The Irving M. Klein International String Competition, which has supported the world's finest young string players for the past 39 years, has revealed the finalists that will compete at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music's Sol Joseph Recital Hall.
The live finals will start on Sunday, June 2, and be streamed live on The Violin Channel.
The three finalists who will compete are cellist Amelia Zitoun, violinist Francis Tsai, and violist Pearl de la Motte.
They will each compete for a $5,000 grand prize funded by the MOCA Foundation. The grand prize consists of performance contracts worth $15,000 with various organizations, such as the Peninsula and Santa Cruz Symphonies and the Gualala Arts Chamber Series.
The $3,500 second prize, which Ruth Short sponsored in honor of Elaine H. Klein, will also include a $5,500 performance opportunity with the San José Chamber Orchestra.
Additional awards include two $1,500 fourth prizes, one from Maria Klein in memory of Jerry Lee Klein, and a $2,500 third prize, presented by Judith and David Anderson in honor of Milton Preves.
Each semifinalist who does not get a named prize will get $1,000. In addition, the top performances of the John Wineglass-commissioned piece and a solo Bach will each get $500.
Barbara Day Turner, Daniel Stewart, Ian Swensen, John Wineglass, Mark Kosower, Paul Yarbrough, and Hal Robinson will be on the jury.
This year's mentor for the competition is violinist Alina Kobialka, the 2016 Klein third-prize winner. She will co-host the event alongside Klein Artistic Director Mitchell Sardou Klein.
"The 2024 Klein Competition Semifinalists were selected from a record high number of extraordinary applicants, each with a distinctive voice and remarkable musicianship," Klein said in the press release. "We are thrilled to present these future leaders of the next generation of brilliant musical artists."
Previous Klein Award recipients include Alban Gerhardt, Francesca dePasquale, Frank Huang, Jennifer Frautschi, Jennifer Koh, Vadim Gluzman, Mark Kosower, and VC Artists Nikki Chooi, Tessa Lark, and Zlatomir Fung.
