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Tibor Varga Competition 2025 – 2nd Round Results

After two intense days for our young talents, the 2nd round of the Tibor Varga Competition came to a close just a few minutes ago with the announcement of the 6 candidates selected for the 3rd round.
Despite the intensity and fast pace of this 2nd stage, the jury and the audience were kept on the edge of their seats by captivating performances. The candidates brilliantly rose to the challenge of the violin sonata with piano. They were required to perform three works:

  • a sonata by Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, Schubert, or Schumann;
  • a sonata by Debussy, Janáček, Prokofiev, Enesco, Poulenc, Bartók, Ravel, Schönberg, or Szymanowski;
  • and a virtuoso piece of their choice, for solo violin or with piano

Thanks to the varied program proposed by our jury, this 2nd round truly allowed the candidates to demonstrate their ability to engage in dialogue with the pianist, to explore different styles, and to showcase their virtuosity. Our 12 violinists delivered outstanding performances that promise a thrilling 3rd round and final!

Congratulations to the 6 young talents invited to advance to the 3rd round!

  • Iohan Coman
  • Helene Freytag
  • Maria Lundina
  • Reika Sato
  • Aozhe Zhang
  • Xunyue Zhang

And congratulations to the candidates whose journey ended after the 2nd round, whose artistry was warmly acknowledged by music lovers and professionals who came to support them at the Pôle Musique.

The 3rd round—the final step before the grand finale—will take place on August 28, 2025, in the brand-new hall at Noda BCVS. It will present our contestants with a particularly demanding challenge in this chamber music trial. Performing alongside soprano Ekaterina Shelehova, pianist Adrian Oetiker, and cellist Thomas Grossenbacher, our young talents will have to combine flawless command of their score with attentive listening and impeccable adaptability.

Program:

  • A. Beach – Stella Viatoris, op. 100 no. 2
  • L. v. Beethoven – Irish Songs, “Come draw me round a cheerful ring”, WoO 152 no. 8

& one trio of their choice from the following list:

  • J. Brahms – Trio No. 3 in C minor, op. 101
  • D. Shostakovich – Trio No. 2 in E minor, op. 67
  • F. Mendelssohn – Trio No. 1 in D minor, op. 49
  • M. Ravel – Trio in A minor, M. 67

We invite you to follow this round live on our YouTube channel or on the Pôle Musique Twitch account.

Schedule for the 3rd round:

August 28
18:30 – 19:50 | candidates 1-2
20:00 – 21:20 | candidates 3-4
21:30 – 22:50 | candidates 5-6
23:00 | Jury deliberation
23:30 | Results