Prizes Announced at Klein International String Competition

Held at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the 38th edition named Emad Zolfaghari as its grand prize winner

The Irving M. Klein International String Competition, produced by the California Music Center, is open to musicians between the ages of 15 and 23. Celebrating 38 years of championing the world’s finest young string players, the Klein Competition saw 3 finalists compete today at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Violist Emad Zolfaghari won the grand prize, which includes $5,000 and performance contracts with the Peninsula and Santa Cruz Symphonies, Gualala Arts Chamber Series, among others, valued at $13,000.

Violinist Audrey Goodner won the second prize of $3,500 cash and performance contracts valued at $5,500 — including a performance with the San José Chamber Orchestra. Ruth Short gives this prize in memory of Elaine H. Klein.

Third prize went to violinist Ray Ushikubo, along with $2,500 given in memory of Milton Preves by Judith and David Anderson.

Fourth prizes, each worth $1,500, were awarded to Blaire Kim, in memory of Jerry Lee Klein, and Vincent Garcia-Hettinger, given by Peter Gelfand and Sharon Childress.

Audrey Goodner also received the Pablo Casals Prize for best performance of the solo Bach work, while Ray Ushikubo won the Allen R. Weiss and Susan E. Weiss Memorial Prize for Best Performance of the Commissioned Work by Gity Razaz. Goodner and Ushikubo will receive $500 each for these special prizes.

Each semifinalist not awarded a named prize will receive $1,000.

The jury comprised violinist Glenn Dicterow, violist Karen Dreyfus, cellist and 2014 Klein first prizewinner Zlatomir Fung, this year’s commissioned composer Gity Razaz, bassist Harold Robinson, and conductors Daniel Stewart and Barbara Day Turner.

Previous winners of the Klein Competition include Jennifer Koh, Mark Kosower, Vadim Gluzman, Jennifer Frautschi, Alban Gerhardt, Nikki Chooi, Teng Li, Francesca dePasquale, Oliver Herbert, Frank Huang, Tessa Lark, and Robert deMaine.