Prizewinners Announced at the 2026 Netherlands Violin Competition
Dutch-Finnish violinist Rebecca Roozeman was named as the overall winner and received €12,000
The 30th edition of the Netherlands Violin Competition (NVC) was held from January 10–31 in Utrecht. Violinists aged 10 to 26 were divided into four different age categories.
The competition's premier division is the Oskar Back Prize, open to violinists aged 18 to 26. The finalists in this category performed alongside the Residentie Orkest and conductor Otto Tausk. This category was won by the Dutch-Finnish violinist Rebecca Roozeman, who received a cash prize of €12,000 as well as the €1,000 audience prize.
Roozeman is a current student of Lena Neudauer at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München, where she is pursuing her master's degree. She won the 2018 Leonid Kogan Competition and the 2019 Juhani Heinonen Violin Competition, as well as the Erkki Melartin Chamber Music Competition in the Seele Quartet.
She has made solo appearances with the Finnish Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Finnish National Opera, and the Tapiola Sinfonietta.
Second prize in the Oskar Back category (€6,000) was shared between Luna van Leeuwen and Yente Lottman, and van Leeuwen also won the €1,500 industry prize. Finally, Martine Velthuis won the €1,500 prize for the best performance of the commissioned work, Dialogos by Hawar Tawfiq.
In the 14-17 age category, the €3,000 first prize was won by Katja Naegele, while second prize (€1,500) went to Wendel de Bruijne, and third prize (€750) was awarded to Eline van Dijk.
In the 13-14 age category, the €1,000 first prize was given to violinist Anne Sophie van Lier, the €500 second prize went to Ceylin Tok, and the €250 third prize to Lies Vermeer.
In the 10-12 age category, the €1,000 first prize went to Raelene Pramana, and the €500 second prize was shared between Emma Nelson and Emmanuel Akopian. In addition, Timur Yusupov received a €200 encouragement prize for a violinist aged 10-11 was awarded to violinist.
The 2026 jury for the Oskar Back Prize comprised Janneke Slokkers (chair), Antti Tikkanen, Carla Leurs, Kees Hulsmann, Mikhail Zemtsov, Sonja van Beek, Theodora Geraets, Tatiana Samouil, and Hoei Lien The.
"Rebecca is a born soloist," said Slokkers. "She shows great mastery, daring to take artistic risks and played with complete sovereignty."
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