Klein International String Competition Announces Winners

Violist Pearl de la Motte is this year's Grand Prize Winner

Open to musicians aged between 15 and 23, the Irving M. Klein International String Competition has recently come to a close. Held at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Sol Joseph Recital Hall, the competition was streamed live here on The Violin Channel.

Violist Pearl de la Motte won the $5,000 grand prize (funded by the MOCA Foundation) including performance contracts valued at $15,000 with the Peninsula and Santa Cruz Symphonies, and Gualala Arts Chamber Series, among others.

Cellist Amelia Zitoun won the $3,500 second prize — generously supported by Ruth Short in memory of Elaine H. Klein — and a performance opportunity with the San José Chamber Orchestra, valued at $5,500.

Violinist Francis Tsai received the $2,500 third prize (given in memory of Milton Preves by Judith and David Anderson)

Cellist Hannah Jeong and violinist Yeji Lim won the two fourth prizes of $1,500 each, with one given by Maria Klein in memory of Jerry Lee Klein.

Jury members will comprise Barbara Day Turner, Daniel Stewart, Hal Robinson, Ian Swensen, John Wineglass, Mark Kosower, and Paul Yarbrough.

The 2016 Klein third prizewinner, violinist Alina Kobialka, was one of the competition’s mentors this year and co-hosted the event with Klein Artistic Director Mitchell Sardou Klein.

Past Klein award winners have included Alban Gerhardt, Francesca dePasquale, Frank Huang, Jennifer Frautschi, Jennifer Koh, Vadim Gluzman, Mark Kosower, and VC Artists Nikki Chooi, Tessa Lark, and Zlatomir Fung.