Vertex International Concerto Competition
Winners' concert - April 7 at Estonia Concert Hall

Results

Orchestra Performances on April 7

I - II Prizes shared

Eimi Wakui, Violin (Austria) &

Jelin Lee, Violin (South Korea/Austria)

III Prize shared

Hailey Culp, Piano (USA, GA) &

Asta Dora Finnsdottir, Piano (Iceland)

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Solo repertoire concerts in Tallinn in July-August 2024

Jake Dongyoung Shim, Violin (USA, PA)

Aleksandr Haskin, Flute (Qatar)

Katharina Auer, Violin (Austria)

Eun Hyang Choi, Piano (South Korea)

Andrzej Romaniszyn, Piano (Poland)

Laura Linkola, Kantele (Finland)

Hu Jie Chen, Clarinet (China)

Anna Dorothea Mutterer, Violin (Germany)

Samuel Allan Chapkovski, Violin (Ireland)

Wildstein Trio, Violin/Viola/Cello (Great Britain)

Anna Li, Piano (Australia)

Xindy Zhu, Piano (United Kingdom)

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Special Prizes and Scholarships

1) Full Scholarships for Orchestra/Chamber Music Program only during the Classical Hugs Music Festival 2024: 

 

Tomas Milerius, Clarinet

Teodor Blagojevic, French Horn

Lotta Rissanen, Flute

XIAONAN NIE, Double Bass

Anna-Lotta Pesonen, Flute

Hu Jie Chen, Clarinet (in addition to the concert).

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2) The following participants have been awarded 150 Euros scholarship to take violin masterclasses with either Pierre Amoyal or Alexander Markov during the Classical Hugs Music Festival 2024: 

 

Jake Dongyoung Shim, Violin (USA)

Katharina Auer, Violin (Austria)

Anna Dorothea Mutterer, Violin (Germany)

Sam Allan-Chapkovsky, Violin (Ireland)

Morning Huang, Violin (USA/Taiwan)

 

3) The following violinists have been awarded 100 Euros scholarship to take violin masterclasses with either Pierre Amoyal or Alexander Markov or any Violin Professor during the Classical Hugs Music Festival 2024:

 

Minna Krastev (USA)

Marion Taira (Japan)

Kyung Jun Kim (South Korea)

Ian Cheung (Hong Kong)

Reina Yoshioka (Japan)

Khaos Kook (USA)

 

4) The following pianists have been awarded 150 Euros scholarship to take piano masterclasses with either: Michael Bulychev-Okser (USA) or Grigory Gruzman (Germany) during the Classical Hugs Music Festival 2024: 

 

Andrzej Romaniszyn, Piano (Poland)

Emma Waite (USA)

Anna Martirosyan (Finland/Russia)

Marius-Aram Niță (Romania)

Samuel Nakon (USA)

Noah Xia (USA)

Parvis Hejazi (Germany)

Laura Farré Rozada (Spain/U.K.)

Tamara Bláhová (Czech Republic)

Eun Hyang Choi (South Korea)

Xindy Zhu (United Kingdom)

Oksana Oposhnian (Ukraine)

Anna Li (Australia)

 

5) Special Prize - Diploma for Artistry: 

 

Andrzej Romaniszyn, Piano (Poland)

 

6) Special Prize - Diploma - Artistry in a non-standard Instrument:

 

Laura Linkola (Kantele - Finland)

 

7) Special Prize to perform in Professors' Chamber Concert as part of Classical Hugs Music Festival 2024 (This prize is in addition to the concert awarded as Finalists). 

 

Waldstein Trio (Great Britain) 

 

8) The following cellists have been awarded 150 Euros scholarship to take cello  masterclasses with either: Maria Kliegel (Germany), or Indrek Leivategija (Estonia), or Robert Jesselson (USA) during the Classical Hugs Music Festival 2024:

 

Kokoro Ryo (Japan)

Florence Geneau (Canada)

 

9) The following violists have been awarded 150 Euros scholarship to take viola masterclasses with either: Dana Zemtsov (Netherlands) or Wilfried Strehle (Germany). 

during the Classical Hugs Music Festival 2024:

 

Haixiang Ge (China)

Nicolette Sulliivan-Cozza (USA)

 

10) Individuality Prize: 

Full scholarship for Orchestra/Chamber Music Program + 1 masterclass with Pierre Amoyal + 

1 masterclass with another Professor of her choice - during the Classical Hugs Music Festival 2024: 

 

Aleksandra Chazbijewicz, violin (Poland)

 

Competition Rules

Prizes

- Perform a concerto with Classical Hugs Symphony Orchestra

- Perform in Estonia Concert Hall - 889 seats - top concert Hall. 

- Receive a multi-camera PRO recording with 32 microphones, presented by Showgear

- Receive extended media promotion on Estonian TV, Radio, social media

- Accommodation in Tallinn is offered for all winners during concert days.

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I Prize - Performance of a full concerto or a concert piece.

II Prize - Performance of 2 movements

III Prize - Performance of 1 movement

3 Runners up will be offered a performance (solo or with accompanist) during the Classical Hugs Music Festival 2024

Additional performances, scholarships, and other prizes may be offered.

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Dates & Deadlines

January 11 - Applications are open.

Application deadline extended by 1 day: February 6 - 11:59 PM (evening) New York time

5:59 AM (morning) Paris time; 1:59 PM (afternoon) Tokyo time. 

February 7-8 - Semifinal Round - 12 finalists selected.
February 9 - Final Round

February 10 - Results are posted.

April 5 - Arrival to Tallinn, Estonia.

April 6 - Interviews / Rehearsals with Orchestra.

April 7 - Dress rehearsal and concert.

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Eligibility 

No age limit. Open to the following instruments:

Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, Bassoon, Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, Saxophone.

How to apply 

To apply, fill out the application and submit 1 or several links to video recordings (YouTube, Google, Vimeo).

Submit the Nonrefundable Application fee - €156.99

Recording requirements 

Recording(s) can be done within the last 7 years.

It can be recorded solo, with accompanist, or as soloist with orchestra. 

Submitting recording of a concerto you want to perform is not required. Your recording(s) can be done with 1 camera or multi-cameras, or it can be done with a cellphone: we accept any recording(s). Any length of recording(s) is acceptable. The same recordings will be used for the Semifinal and Final Rounds. 

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Jury

Anatoli Schura (Estonia) - Principal Conductor - Classical Hugs and Narva Symphony Orchestras

Tatiana Gashimova (Latvia/Estonia) - Cellist & Violinist - Principal Cello - Classical Hugs & Narva Symphony Orchestras

Michael Bulychev-Okser (United States) - Concert pianist, Piano & Chamber Music Faculty - Kaufman Music Center

Miriam Davis (United Kingdom) - Concert violinist and teacher, festival Guest Artist

Giovanni Calabrese (Italy) - Pianist, Educator, and teacher

About the orchestra

Classical Hugs International Orchestra consists of professional musicians from Estonian & Finnish & German orchestras to form an international orchestra of a high artistic quality. The orchestra is invited to perform on special occasion concerts. The orchestra's foundation is based largely on a Narva City Symphony Orchestra, one of the largest ensembles in Estonia (established in 1994). Narva Symphony Orchestra has participated in several international projects: music festival "Tubin and his time", international music festival named after J. Mravinsky, Chopin competition, international song and dance festival "Slavic wreath". The orchestra has given guest performances in Latvia, Belarus, Finland, Poland and Germany. The orchestra was led by maestro Anatoly Štšura, the orchestra's artistic director and chief conductor.

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Anatoli Stsura is a conductor and composer. On the recommendation of Alfred Schnittke, in 1990 he was accepted into the composition of the Union of Composers of the USSR. In February 1998, the orchestra was granted the status of a city orchestra by the decision of the Narva city council. For forming the orchestra, the government of the Republic of Estonia granted Estonian citizenship to Anatoli Štšura for special merits. At the initiative of Anatoly Schura and with the participation of the orchestra, such cultural projects as the international music festival named after Yevgeny Mravinsky and the republican instrumental concert competition for young pianists have been implemented, in addition, public open-air and charity concerts have been organized. A. Schura has given guest concerts in Russia, Finland, Poland, Germany and Latvia. Received the Cultural Endowment Award for popularizing classical music. Laureate of the Ida-Virumaa Culture Pearl Award. In February 2008, A. Štšura received the White Star V class medal from the President of the Republic of Estonia. In 2016, Anatoli Schura was awarded the title of honorary citizen of the city of Narva by the decision of the Narva city council.

 

About Classical Hugs Music Festival

Member of the FestivalsFinder.eu by the European Festivals Association, Classical Hugs International Music Festival is a critically acclaimed annual music event in Estonia. The festival explores cross-cultural and musical connections between Estonia and countries of Western Europe, Asia, The United States, and South America. Each year, the festival presents orchestral, chamber, and solo concerts at the most prestigious Estonian venues: Estonia Concert Hall, Tartu Vanemuise Theater, House of Blackheads, and Narva's Geneva Keskus. Festival concerts took place in Latvia, Lithuania, and Finland. The festival also presents masterclasses in piano, violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, french horn, trombone, and percussion, by world-class musicians from Estonia, the United States, England, Germany, China, Poland, and Ukraine. The Festival's Artistic Director is Michael Bulychev-Okser (USA).​

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Cultural Message and Mission

A hug is a simple expression of human warmth. A Classical Hug is an expression of an affectionate feeling through music. The festival's mission is to demonstrate how music can bring love and peace worldwide.