Concerto Competition 2027

The Shkolnikova Academy Concerto Competition offers string players the opportunity to be selected as soloists with string orchestra and receive scholarship support toward participation in the Academy. The competition is open to violin, viola, cello, and double bass students. Please review the Application Requirements on the Summer Academy 2027 page before applying.

Two age categories

Junior Division: Under 14
Senior Division: Ages 14 and over

First Prize

First Prize winners in both age categories will receive the opportunity to perform as soloists with the Shkolnikova Academy Faculty String Orchestra during the 2027 Academy. The Academy will work with each selected winner to determine the repertoire to be performed with the orchestra.

First Prize Winners — Senior Division

Winners receive a full scholarship covering program tuition, room, and board, including shared dormitory accommodations.

First Prize Winners — Junior Division

Winners receive a full scholarship covering program tuition, plus a €500 credit toward official Shkolnikova Academy family lodging. Students under 14 must be accompanied by and stay with a parent or legal guardian. Family lodging is available for rent, subject to availability.

Runners-up

Runners-up may receive partial scholarships toward Academy fees. Awards are subject to available funds and artistic merit.

Application Deadline: January 15, 2027
Competition Results Announced: February 15, 2027

Apply to the Academy & Concerto Competition ↗

Past Winners

Discover past Concerto Competition winners and watch their performances.

Watch past winners on the Academy’s YouTube channel ↗

2026 Concerto Competition

We received over 100 applications from 22 countries, showcasing an extremely high level. Congratulations to our winners:

1st Prize: Marley Erickson (violin), Starla Breshears (cello), Pearl de la Motte (viola)

2nd Prize: Matej Mijalic (violin), Ombeline Mariera (cello), and Zihan Zhang (viola)

3rd Prize: Sofiko Tchimburidze (violin), Ecmel Bildik (violin), Valerie Breshears (violin), Ezekiel Sokoloff (violin), Malika Bekturova (violin), Hehe Qi (viola), Ivan Cherednichenko (cello), Ziqi Yu (cello), and Eduard Dos Santo (bass)

2025 Concerto Competition

1st Prize (solo performance + full scholarship):
Alejandro Gomez Parea, Sofya Devutskaia, Dustin Breshears

2nd Prize (solo performance + tuition scholarship):
Anna Lilla Szekely, Henry Quan, Jelin Lee, Yuen Cyrus, Jiahe Zhan

3rd Prize (alternate for solo performance and partial scholarship):
Jieun Son, Erika Hubbard, Svetlana Kondrateva, Cristina Dimitrova, Lyam Kaleo Gabriel Chenaux, Melissa Lam, Darin Lambrev, Evangeline Lien