The Classic Violin Olympus International Competition is finally with us! Open to violinists of all ages and nationalities, this revolutionary competition features a colossal prize fund of €310,000, and an unparalleled, globetrotting pre-selection phase stretching across six countries around the world. Don’t miss this chance to be part of an event that is poised to reshape the future of classical music!

In the realm of classical music, few instruments evoke as powerful a sense of wonder and emotion as the violin. With its unparalleled distinctive sound and uniquely versatile nature, it is no surprise that this instrument has consistently remained amongst the most popular of all time, enthralling audiences all over the world, irrespective of language or culture, for centuries.

In the face of such popularity, which has only continued to increase as we enter the second decade of the 21st century, it has become more and more challenging for talented violinists to stand out from the crowd, with current opportunities offering only a limited path, open solely to practitioners who meet a stringent set of criteria. Fortunately for violinists worldwide, however, a new endeavour has just been established with the precise aim of tackling this exact conundrum.

The Classic Violin Olympus International Competition is now marking the launch of its inaugural edition, and yet it is already pledging to reshape the future of the violin world. Headed by Artistic Director Pavel Vernikov, one of the most respected maestros in the classical music industry, Classic Violin Olympus is a truly peerless initiative on almost every level, promising to herald the coming of a new approach to classical music competitions.

Boasting a stunning prize fund of €310,000, including an awe-inspiring First Prize of €200,000, the competition will be judged by an exclusive 23-member panel consisting solely of distinguished conductors and directors of world-renowned orchestras, festivals and concert series. Even more significantly, this will be the only violin competition in the world to do away with eligibility criteria altogether, being open to applicants of all races, nationalities, and ages, in what is a first for any such contest globally.

The competition’s programme, meanwhile, is similarly groundbreaking, consisting of an exhaustive six-part process expressly designed to shine a light on the most outstanding candidates of all. The first phase shall see the finalists performing alongside a symphonic orchestra, before they take on the role of concertmaster and lead the orchestra themselves for the second round. This will be followed by a special performance of Beethoven’s Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano with Orchestra that shall see them collaborate with two internationally-acclaimed soloists in addition to the professional ensemble. Finally the participants will interpret a work by a contemporary composer, before presenting a solo encore and then engaging in a brief Q&A session with the jury board.

Having set itself the task of identifying the best violinists in the world, irrespective of all external factors, Classic Violin Olympus is also particularly noteworthy for its revolutionary pre-selection process. In order to ensure that it can reach as wide a number of violinists in as many areas of the globe as possible, the competition will not have merely one, but rather six different pre-selection stages, held in six separate cities, namely Tokyo, Vienna, New York, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv.

Taking place across the course of 2024, every one of these preliminary contests will have their own €35,000 prize fund, and will be presided over by a five-person jury board who will be responsible for identifying the two candidates from each competition most deserving of an all-expenses-paid invitation to the grand finale of Classic Violin Olympus that will be held in Dubai, UAE, in April 2025.

Applications for these contests are now open, with interested participants invited to register and submit an audition video on the website of their chosen city. Only a maximum of 20 candidates will be selected for each pre-selection stage, with the two top-ranked musicians in each contest then being invited to travel to Dubai where a total of 12 violinists will go head-to-head on the biggest stage of all! Application deadlines for each respective contest vary, so if you’re a passionate violinist ready to cement your mark on the global stage, make sure to act quickly so as to avoid disappointment.

For a chance to be part of this milestone in the realm of classical music competitions, or if you’re seeking more information about Classic Violin Olympus, make sure to visit the official website at classicviolinolympus.com.