BREAKING | 7-Year-Old Wunderkind Awarded Grand Prize at Grumiaux Junior Competition

7-year-old Himari Yoshimura has been awarded the Grand Prize in the Junior category of the 2019 Grumiaux International Competition for Young Violinists

7-year-old Japanese violinist Himari Yoshimura has today been awarded the Grand Prize in the Junior 10 years and under category of the 2019 Grumiaux International Competition for Young Violinists – in Brussels, Belgium.

Himari was in May of last year awarded 1st prize in the Junior Category of the 2018 Leonid Kogan International Competition for Young Violinists - aged just 6.

She currently studies with Chihiro Morikawa and Kyoko Yoshida at the Keio Gijuku Yochisha Elementary School, in Tokyo.

Joint-1st prize in this year's Grumiaux Competition Junior category was awarded to 8-year-old Kai Gergov from Bulgaria/Japan and 10-year-old Nguyen Le Nguyen from Vietnam.

Joint-2nd prize was awarded to 10-year-old Anton Carus from the United States, 10-year-old SuMin Kim from South Korea and 10-year-old Riisa Nakahara from Japan.

Joint-3rd prize was awarded to 9-year-old Anisiya Artemova from Russia, 10-year-old Khanui Erdenebat from Mongolia, 9-year-old Defne Güngör from Turkey and 10-year-old Nil Ipek Sabi from Turkey.

Open to international candidates aged 21 years and younger, this year’s competition is held in four age categories.

The 2019 jury comprises: Igor Tkatchouk (President), Dora Schwarzberg, Shirly Laub, George Tudorache, Tetiana Le Menestrel, Muhammedjan Turdiev, and Roman Fedchuk.

Previous 1st prize winners include: VC Young Artists Daniel Lozakovich and Lara Boschkor.

PHOTO CREDIT: BERNARD ROSENBERG