Russian Dmitry Smirnov wins the 2015 Tibor Varga International Violin Competition, ahead of Korean Ji Won Song and German Yuliia Van. The public prize also goes to Dmitry Smirnov.
A compulsory work by Hugues Dufourt that tests the limits of the instrument – “Le mani del violonista” – and Dimitri Shostakovitch’s violin concerto number 2 in C sharp minor, Opus 129: Dmitry Smirnov’s particularly wonderful performances of these pieces is what ultimately won over the Jury to award him first prize at the 2015 Tibor Varga Sion Valais International Violin Competition on Wednesday 26 August 2015 at the Ferme Asile de Sion. Korean Ji Won Song took second place, Germany’s Yuliia Van third. The candidates were accompanied by the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Gilbert Varga.
Special prizes were also awarded, with Dmitry Smirnov winning the Audience Award and the Best Compulsory Work Award, and Yuliia Van taking home the Youth Jury Award.
The jury of the Tibor Varga Sion Valais International Violin Competition was composed of Enzo Restagno, Hugues Dufourt, Dong-Suk Kang, Tsugio Tokunaga, Raimund Trenkler replacing Natalia Gutman, absent for health reasons, Pavel Vernikov and Milan Vitek.
DMITRY SMIRNOV
1st Prize
Russia
Ji Won Song
2nd Prize
Korea
Yuliia Van
3rd Prize
Germany
