The 2026 edition of the International Mozart Competition Salzburg has recently come to a close. 20 violinists from 17 different countries were invited to take part in the live rounds, which took place at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg.

The results were as follows:

  • 1st Prize: Xunyue Zhang, China – donated by the International Salzburg Association (€10,000)
  • 2nd Prize: Yuki Serino, Italy – donated by Honorary Senator Sylvia Madsack (€7,000)
  • 3rd Prize: Maxim Tzekov, Austria/Bulgaria – donated by the Raiffeisen Association Salzburg (€5,000)
  • Audience Prize: Yuki Serino, Italy – donated by The Volpini de Maestri – O'Neill Foundation
  • Bjørg Pas (Norway) received the Special Prize of the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) of €1,000 for the best interpretation of a contemporary work by Sarah Nemtsov: cloud study skying for violin solo
  • Bärenreiter Urtext Prize: three music vouchers worth €300 each, donated by Bärenreiter Editions, went to Yuki Serino, Maxim Tzekov, and Xunyue Zhang

In 2026, the jury comprised Benjamin Schmid (chair), Axel Hiller, Sophia Jaffé, Hagai Shaham, and Hanna Weinmeister. 

"We warmly congratulate all the prize winners and thank our main sponsor, the City of Salzburg, as well as all other sponsors and prize donors!" the competition stated. 

The winner of second prize and the Mozart Prize at the 2023 Henri Marteau Competition and third prize and three special prizes at the 2022 Lipizer Competition, Xunyue Zhang was also a semifinalist at the 2024 Joseph Joachim Competition and the 2025 Tibor Varga Competition.

She has appeared as a soloist with orchestras in Germany, Italy, and China and given recitals in Berlin and Shanghai. Zhang is a current student of Stephen Picard at Berlin's Hanns Eisler School of Music, and she plays on a violin by Andrea Guarneri (1663), on loan to her from the German Foundation for Musical Life.