Indianapolis - International Violin Competition of Indianapolis

Forty of the world’s brightest talents travel to Indianapolis to perform before enthusiastic audiences in a uniquely non-competitive environment. Performances throughout the Competition establish an especially broad survey of the violin repertoire in venues across the city, including the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, the Schrott Center for the Arts at Butler University and the Hilbert Circle Theatre, where finalists perform with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra under the direction of world-renowned guest conductors who have included Maestro Leonard Slatkin. Since its inception, The Indianapolis has hosted eleven Competitions and has named 66 Laureates representing 23 countries to its distinguished roster of prize winners. These extraordinary musicians have emerged as outstanding solo and chamber music artists in concert halls around the globe. They also have served as concertmasters of the world’s leading orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Minnesota and the Royal Concertgebouw orchestras, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Radio France and Seoul philharmonics, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, Staatskapelle Berlin and the Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Houston, Sydney, Lahti, BBC and Basel symphony orchestras. Following the debut of the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis in 1982, it was accepted into the World Federation of International Music Competitions, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Under the guidance of Thomas J. Beczkiewicz, Founding Director, and the late Josef Gingold, who had served on the juries of every major violin competition in the world, the IVCI became known by the musical and media communities as one of the world’s most compelling competitions. In 1994, the leadership of the Competition passed from Gingold to his pupil Jaime Laredo, one of the master musicians of our time. The Indianapolis continues to attract the world’s greatest jurors and the most talented applicants. One of the hallmarks of the IVCI and its highly coveted prizes is the significant post-competition career management provided to the Gold, Silver and Bronze Medalists. The Laureates are also offered the remarkable prize of a four-year loan of a violin from the IVCI collection, including the 1683 “ex-Gingold” Stradivarius and three contemporary instruments. This recording, along with a Carnegie Hall recital debut, is a part of the Gold Medalist prize. The influence of the Competition continues through the performances of its winners for years afterward in cities around the world far from Indianapolis. Those who win uphold the tradition of quality and excellence which has made the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis one of the most prestigious music competitions in history.