2021 Primrose Viola Competition Opening Round Candidates Announced

This year's competition will be held in-person from December 13 to 18, 2021 at the Colburn School in Los Angeles — and will be streamed LIVE here on The Violin Channel

The Colburn School in Los Angeles announced the 24 competitors for the opening round of this year's 2021 Primrose International Viola Competition.

Established in 1979, and named after the prominent viola virtuoso William Primrose, the competition is open to violists of any nationality 29 years and younger. The first prize winner will receive USD $15,000. 

This year, the competition will require quarter-finalists to present at least one work by a BIPOC composer, alongside other works of their own choice.

The 2021 opening-round candidates are:

• Keoni Bolding (24, United States)

• Danielle Wiebe Burke (29, Canada)

• Hannah Burnett (23, United States)

• Chih-Ta Chen (23, Taiwan)

• Soyoung Cho (23, South Korea)

• Karolina Errera (28, Russia)

• Sara Ferrández (26, Spain)

• Yitong Guo (28, China)

• Brian Isaacs (21, United States)

• Jiwon Kim (21, South Korea)

• Sengyun Kim (28, South Korea)

• Eunbin Lee (18, South Korea)

• Yizilin Liang (20, China)

• Natalie Loughran (24, United States)

• Andy Park (20, United States/South Korea)

• Mathis Rochat (27, France/Switzerland)

• Samuel Rosenthal (21, United States)

• Ursula Steele (25, United States)

• Nicholas Swensen (22, Denmark/United States)

• Semin Yim (18, South Korea)

• Mingyue Yu (21, China)

• Emiko Yuasa (26, Japan)

• Sohui Yun (26, South Korea)

• Chuxuejie Zhang (25, China)

The jury will include Barry Shiffman (Chairman), Andrés Cárdenes, Victoria Chiang, Daniel Heifetz, Mai Motobuchi, Dimitri Murrath, and Chauncey Patterson.

First, second, and third prizes will consist of $15,000, $10,000, and $5,000 respectively, while the winner of the BIPOC prize will be awarded $1,000.

The first prize winner will also perform at the 2022 American Viola Society Festival and 47th International Viola Congress in June 2022.

“After a prolonged period of closure, it is especially meaningful this year to be able to present, in-person, the Primrose International Viola Competition in collaboration with the American Viola Society,” said Sel Kardan, the President and CEO of the Colburn School.

“As we prepare for the 16^th international competition honoring the legacy of William Primrose, we look forward to hearing the next top soloists, chamber musicians, orchestral players, and pedagogues on campus. These talented young musicians are an inspiration and testament to perseverance during the challenging pandemic period, and this will undoubtedly be an uplifting week of music and celebration.”

"The American Viola Society established the Primrose International Viola Competition in 1979 to recognize and encourage extraordinary young violists,” said Hillary Herndon, the President of the American Viola Society. “We are thrilled that Colburn will once again host this prominent event, and are looking forward to hearing these 24 violists live."

All rounds of this year's competition will be streamed live on The Violin Channel. You won't miss a beat.