Finalists Announced at Germany's ARD International Violin Competition

Held in Munich, Germany on September 12, 2021, the competition's Final Round will be streamed LIVE on The Violin Channel and be available for playback

The 2021 ARD International Violin Competition announced the three candidates advancing to the competition's final stage.

The final violin candidates are:

• Seiji Okamoto (Japan)

• Dmitry Smirnov (Russia)

• Alexandra Tirsu (Moldova / Romania)

The final round will take place on September 12 in Munich's Hercules Hall.

Hosted annually since 1952, the 2021 competition categories are violin, voice, horn, and piano duo. The violin category is open to those born between 1992 and 2004.

The first prize winner of the violin category will receive €10,000. All prize winners will also be offered a number of important debut performances and recording opportunities to help bolster the start of their careers.

The candidates were chosen from 57 international violinists, who were accepted into the competition's first round and then assessed by this year's jury via the internet.

Due to the COVID-situation, the application and first round stages of this year's competition were held online. The second round was in-person.

This year's violin category jury comprises Mihaela Martin (President), Frank-Michael Erben, Liza Ferschtman, Philippe Graffin, Rachel Podger, John Storgårds, and Hanna Weinmeister.

Previous ARD Competition category first prize winners include Yuri Bashmet, Christian Tetzlaff, Antoine Tamestit, Natalia Gutman, Christoph Eschenbach, Nobuko Imai, Jessye Norman, and Mitsuko Uchida — all springboarding on to major international careers.

As the competition's official international media and broadcast partner, all rounds will be streamed LIVE on The Violin Channel. You won't miss a beat.