Welcome to the 2018 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis!

The 2018 Gold Medal Prize
(Photo by Denis R. Kelly, Jr.)

Four Decades of Discovery

Greetings to all around the world, and welcome to the official blog of the 10th Quadrennial International Violin Competition of Indianapolis! We are gearing up for this landmark Competition, ready to find the next and greatest young talent from across the globe. This Competition, founded in 1982 under the artistic guidance of the late Josef Gingold (of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music), is into its fourth decade of discovery and we are here to keep you updated on its developments.

On the Ground

It's a new year, temperatures have been erratic in Indianapolis, and we have a freshly refurbished office and renewed enthusiasm as we get underway with the details required to make this Competition run smoothly. In addition to a dedicated army of volunteers, steered by some of central Indiana's finest and most supportive arts patrons, our staff - led by Executive Director Glen Kwok - works around the clock prior to and during the Competition to ensure each participant can concentrate solely on the music.

Violinists Take Note: Deadline Approaching

We have already received many applications, and the window of opportunity is still open for a few more weeks. For those of you planning to apply, keep in mind the application and all required materials must be received by 11:59 PM EST (Indianapolis time), Wednesday, February 28, 2018. At midnight, the site will be taken down. Once you submit your documentation, we will be in contact with you to help you complete your materials prior to the deadline. 

Quick facts from 2014

The 2014 Opening Ceremonies (Photo by Denis Ryan Kelly, Jr.)

In 2014, we received over 170 applications and invited 40 participants to travel to Indianapolis. Of those invited, 37 participated in the Competition representing 14 countries, many of whom were already winners of distinguished competitions around the world such as the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, the Menuhin Competition in Geneva, the Oistrakh Competition in Moscow and the Michael Hill Competition in Auckland, among many others. Each participant vies for the opportunity to win $250,000 in cash and prizes, which includes international concert engagements, a Carnegie Hall Stern Auditorium recital debut, career management and the use of the 1683 "ex-Gingold" Stradivari violin for four years following the Competition. The 2014 Medalists were Jinjoo Cho (Gold), Tessa Lark (Silver) and Ji-Young Lim (Bronze).

Upcoming at the IVCI

As part of the IVCI's Laureate Series here in downtown Indianapolis, we are presenting the East Coast Chamber Orchestra (who will repeat their involvement in this year's Classical Finals round performing Haydn, Mozart and Kreisler with the six finalists) along with 2002 Laureate Susie Park as she performs Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen (with special string arrangement by Nurhan Arman). Other works on the program are Bermel's Murmurations, Shostakovich's Chamber Symphony Op. 110a and Bartók's Divertimento. If you're in town, we would love to have you join us! Performance is Sunday, February 11 at 2:30pm, at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center. You can purchase tickets on our website.

Stay in Touch

Thanks for reading! We'll be posting about twice a month from now until August (at which point you'll receive almost daily updates). To get an automatic alert to new posts, be sure to subscribe by entering your email address (see the window on the top right side of your screen). As we approach the Competition, we'll provide exclusive interviews with some of the participants including behind-the-scenes tours and occasional guest bloggers by members of the Indianapolis community who provide unique glimpses into how this Competition is run. Most importantly, you'll get immediate notification of participant announcements and results of all stages of the Competition. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter for immediate updates; to receive biweekly updates, sign up for our eNewsletter "Inside IVCI."

Recently, I asked a former Laureate what he remembers most from his participation in the Competition. He told me what was most striking wasn't necessarily the stress of the process, but the warmth he felt from the community - from the Olympic grandeur of the Opening Ceremonies (see image above) to the the host families, staff members, and generally just people he met walking down the street. No stranger to international competitions, he said it was an experience he'd never felt anywhere else. 

This is a common sentiment among participants and Laureates alike, as Indianapolis prides itself in a vastly growing and diversified city. We hope you will come join us for the Competition.  And we promise warm weather in September 2018!

Happy listening!