Joachim Violin Competition Announces New Partnership with Warner Classics

The partnership will award one competitor with a debut album

The competition, in Hannover, Germany, gives its winners cash prizes, international concert engagements, and material prizes, including the loan of a valuable Guadagnini violin from the Fritz Behrens Foundation and digital sheet music from the G. Henle publishing house.

With the addition of the debut album prize, the New York–based label highlights its commitment to the promotion of young musicians. The disc will be released shortly after the competition and will be marketed internationally by Warner Classics.

"We are seeking for outstanding young artistic personalities to start into the international concert life," said Antje Weithaas, artistic director of the competition. "With the Warner Classics Award, we are offering a valuable component to build up such a career."

"We at Warner Classics are excited about this new collaboration," said Bertrand Castellani, Head of Warner Classics' international A&R Department. "We share with the Joseph Joachim Violin Competition the strong ambition to find and support young artists in their career development by bringing them and their music to an international audience. Within the past 30 years the competition has had a significant impact on many young and brilliant violinists, and we are strongly convinced that the ideas and the agenda of the new artistic directors Antje Weithaas and Oliver Wille will continue this story of success."