Prague Spring International Music Competition

Nová sezona se blíží, nastal ten správný čas předat jednu ze super cen Soutěže Pražské jaro! Roční pronájem vozu Mercedes-Benz nejlepšímu českému účastníkovi letošního ročníku, kterým není nikdo jiný než houslista Jan Novák ❤️ Může tak směle, pohodlně, a hlavně bezpečně vyrážet po celý rok na své koncertní cesty. Klíčky mu předal ředitel marketingu společnosti Mercedes-Benz Česká republika Martin Šlechta. Tak hodně šťastně najetých kilometrů! 🍀
Foto: Pražské jaro / Michal Vencl

📯📯📯our first prize winner Zhicheng Jin in Spotlight for WFIMC news! Take a look! 🤩

🌟𝗪𝗙𝗜𝗠𝗖 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: 𝗭𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗴 𝗝𝗶𝗻, 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗻

First Prize, Prague Spring International Music Competition 2024, Czech Republic📯

💡Any episodes you might want to tell from your time at Prague Spring?

I had a fantastic time during the competition. Since I’m under 18, my two teachers, Yi Man and Yang Wen accompanied me to Prague. In fact, my journey to the competition began far before I came to Prague and my two teachers are no doubt important figures of this magical accomplishment. They have been helping me for the preparation

💡Have done other competitions in past?

Yes. I won the First Place in the Chinese horn competition and the Jeju International Brass Competition in South Korea before, and was the Silver Medalist in the brass group of the Tchaikovsky International Music Competition in 2023.

💡What is the most adventurous thing you’ve done in your concert life?

During the second round of the Prague Spring, I made a bold decision that I decided to play the modern piece by memory. I think memorizing the music gave me a focused mind. It turned out that I earned a very special and intimate moment with the piece on the stage. It was totally worthy to take the risk!

Congratulations, Zhicheng Jin!🎉

🌟 It's been a month since the competition, and the joy from that success is still very much alive! 🌟

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the judges for their perseverance, enthusiasm, and expertise. Your dedication truly made this event special.

To all the competitors: your beautiful performances and courage during such a busy and challenging week were nothing short of inspiring. Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey.

To all prize winners: congratulations!

We can't wait for next year's competition, which will be in the violoncello and oboe categories! 🎉👏

🎻 Thank you to the amazing Ida Kavafian and Josef Špaček for their wonderful insight into the possibilities of interpreting Antonín Dvořák's Mazurek and
Jan Václav Hugo Voříšek's Rondo A dur, the compulsory pieces of the Round I of the violin competition. ✨ Thank you to our two contestants, who took part in the program, for their amazing performances!
The TWO ARTISTS, TWO VIEWS workshop took place on 10 May at .

🎻✨ Excited to share the lovely moments from the incredible MASTERCLASS with Liviu Prunaru, the concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, which took place earlier this month!

A heartfelt thank you to phenomenal Liviu Prunaru, for sharing his immense talent, wisdom, and passion for music with us. ❤

To all the participants, your dedication and talent were a joy to witness!

Images courtesy of Petra Hajská

Tuesday’s violin competition finale was thrilling! Three young virtuosos, Marie-Astrid Hulot from France, Tsukushi Sasaki from Japan, and Jan Novák from the Czech Republic, competed in performing masterpieces by Brahms, Sibelius, and Beethoven. Their passion and dedication, along with the warm accompaniment of the Prague Philharmonia under the charismatic direction of Marek Šedivý, filled the hall with incredible energy.

We thank everyone who came to support these talented musicians and shared this exceptional evening with us. A special thank you to our amazing jury for their invaluable contribution!

You can relive the event through the photographs by Petra Hajská.

The VIOLIN category concluded with an extraordinary finale at the iconic Dvořák Hall at Rudolfinum, Prague!

Three exceptional violinists delivered their final performances, mesmerizing us all with pieces by Brahms, Sibelius, and Beethoven, accompanied by Prague Philharmonia under Marek Šedivý’s baton.

🎉 Let’s give a round of applause to our winners! 🎉

🥇 1st Prize: Tsukushi Sasaki, Japan
🥈 2nd Prize: Jan Novák, Czech Republic
🥉 3rd Prize: Marie-Astrid Hulot, France

🌟 Tsukushi Sasaki receives an exclusive invitation to perform at the 80th annual Prague Spring Festival in 2025! 🌟

A Honorary Mention goes to Ilva Eigus, Switzerland.

The Audience Prize and the Czech Music Fund Foundation Prize for the best performance of the commissioned piece go to Jan Novák.

The Viktor Kalabis and Zuzana Růžičková Prize, the Bärenreiter Prize, and the Prize of the City of Prague go to Tsukushi Sasaki.

The Oleg Podgorný Prize for the most successful youngest Czech participant, the Czech Centres Prize, the Gideon Klein Foundation Prize, and the Mercedes Benz Prize go to Jan Novák.

We extend our deepest gratitude to all participants, the esteemed jury, and everyone who contributed to making this competition a resounding success! 🙏✨

Photos by Petra Hajská

We can hardly believe it’s already been 75 incredible years! To commemorate this special milestone, we are hosting a spectacular gala concert tonight! 🎶

Join us for an unforgettable evening as we welcome back some of our most renowned finalists from past years. These extraordinary talents will be accompanied by the prestigious Prague Symphony Radio Orchestra Symfonický orchestr Českého rozhlasu, promising a night of magnificent music and celebration.

If you can’t join us in person, don’t worry! You can still be part of the celebration by tuning in to Český rozhlas Vltava to listen to the concert live.

👉 https://vltava.rozhlas.cz/festival-prazske-jaro-na-vltave-nabizime-prime-prenosy-a-zaznamy-koncertu-ve-8484840

What about the Violin? Have you watched yesterday? Here is the link

Mezinárodní hudební soutěž Pražské jaro, finále Housle

📯 Missed it? Don’t worry, we make you co ered!

FRENCH HORN finals 😉

Mezinárodní hudební soutěž Pražské jaro, finále Lesní roh

📯 What an electrifying finale we had yesterday! 🎉 The stage was buzzing with adrenaline, filled with fantastic music and joy! 📷 Now it's time to browse trhough the photos taken by Ivan Malý. ☺️

🙏 Huge thanks to all the talented horn players, our incredible jury - André Cazalet, Luca Benucci, Jörg Brückner, Jindřich Petráš, Zuzana Rzounková, Will Sanders and Szabolcs Zempléni, and the phenomenal orchestra Plzeňská filharmonie - Pilsen Philharmonic and Chuhei Iwasaki - dirigent / conductor for making it an unforgettable experience!

🎶🌟 The FRENCH HORN category has struck its final note in the breathtaking setting of Dvořák Hall at Rudolfinum, Prague! 🌟🎶

Yesterday, three talented hornists poured their hearts and souls into perfecting their final performances, captivating us all with pieces by Schoeck and Saint-Saëns, accompanied by the Plzeňská filharmonie - Pilsen Philharmonic under Chuhei Iwasaki's baton.

🎉 Let's give a round of applause to our winners! 🎉

🥇 1st Prize: Zhicheng Jin (China) 🇨🇳
🥈 2nd Prize: Nicolas Ramez (France) 🇫🇷
🥉 3rd Prize: Felipe Santos Freitas da Silva (Brazil) 🇧🇷

🌟 Zhicheng Jin receives an exclusive invitation to perform at the 80th annual Prague Spring Festival in 2025! 🌟

A Honorary Mention goes to Achille Fait (Italy) 🇮🇹

🎼 The Czech Music Fund Foundation Prize for outstanding performance of the work composed for 2024 Prague Spring IMC goes to Máté Harangózo (Hungary) 🇭🇺

The Audience Prize donated (first time ever) by Friends of Prague Spring, Czech Radio Prize for a free studio recording and broadcast, Prize of the City of Prague for the most successful laureate and the Bärenreiter Prize for the most successful laureate all go to Zhicheng Jin. 🇨🇳 🎁

A heartfelt thank you to all participants and our wonderful jury for making the competition a such a joy! 🙏✨

✨ Check out the highlights from today's superb masterclass with André Cazalet, the principal hornist of the Orchestre de Paris. Thanks to all participants and thanks to the master himself for sharing his incredible art and knowledge with us. 📯

Join us tomorrow for the grand finals of our French Horn Competition at the Prague Spring Festival! Witness the exceptional talent of our three finalists - Zhicheng Jin, Nicolas Ramez, and Felipe Santos Freitas da Silva - as they perform captivating pieces by Othmar Schoeck and Camille Saint-Saëns, accompanied by the illustrious Pilsen Philharmonic under the baton of Chuhei Iwasaki.

We’re excited to share a glimpse of today’s rehearsal – the stage is set for a spectacular showdown!

🎻✨ Congratulations to our finalists Marie-Astrid Hulot, Tsukushi Sasaki, and Jan Novák on their stunning performances and remarkable journey to the finale! 🌟

Swipe through to see moments from their captivating performances. Join us on May 14th for the grand finale, where these talented musicians will grace us with masterpieces by Beethoven, Brahms, and Sibelius—all in one unforgettable evening!

🎻🎻🎻 Congratulations to our wonderful finalists

Hulot Marie-Astrid 🇫🇷
Novák Jan 🇨🇿
Sasaki Tsukushi 🇯🇵

We cordially invite you to join us for the Finals on Tuesday May 14th in Dvořák Hall of Rudolfinum or via livestream 🥳🤩

🎻✨ The stage is alive with the sound of mastery as our ten finalists take on the challenge of Round II in the violin competition. Today, they each perform the world premiere of “Apprivoise-moi” by , a piece commissioned especially for this occasion. 🎵🌍

Our contestants are also breathing new life into beloved sonatas by Brahms, Paganini, Debussy, Beethoven, and more. Witness the blend of classic and contemporary, where each note tells a story of dedication and artistry.
Who will capture your heart with their interpretation?

🎻 Yesterday was a day filled with growth and guidance as our esteemed violin jury spent time mentoring the talented musicians who didn’t move on to Round II. The commitment to nurturing every contestant’s journey is what makes this competition truly special. 🌟

Swipe through to see moments of collaboration and learning, where invaluable advice was shared. We’re incredibly grateful to our jury for their dedication and to our contestants for their hard work and passion. 🙏

Remember, the journey doesn’t end here—every setback is a setup for a comeback. The world of music is vast, and many more opportunities await! 🚀


📷 Michal Vencl

📯📯📯 We know the names! Cogratulations to

Zhicheng Jin 🇨🇳
Nicolas Ramez 🇫🇷
Felipe Santos Freitas da Silvia 🇧🇷

for advancing to the finals.

See you all on Monday May 13 at 6pm in Rudolfinum or via livestream 🤩

Thanks to the amazing Jindřich Petráš and Will Sanders for their wonderful insight into the possibilities of interpreting Giovanni Punto's / Jan Václav Stich's Horn Concerto Nº 5 in F Major, the compulsory piece of the Round I of the horn competition. ✨📯

📯📯 You’re not able to join us in the hall today for the Round II of the FRENCH HORN category? No problem - watch the livestream of the competition at the following link:

Mezinárodní hudební soutěž Pražské jaro, II. kolo Lesní roh

🎻🎻 Here are our 10 semifinalists 🥳
Eigus Ilva 🇨🇭
Hirai Miu 🇯🇵
Hulot Marie-Astrid 🇫🇷
Kolářová Milena 🇨🇿
Lu Tiantian 🇨🇳
Novák Jan 🇨🇿
Saito Aoi 🇯🇵
Sasaki Tsukushi 🇯🇵
Shim Dongyoung Jake 🇰🇷
Yoon Haewon 🇰🇷

The violin competition continues on Saturday May 11th at 9:30 am at the Academy. The exact schedule is attached. See you there! ❤️