Inaugural Edition of Classic Violin Olympus International Competition Opens Doors for Applications

Advertisement. Classic Violin Olympus International Competition will take place from 22-28 April 2025.

We are very proud to announce the launch of the Classic Violin Olympus International Competition, an exciting new and unprecedented musical enterprise taking place in Dubai from the 22-28 April 2025 that will give violinists all around the globe their best opportunity to shine on the international stage.

Led by Artistic Director Pavel Vernikov, Classic Violin Olympus promises to revamp the world of music competitions, offering a groundbreaking total prize fund of €310 000, with a staggering First Prize of €200,000, and a unique pre-selection format that has never been undertaken before. Taking place across the course of 2024, this preliminary stage will be open to artists of all ages and nationalities, and shall be held in six different countries across the globe, consisting of six separate contests each offering a pathway to the Grand Finale in the UAE.

Hosted in Tokyo, Vienna, New York, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, each of these contests will be judged by a hand-picked five-member jury panel, and carry with them a prize fund of €35,000. At each event, the two top-ranked contestants will be granted the opportunity to take part in the invite-only final stage, which is guaranteed to enjoy as diverse and competitive a participant pool as possible consisting of a talented group of 12 contestants representing the brightest artists in the violin world from across the international community.

Once in Dubai, the violinists shall be taking to the stage in front of an exclusive 23-member jury board, made up solely of conductors and directors of acclaimed orchestras, festivals and concert series. Here, they will be asked to present a six-part programme that has been expertly designed in order to truly analyse all aspects of each violinist’s skillset. Jurors will see the musicians perform in all kinds of scenarios, with contestants being first asked to play alongside a symphonic orchestra, after which they will be requested to take on the role of concertmaster and lead the orchestra themselves. Next, they shall interpret Beethoven’s Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano with Orchestra, performing alongside two globally-celebrated soloists as well as the full orchestra, before engaging in a work by a contemporary composer, a solo encore, and then a Q&A session with the members of the jury panel.

Registrations for the pre-selection phase are currently open, and interested applicants can visit the website of their preferred country in order to submit their audition video and be in with the chance of being one of the 20 applicants that will be selected for each of the contests. Application deadlines for each event vary, so be sure to act quickly now to avoid disappointment!

For more information about the Classic Violin Olympus International Competition, visit the official website at classicviolinolympus.com.