The Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition, Hannover, has for the first time awarded First Prize to two competitors. Alexandra Conunova-Dumortier from Moldova and Dami Kim from South Korea each receive the top prize of €50,000, the three-year loan of a fine violin and the opportunity to make a CD on Naxos, plus a number of debut recitals and performances with internationally recognised orchestras and ensembles.

The triennial competition was held for the eighth time this year - taking place over five rounds in two weeks. The Semi-Final included the performance of a Mozart violin concerto with the Munich Chamber Orchestra and in the Final, six competitors performed one of the great solo violin concertos with the NDR Radiophilharmonie conducted by Hannu Lintu. Third Prize, worth €20,000 went to Tobias Feldmann of Germany; there was no Second Prize awarded.

Alexandra Conunova-Dumortier was born in 1988 and is currently a student of Krzysztof Wegrzyn in Hannover. New England Conservatory graduate Dami Kim won First Prize in the 2010 Premio Paganini Competition in Italy and First Prize in the 2011 Munetsugu Angel Violin International Competition in Japan.