Organized by the Guadagnini Foundation, the Stuttgart International Violin Competition is open to international violinists 28 years of age and younger. The 2027 competition's prize money totals 70,000 Euros. The first prize winner will benefit from several important performance engagements and the loan of a 1746 Giovanni Battista Guadagnini violin for the three subsequent years.

The 2027 jury will comprise Christoph Poppen (president), Nora Chastain, Harald Eggebrecht, Feng Ning, Ida Kavafian, Daniel Stabrawa, Friederike Starkloff, Ulf Wallin, and Tianwa Yang.

All applications are to be submitted by July 31, 2026, at this link.

"A competition like this thrives on its spirit, its concept, and its authenticity, which is conveyed to the participants and radiates a sense of uniqueness," Markus Klein, President of the Guadagnini Foundation, told The Violin Channel.

"Promoting the talent of young musicians is the idea that frames everything we do in Stuttgart. It begins with the application, continues with the appreciative competition atmosphere, and is reflected in social media campaigns after the competition, in which all participants are featured. We also support the first prize winner in their artistic development over the three years until the next competition, in particular through numerous concert engagements. In addition, the perfect connection and professional cooperation between the partners, whether it be the University of Music and Performing Arts or the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra, are strong pillars of this competition."

 

To apply, an application video may be recorded in three takes. The pieces themselves must contain no cuts, and the required repertoire includes:

1. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

One of the sonatas KV 454, KV 481 or KV 526

(1st and 2nd movements respectively)

2. Niccolò Paganini
Two caprices from: 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, Op. 1

 

After the application video, the competition will consist of three rounds. The first two rounds take place with a piano accompaniment, while the final will be accompanied partially by the Cuarteto Arriaga de Banco de España and partially by the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Michał Nesterowicz.

"We are very pleased that we received a large number of applications for the first two competitions and that the level of the candidates reflected our own ambition to be ranked among the most important international violin competitions," Klein continued. "Another contributing factor is that our jury is always made up of violin personalities of the highest international reputation, which, in addition to the exclusive prize money and the offer of a Guadagnini violin from 1746 on loan, is of inestimable value to the candidates, who have the opportunity to present themselves to these personalities and benefit from their expertise.  Our cooperation with VC, which above all enables us to livestream worldwide with an enormous reach, as well as other media partnerships, also contributed to the Stuttgart International Violin Competition establishing itself internationally from the very beginning and very soon becoming a member of the WFIM."

For more details, please visit: https://www.guadagnini-foundation.com/competition-terms/

 

The winner of the second 2024 edition was violinist Anna Im. Below, she performs Eugène Ysaÿe's Caprice d’après l’Étude en forme de Valse, Op. 52 No. 6 de Saint-Saëns: