We're coming to you LIVE from Boca Raton, Florida, for the 2026 Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition held at Lynn University. The competition will take place from January 4–18, 2026. The first round will take place at the Amarnick-Goldstein Concert Hall. 

Open to violinists of all nationalities aged 18 to 30, the first prize winner will receive a $30,000 cash prize; a new violin made by Phillip Injeian; a Gold-Mounted Violin Bow crafted by Vladimir Radosavljevic; plus engagements with orchestras, music festivals, and concert series over the next three years.

Second prize is valued at $15,000, and the third prize winner will receive $10,000. Other prizes include the Honorable Mention award of $5,000.

 

COMPETITION SCHEDULE:

January 18 at 3 PM (ET) | Final Round with the Lynn University Philharmonia under conductor Gerald Karni

  • Sameer Agrawal (20, United States)
    • Jean Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47
  • Yiyang Hou (21, China)
    • Pyotr Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35
  • Julia Jones (21, United States)
    • Felix Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64 
  • Hyun Jae Lim (28, South Korea)
    • Jean Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47

January 14 at 10 AM (ET) | Semi Final Round Day 2

10am: Hyun Jae Lim (28, South Korea)

  • Prokofiev: Sonata No. 2 in D major, Op. 94a
  • Ysaÿe: Sonata No. 3 in D minor “Ballade”
  • Wieniawski: Polonaise brillante, in A major, Op. 21

11am: Yiyang Hou (21, China)

  • Saint-Saëns: Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 75
  • Ysaÿe: Sonata No. 3 in D minor “Ballade”
  • Kreisler: Tambourin chinois

12pm: I-Hao Cheng (27, Taiwan)

  • Schubert: Grand duo in A major, D. 574
  • Ysaÿe: Sonata No. 3 in D minor “Ballade”
  • Wieniawski: Scherzo-Tarantelle, Op. 16

January 13 at 10 AM (ET) | Semi Final Round Day 1

10am: Julia-Xiaozhuo Wang (18, Austria / China)

  • Prokofiev: Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 80
  • Ysaÿe: Sonata No. 3 in D minor “Ballade”
  • Saint-Saëns: Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28

11am: Ruiyi Wang (23, China)

  • Schubert: Grand duo in A major, D. 574
  • Ysaÿe: Sonata No. 4 in E minor
  • Ravel: Tzigane

12pm: Sameer Agrawal (20, United States)

  • Beethoven: Sonata in C minor, Op 30 No. 2
  • de Sarasate: Caprice basque, Op. 24
  • Ysaÿe: Sonata No. 5 in G major

2pm: Julia Jones (21, United States)

  • Prokofiev: Sonata No. 2 in D major, Op. 94a
  • Ysaÿe: Sonata No. 5 in G major
  • Ravel: Tzigane

3pm: Youjin Lee (30, South Korea)

  • Fauré: Sonata No. 1 in A major, Op. 13
  • Ysaÿe: Sonata No. 3 in D minor “Ballade”
  • Saint-Saëns: Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28

 

January 10 | Preliminary Round Day 3

9am: Zixiang Lin (26, China)
10am: Hyun Jae Lim (28, South Korea)
11am: Yiyang Hou (21, China)
12pm: Wenqi Ke (27, China)
2pm: I-Hao Cheng (27, Taiwan)


January 9 | Preliminary Round Day 2

9am: Alena Hove (26, United States / Japan)
10am: Julia Jones (21, United States)
11am: Maria Lundina (25, Israel / Russia)
12pm: Youngjoo Lee (26, South Korea)
2pm: Youjin Lee (30, South Korea)
3pm: Sophie Hing Fei Leung (18, Hong Kong)
4pm: Sophi Rochlin (24, Israel)

January 8 | Preliminary Round Day 1

9am: Xiang Han (25, China)
10am: Zhixin Zhang (25, China / Switzerland)
11am: Kristóf Tóth (25, Hungary)
12pm: Julia-Xiaozhuo Wang (18, Austria / China)
2pm: Ruiyi Wang (23, China)
3pm: Sameer Agrawal (20, United States)
4pm: Wendi Wang (27, China)