17th International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition Prize Winners’ Concert

The Prize-Winners’ Concert of the Henryk Wieniawski International Violin Competition offers an opportunity to hear young violin masters on the threshold of international careers, just days after the conclusion of the Competition. It is a moment when the excitement of the Competition is still palpable, yet the music has begun to transcend the spirit of rivalry.

The history of this recurring event dates back to 1935, when, at the initiative of Adam Wieniawski, the composer’s nephew, the first international violin competition devoted to the music of Henryk Wieniawski was held in Warsaw. The winner was the barely sixteen-year-old Ginette Neveu. After the Second World War, the Competition found its permanent home in Poznań, where it has been held every five years ever since, with only a few exceptions. Over the years, not only the Competition’s requirements but also its repertoire have evolved.

The Competition’s prize-winners include such distinguished violinists as David Oistrakh, Wanda Wiłkomirska and Oleg Krysa, as well as, from a younger generation, Alena Baeva, Agata Szymczewska, Bomsori Kim and Veriko Tchumburidze.

For many of them, the Competition was one of the first significant steps towards an international performing career. For audiences, it was often their first encounter with artists whose names would soon appear on the programmes of the world’s leading concert halls.