The Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition is an international music competition for viola players established in 1980 to honor the memory of the English viola virtuoso Lionel Tertis. Up to 2019 this triennial event was held at the Erin Arts Centre, Port Erin, Isle of Man. The competition did not take place during the years of the Coronavirus pandemic and resumed in January 2025 at The Glasshouse, Gateshead. The competition has now been paired with the Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competition (CAIVC). The two competitions will run concurrently. Participants in the Tertis competition are of any nationality and must be aged between 19 - 30 at the time of the competition.
The 14th Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition was held from 19 to 25 January 2025.
The 13th Lionel Tertis International Festival was held from 6 to 13 April 2019, and attracted 107 entries from around the world.
Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition No. Year 1st Prize 2nd Prize 3rd Prize Jurists / Notes14 2025 Sam Rosenthal Nicolas Garrigues Ami-Louise Johnsson George Caird (Chairperson), Françoise Gneri, Robin Ireland, Lilli Maijala, Thomas Selditz13 2019 Paul Vincent Laraia III Yuchen Lu Paul Adrien ZientaraGeorge Caird (Chairman), William Coleman, Carol Rodland, Danusha Waskiewicz, Mikhail Zemtsov12 2016 Timothy Ridout Manuel Vioque-Judde Wenhong Luo George Caird (Chairman), Yuri Bashmet, Wing Ho, Garth Knox, Thomas Riebl11 2013 Ziyu Shen Kei Tojo Matthew Lipman (tie) Shuangshuang Liu (tie) Brian Hawkins (Chairman), Betil Başeğmezler, Yuri Bashmet, Sarah-Jane Bradley, Samuel Rhodes, Jean Sulem, Hong-Mei Xiao10 2010 Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt Kyoungmin Park Veit Hertenstein Christopher Yates (Chairman), Garfield Jackson, Tatjana Masurenko, Hartmut Rohde, Simon Rowland-Jones, Pierre-Henri Xuereb, Su Zhen9 2006 David Kim Peijun Xu / Ewa Grzywna John Wallace (Chairman), Vladimír Bukač, Michael Kugel, Kenta Matsumi, Hariolf Schlichtig, Roger Tapping8 2003 Yuval Gotlibovich Maxim Rysanov Maya Rasooly John Wallace (Chairman), Atar Arad, Yuri Bashmet, Luigi Alberto Bianchi, Martin Outram, Lars Anders Tomter7 2000— not awarded — Agathe Blondel (tie) Andrei Oussov (tie) Arie Schachter Howard Snell (Chairman), Yuri Bashmet, Sally Beamish, Masao Kawasaki, Hartmut Lindemann, Bruno Pasquier, Christopher Wellington 4th Prize: Rebecca Jones6 1997 Roland Glassl Steve Larson Mikhail Bereznitsky Philip Jones (Chairman), Yuri Bashmet, Thérèse-Marie Gilissen, Lubomír Malý, Yizhak Schotten, Paul Silverthorne5 1994 Gilad Karni Kenta Matsumi Scott Lee Philip Jones (Chairman), Yuri Bashmet, Kazuhide Isomura, Michael Kugel, Paul Neubauer, John White4 1991— not awarded — Tomoko Ariu (tie) Andra Darzins (tie) Esther Geldard Sir David Lumsden (Chairman), Yuri Bashmet, Harry Danks, Jerzy Kosmala, Milan Škampa3 1988 Hsin-Yun Huang Jane Atkins Jean-Eric Soucy Sir David Lumsden (Chairman), Yuri Bashmet, Harry Danks, Paul Hindmarsch, Thomas Riebl, Emanuel Vardi2 1984 Cynthia Phelps Paul Coletti / Carla-Maria Rodrigues Lady Evelyn Barbirolli (Chairman), Paul Cropper, Hirofumi Fukai, Alfred Lipka, Donald McInnes, Simon Streatfeild1 1980 Paul Neubauer / Kim Kashkashian— not awarded — Gerald McDonald (Chairman), Harry Danks, Paul Doktor, Csaba Erdélyi, Piero Farulli, Milan Škampa
Required composition A compulsory work to be performed by all competitors is commissioned (or selected) for each competition.
2025 – The Bridges of Newcastle (The broon toon tune) for viola solo (2024) by Garth Knox; published by Schotthttps://www.schott-music.com/en/the-bridges-of-newcastle-no589478.html 2019 – Canto for viola solo (2018) by Roxanna Panufnik 2016 – fenodyree for viola solo (2015) by Stuart MacRae 2013 – 6 Sorano Variants for viola solo (2012) by Peter Maxwell Davies; published by Boosey & Hawkes 2013 work from Boosey & Hawkes 2010 – Petite Sonatine 1 for viola solo (2009) by Roger Steptoe; published by Editions BIM Roger Steptoe website 2006 – Darkness Draws In for viola solo, Op. 102 (2005) by David Matthews; published by Faber Music Ltd. 2003 – Through a Limbeck for viola solo (2002) by John Woolrich; published by Faber Music Ltd. 2000 – Pennillion for viola solo (1998) by Sally Beamish; available through the Scottish Music Centre; This work was selected, not commissioned. 1997 – Rondel for viola solo (1996) by Richard Rodney Bennett; published by Novello & Co. 1994 – Odd Man Out for viola solo (1994) by Michael Berkeley; published by Oxford University Press 1991 – February Sonatina for viola solo (1990) by John McCabe; published by Novello & Co. 1988 – Tides of Mananan for viola solo, Op. 64 (1988) by Paul Patterson; published by Josef Weinberger 1984 – Concerto for viola and orchestra, Op. 131 (1983) by Wilfred Josephs; published by Mornington Music Ltd. / Novello & Co. 1980 – Concerto No. 2 in G major for viola and orchestra (1979) by Gordon Jacob; published by Boosey & Hawkes
See also List of classical music competitions Maurice Vieux International Viola Competition Primrose International Viola Competition
References Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition White, John (2006). Lionel Tertis The First Great Virtuoso of the Viola, 362–365.
External links Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition Erin Arts Centre photo gallery