Prizes Awarded at South Africa's UNISA String Competition 2022

Hosted since 1982, and rotating categories annually, the University of South Africa's (UNISA) String Competition, in Pretoria, South Africa, announced its 2022 prizes.

Currently pursuing his Master's degree at the Universität der Künste Berlin in the studio of Jens Peter Maintz, Canadian cellist Bryan Cheng received R230,000 (US $15,370) in addition to two special prizes — the best performance of a Baroque work in the first round as well as the best performance of the South African work by A. Johnston or H. Hofmeyr, sponsored by the James Verwey Memorial Trust. Each special prize awarded Cheng an extra R15,000 (US $990).

The second and third prizes were awarded to South-Korean Yeongkwang Lee (R140,000 / US $9,200) and Clara Saitkoulov (R100,000 / US $6,580) from France, respectively.

Currently, Cheng plays on the c.1696 "Bonjour" Stradivari cello and the c.1830 Shaw Adam bow, generously on loan from the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank as First Laureate of their 2018 Competition.

The 2022 jury (classical) comprised: Eddy Marcano, Susan Moutan, Ksenia Milas, Hannah Suhyoung Eichberg, Gernot Winischhofer and Karendra Devroop (chair).

Former first prize winners include violinist Benjamin Schmidt, pianist Marc-André Hamelin, and soprano René Flemming.