Billed as the biggest new competition to shake up the world of violin, the Classic Violin Olympus International Competition has so far managed to live up to that moniker with aplomb, presenting violin aficionados all over the globe with an exciting new initiative the likes of which has never yet been seen within the realm of classical music.

With a groundbreaking total prize fund of €310,000, including a stunning €200,000 First Prize, the competition, which is led by Artistic Director Pavel Vernikov, also features an exclusive 23-person jury board that has been hand-picked from conductors and directors of acclaimed orchestras, festivals and concert series, as well as a unique meticulously-curated six-part programme that is aimed at shining a light on every aspect of each participants’ musical abilities.

The Vienna Jury

Organised with the goal of identifying the very best violinists of our time, the contest, in a departure from traditional practices, is open to applicants of all ages and nationalities, thus providing a battleground where the sole criteria that matters is musical skill alone. The only pathway to entry, however, lies through participation in one of Classic Violin Olympus’s revolutionary six preselection events.

Taking place in six different music capitals around the world, these preliminary stages, each of which carries with it its own five-person jury board and €35,000 prize pool, are designed to ensure that the cohort of finalists will truly be as comprehensive and fair a representative of the global contemporary violin talent as humanly possible.

At the time of writing, the first two of these events – namely the Tokyo Classic Violin Competition and Vienna Classic Violin Competition – are already behind us, with a total of 40 contestants having gone head-to-head across both contests. Registrations for the next two entries on the schedule, meanwhile, which will take place in New York and London from May 27 to 31, and from August 26 to 30, respectively, are already closed, which means that applicants now only have a total of two more opportunities that can lead them to the final stage of Classic Violin Olympus. These are the Rome Classic Violin Competition, where registrations close on May 26, 2024, and the Dubai Classic Violin Competition, for which applications must be sent until no later than August 4, 2024.

In order to submit an application, candidates simply need to fill in the registration form and upload an audition video of themselves performing. After going through all the submissions, the organising committee will put together a shortlist of 20 violinists who will take to the stage with a varied programme consisting of works from across the classical spectrum, even including a contemporary work from the pen of Composer-in-Residence Alexey Shor.

Due to scheduling constraints, the deadlines for these preliminary events are firmly set, with no possibility of extensions. As such, interested participants are strongly encouraged to act quickly and register now so as to be in with the chance of joining the four confirmed finalists and battling it out on one of the world’s biggest stages to stand tall amidst the greatest violinists of our age!

For more information about all aspects of the Classic Violin Olympus International Competition, make sure to visit the official website at classicviolinolympus.com