The winners of this year’s Menuhin Competition, held for 10 days in Beijing, have been announced as 18-year-old Kenneth Arthur Renshaw in the Senior Division and 11-year-old Kevin Zhu in the Junior Division – the competition’s youngest winner since its foundation in 1983. The violinists - who both hail from the USA and receive a cash prize and concert opportunities - performed for a jury including Pamela Frank, Olivier Charlier, Tasmin Little and Yan Pascal Tortelier.

‘It's incredibly difficult to choose when you have this standard, because they were all brilliant,’ said Little, who was a Menuhin prize-winner herself in the competition’s inaugural year. Tortelier added, ‘To see the talent, the ability and the possibilities these kids have reached at their age, as a violinist, it is simply amazing.’

This was the first time the competition has been held outside Europe. Previous prize-winners include Julia Fischer, Ilya Gringolts, Nikolaj Znaider and Ray Chen. The next Menuhin competition will be held in February 2014 in Austin, Texas.