Wang Tasmin Little Liang Chai Abigail Young 1983 Leland Chen Isabelle van Keulen Tasmin Little He Hong Ying
Other prizes
2021: Audience Prize – María Dueñas
2014: EMCY Prize – Timothy Chooi 2012: EMCY Prize – Kenneth Renshaw 2012: Bach Prize – Gabriel Ng 2012: Composer's Prize – Victor Zeyu Li 2010: Violin Prize – Timothy Chooi 2008: Bach Prize – Evgeny Sviridov 2006: Composer's Prize – Samika Honda 2006: Outstanding Performance in Semi-Finals – Dragos Mihail Manza 2006: Outstanding Performance in Semi-Finals – Mathieu van Bellen 2004: Chamber Music Award – Anthony Sabberton 2002: Composer's Prize – Anna Savytska 1995: Audience Prize – Lisa Kim 1995: President's Prize – Lisa Kim + Natalia Lomeiko 1995: Bach Prize – Zhanna Tonaganyan 1993: Audience Prize – Gabriela Demeterová 1991: Bach Prize – Qing Guo + Eugeny Andrusenko 1991: Senior 5th Prize – Nikolaj Znaider 1991: Audience Prize – Nikolaj Znaider 1989: Bach Prize – Joji Hattori