The 5th Ilona Fehér International Violin Competition for musicians under 22 years of age was held in Budapest from July 4 to 14, within the framework of the Festival Academy Budapest, founded nine years ago by Katalin Kokas and Barnabás Kelemen violinists. The first and second rounds took place in the Great Hall of the Bartók Conservatory, with the opening and final rounds held in the Solti Hall of the Liszt Academy. The jury, comprising distinguished artists and educators, was chaired by Shlomo Mintz.
Constantin Stefan Cristian (Romania) won the first prize in the first age group, while Leonhard Baumgartner (Austria) took first place in the second age group. Special prizes were awarded to the youngest competitors in both age groups, for the best performances of Bartók duos, and for contemporary works composed in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Holocaust. The final round of the Ilona Fehér International Violin Competition was broadcast live by the Violin Channel.
In the first age group of the competition, for participants under 15 years old, Constantin Stefan Cristian (Romania) won first place, Hana Hoshino (Japan) took second place, and Kimia Corke (Switzerland) came in third. In addition to professional recognition, the competitors received monetary awards, with the first-place winner receiving 2000 euros, the second-place winner 1250 euros, and the third-place winner 750 euros.
The second age group included competitors aged 15 to 21. In this category, Leonhard Baumgartner (Austria) secured first place, Maksym Synytsky (Ukraine) took second place, and Tao-Yuan Hsiao (Taiwan) was awarded third place. The first-place winner in this category received 2000 euros, the second-place winner 1500 euros, and the third-place winner 1000 euros.
At the conclusion of the competition, additional special prizes were awarded. The youngest competitor, Lin Xi (China), was recognized, along with the best performances of specific repertoire pieces. The special prize for the best Bartók duo performance in the first age group went to Zhang Jinger (China), while in the second age group, Henry Jin Quan (United Kingdom) received the award.
In honor of the 80th anniversary of the Hungarian Holocaust, competitors prepared contemporary works for the second round. The jury awarded prizes for the best performances of these works. Leonhard Baumgartner (Austria) received a prize for his performance of Máté Balogh’s „A Lament of Rembrandt’s Jeremiah.” Constantin Stefan Cristian (Romania) was recognized for his performance of Máté Bella’s „The White Chaccone.” Maksym Synytsky (Ukraine) gave the best performance of Péter Tornyai’s new work „Stolperstein,” and Kimia Corke (Switzerland) was awarded for her performance of Shlomo Mintz’s composition „In Memory.”
The jury members were: Barnabas Kelemen (HUN), Alissa Margulis (GER/RUS), György Pauk (GBR/HUN), Qian Zhou (SGP), Dora Schwarzberg (AUT), Dmitry Sitkovetsky (UK/USA), Magdalena Ursu (ROM), Andreas Vierziger (AUT), and chaired by Shlomo Mintz (ISR).
The competition aims to nurture talent while continuing the 200-year-old tradition of the Hungarian violin school. This world-renowned methodology, spanning from Joseph Joachim through Jenő Hubay to Ilona Fehér and György Pauk, promotes Hungarian musical education.
„Ilona Fehér was a strict teacher with high expectations, but she had a heart of gold, especially when her students met the standards she set. She and her daughter survived the concentration camp, and the resilience and strength she gained from that experience became integral to her personality in her later teaching career in Israel,” said Shlomo Mintz.
„Violinists from 20 countries competed here in Budapest, and we faced a real challenge as judges from the very first round due to the high standards,” said Barnabás Kelemen, a jury member and one of the founding artistic directors of the Festival Academy Budapest.
The 5th Ilona Fehér International Violin Competition concluded on July 13 with a festive award ceremony in the Solti Hall of the Academy of Music, followed by a private theatrical performance the next day. Many of the participating students will remain in Budapest for the Festival Academy Budapest’s festival program, which runs until July 21, as well as for the accompanying masterclasses and concerts.
For more information visit the website of Festival Academy Budapest.
