Prizes Awarded at Italy’s 2021 “Il Piccolo Violino Magico” Competition

13-year-old Yume Tomita from United Kingdom/Japan has been awarded the first prize at the 2021 “Il Piccolo Violino Magico” International Competition for Young Violinists — in San Vito al Tagliamento, Italy

Organized by the Accademia d’archi Arrigoni, the annual competition is open to international violinists aged 9 to 13 years old.

A student of 2021 jury member Ning Kam at the Yehudi Menuhin School, in Surrey, England, Yume is a former major prize winner at the Ilona Feher, Andrea Postacchini and Grumiaux International Violin Competitions and has already given performances in the UK, Austria and Italy. She made her concerto debut in 2019 with the Anima Musicae Chamber Orchestra, in Budapest.

Yume will receive €5,000, an instrument made by contemporary Italian violin maker Fabio Piagentini, and a number of important concert engagements.

2nd and 3rd prizes were awarded to 14-year-old Leonard Baumgartner from Austria and 12-year-old Anton Carus from the United States. 13-year-old Diana Chausheva from Bulgaria was awarded this year's 4th prize.

https://youtu.be/T3lbQNuNQvo?t=1707

YUME TOMITA | MOZART VIOLIN CONCERTO NO. 1 & MENDELSSOHN VIOLIN CONCERTO IN E MINOR | GIANCARLO GUARINO & FVG ORCHESTRA | 2021 'IL PICCOLO VIOLINO MAGICO' INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION FOR YOUNG VIOLINISTS | 1ST PRIZE

All rounds of this year's competition were streamed LIVE on The Violin Channel and are available now for playback. 

The official 2021 jury comprises: Pavel Vernikov (Jury Chair), Alexandre Snitkovski, Ning Kam, Federico Guglielmo, Goran Koncar, Julia Purgina and Philip Draganov.

In an unique initiative, all 13 candidates, who were not selected to progress to this year's final round, were invited to form a separate jury panel and were given one collective voting right towards the assessment of their peers. The members of the FVG Orchestra, who performed with this year's four young soloists in the final round, were also granted one collective vote.

Previous major prize winners at the annual competition for international violinists aged 9 to 13 include Edward Walton, Daniil Bulayev, Murata Natsuho, Shihan Wang and VC Rising Stars Fiona and Hina Khuong-Huu.

The Violin Channel sat down earlier this week with Domenico Mason, Head of Competition, to get a better understanding of this significant, international junior talent development event. 

And, also caught up with 2019 former 1st prize winner, Edward Walton from Australia, for a flashback to his winning performance and for some helpful tips for this year's four young finalists.