International Violin Competition of Indianapolis

Mindy is retiring!

Our beloved Mindy Miller, who began her tenure with the IVCI 32 years ago under the direction of IVCI Founding Director Tom Beczkiewicz, will retire July 31. Over the years, Mindy has processed 1,281 competition applications, worked along 12 staff members, 33 members of the competition jury, and nine official competition pianists.

"I am truly honored to have been involved with all these wonderful people and colleagues," Miller said. "I will miss the camaraderie, but look forward to seeing the Competition from the perspective of an audience member."

We are also thrilled to introduce our new Director of Operations, Petra Clark. Petra is a Hoosier-born and IU-educated cellist, and has decades of experience in arts, music education and nonprofit administration.

Please join us in welcoming Petra to the IVCI family, and saying farewell to Mindy!

UPDATE: Single tickets now on sale!

Be sure to take advantage of the Early Bird Subscription Specials to save 30% off regular admission before August 9.

We are pleased to announce our 24/25 Laureate Series! The six-concert series includes two Gold Medalists, one Silver Medalist, a piano quartet featuring the IVCI Artistic Director, two pianists, two crossover ensembles, a world premiere, and a free community concert. Two concerts will be livestreamed and available on-demand.

Take advantage of the Early Bird Subscription Special - 30% off regular admission, which ends Friday, August 9.

Sept 7 - Free community concert with 6-WIRE
Oct 22 - ESPRESSIVO! Piano Quartet
Nov 21 - 2006 Gold Medalist Augustin Hadelich & Chih-Yi Chen
Feb 1 - 2022 Gold Medalist Sirena Huang with ICO
Apr 8/9 - Take3 (The Cabaret/Hendricks Live!)
May 20 - 2022 Silver Medalist Julian Rhee & Chelsea Wang

Single tickets go on sale July 15.

https://violin.org/laureate-series/

6-WIRE Madam Walker Legacy Center Nokuthula Ngwenyama Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt Anna Polonsky Indiana Landmarks Ensemble Music Society of Indianapolis Augustin Hadelich Chih-Yi Chen Violin Society of America Sirena Huang Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra TAKE3 trio The Cabaret Hendricks Live Julian Rhee Chelsea Wang Indiana Historical Society

We are pleased to announce our 24/25 Laureate Series! The six-concert series includes two Gold Medalists, one Silver Medalist, a piano quartet featuring the IVCI Artistic Director, two pianists, two crossover ensembles, a world premiere, and a free community concert. Two concerts will be livestreamed and available on-demand.

Take advantage of the Early Bird Subscription Special - 30% off regular admission, which ends Friday, August 9.

Sept 7 - Free community concert with 6-WIRE
Oct 22 - ESPRESSIVO! Piano Quartet
Nov 21 - 2006 Gold Medalist Augustin Hadelich & Chih-Yi Chen
Feb 1 - 2022 Gold Medalist Sirena Huang with ICO
Apr 8/9 - Take3 (The Cabaret/Hendricks Live!)
May 20 - 2022 Silver Medalist Julian Rhee & Chelsea Wang

Single tickets go on sale July 15.

https://violin.org/laureate-series/

6-WIRE Madam Walker Legacy Center Nokuthula Ngwenyama Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt Anna Polonsky Indiana Landmarks Ensemble Music Society of Indianapolis Augustin Hadelich Chih-Yi Chen Violin Society of America Sirena Huang Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra TAKE3 trio The Cabaret Hendricks Live Julian Rhee Chelsea Wang Indiana Historical Society

The IVCI is pleased to announce that cellist Brandon Leonard is the recipient of the IVCI's 2024 ENCORE Chamber Music Institute Scholarship, and will study at this summer's festival with 2014 Gold Medalist Jinjoo Cho, the institute's founder and Artistic Director. In the fall, Brandon will attend The Juilliard School of Music, where he will study with Natasha Brofsky.

Congratulations Brandon!

Visit https://violin.org/press-releases/ to view the official press release.

We are pleased to share the news that earlier this evening, 2022 Silver Medalist Julian Rhee was announced as a recipient of the 2024 Avery Fisher Career Grant. This annual prize, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, awards $25,000 to emerging classical artists to assist in their professional careers. He joins fellow recipients Njioma Chinyere Grevious (violin), Clayton Stephenson (piano), Sandbox Percussion, and the Balourdet Quartet.

Julian is the eighth IVCI Laureate to receive this award, following Ida Kavafian (1988 recipient), Soovin Kim (1998), Yura Lee (2007), Augustin Hadelich (2009), Benjamin Beilman (2012), Bella Hristova (2013) and Tessa Lark (2016).

Congratulations Julian!

(Pictured here with IVCI Executive Director Glen Kwok)

UPDATE: We are now officially AT CAPACITY for this performance and are no longer distributing tickets. If you wish to be put on a waiting list to attend, please contact us.

Free community concert featuring 2014 Gold Medalist Jinjoo Cho – International Violin Competition of Indianapolis In this community celebration, the IVCI presents a free concert for the city featuring 2014 Gold Medalist Jinjoo Cho. Dedicated to inspiring the next generation of musicians, Cho has nurtured the talents of young musicians for over a decade and is the founder of the ENCORE Chamber Music Institute in...

Join us Saturday, March 9 at 2:30 PM for the IVCI's inaugural FREE community concert at Indianapolis' historic Madam Walker Theatre, located at 617 Indiana Avenue. All are welcome to join!

Dedicated to inspiring the next generation of musicians, 2014 IVCI Gold Medalist Jinjoo Cho has nurtured the talents of young musicians for over a decade and is the founder of the ENCORE Chamber Music Institute in Ohio. She joins IVCI ENCORE Scholarship recipients Bethlehem Kelley and Javier F. Torres Delgado, with longtime collaborator/pianist Hyunsoo Kim for a program featuring solo, duo and trio works.

This is a FREE concert, and you can reserve your tickets at www.violin.org or call (317) 637-4574.

Free community concert featuring 2014 Gold Medalist Jinjoo Cho – International Violin Competition of Indianapolis In this community celebration, the IVCI presents a free concert for the city featuring 2014 Gold Medalist Jinjoo Cho. Dedicated to inspiring the next generation of musicians, Cho has nurtured the talents of young musicians for over a decade and is the founder of the ENCORE Chamber Music Institute in...

Catch 2022 Gold Medalist Sirena Huang and IVCI Official Pianist Chih-Yi Chen in recital LIVE this afternoon for the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert at 1:15 PM (CST). The duo performs the Romance by Amy Beach, Poulenc's Violin Sonata, Deep River by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and concludes with Chen Gang's Sunshine over Tashkurgan.

Click the link to catch the livestream!

https://classicalmusicchicago.org/events/sirena-huang-violin-chih-yi-chen-piano

Join us Wednesday, January 24 at 7:30 PM in Indianapolis for a recital of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center with 2018 IVCI Gold Medalist Richard Lin 林品任 , violist Timothy Ridout - Violist, cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han in a program featuring chamber works by Beethoven, Shostakovich and Dvořák. Performance takes place at Indiana Landmarks.

This performance is a co-production with the Ensemble Music Society of Indianapolis.

A pre-concert talk, “Words on Music,” will take place with Lisa Brooks at 6:45 PM on the Grand Hall stage.

Can't make the live concert? View the concert via livestream, or view the concert on-demand through Wednesday, February 7.

The IVCI and the Ensemble Music Society thank Streaming Sponsor Marian Pettengill and Gold Medalist Sponsor Steve Hamilton for their support of this concert.

Tickets at www.violin.org/laureate-series

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center with 2018 Gold Medalist Richard Lin – International Violin Competition of Indianapolis 2018 Gold Medalist Richard Lin joins pianist Wu Han, cellist David Finckel and violist Timothy Ridout in a program featuring chamber works by Beethoven, Shostakovich and Dvořák. For two decades, Han and Finckel have led the illustrious Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, sharing their program...

Come hear 2022 Silver Medalist Julian Rhee perform Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra on Saturday, January 20, 7:30pm at the Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts. 🎻

Tickets are selling quickly for 1/20 "Silenced Voices"! Don't miss your chance to hear International Violin Competition of Indianapolis Silver Medalist, Julian Rhee, perform the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. Composer, Victoria Bond, will be present that evening for the premiere of her piece, "Anne Frank's Tree" (a sapling of Anne's tree grows at the The Children's Museum of Indianapolis!). For tickets call 317-940-9607 or visit: https://www.icomusic.org/concerts/silenced-voices/.

Julian Rhee made his Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra debut at age eight, and has performed with the Santa Rosa, Pittsburgh, Eugene, Madison, Avanti, West Suburban, Lacrosse and San Diego symphonies, the Aspen and Wisconsin philharmonics, and the San Jose and Wisconsin chamber orchestras. He has performed in Ravinia’s Bennett Gordon Hall, Heinz Hall, the Overture Center for the Arts, Teatro El Círculo in Rosario, Argentina, The Musikverein in Vienna, Bartók Hall in Hungary, New World Center, and the Kennedy Center as a Presidential Scholar, receiving his medal at the White House.

Julian is the Silver Medalist of the 11th Quadrennial International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, winner of Astral Artists’ National Auditions, and the First Prize winner of the 2020 Elmar Oliveira International Competition, where he was also awarded the special Community Award.

​A passionate chamber musician, Julian's performances on violin and viola earned him First Prize in the Fischoff and the M-Prize chamber competitions. He has attended the Heifetz, Four Seasons, Ravinia Steans Institute, Rockport Music and Northshore chamber music festivals. He has also appeared alongside Time for Three, the Jupiter Chamber Players, and performed for 98.7 WFMT's Introductions, Milwaukee Public Television, and Wisconsin Public Radio and Television.

​Julian is currently pursuing a Master’s degree at the New England Conservatory with Miriam Fried, and is the recipient of the 1699 Lady Tennant Antonio Stradivari through the generosity of the Mary B. Galvin Foundation.

Thanks to Second Church Music and Fine Arts for displaying the 2022 Juried Exhibition of Student Art (JESA). We are proud of all 30 of our Grand Award Winners!

Thanks also to the Cynthia P. Matthews Family for its Title Sponsorship of the 2022 JESA, and for the sponsorship of the Streeter Hadley Matthews Grand Awards. 

Carnevale di Violino is almost here! Register by Wednesday, Oct 18 to experience this wonderful annual event taking place Saturday, Oct 28 at 6pm at the Barnes & Thornburg Event Center, benefitting the 12th Quadrennial Competition.

Check out our Live and Silent Auction items, including an exclusive Mackinac Island Getaway, a Chinese Culinary Experience with Joshua Bell, and more! New items are being added daily, so be sure to check in often.

You do not have to attend the event to bid on Silent Auction items but note that it will close Oct 28 at 8:15pm. If you wish to bid on Live Auction items but are unable to attend, contact us to learn how to bid by proxy.

https://bit.ly/47cBDp1

Wonderful podcast featuring IVCI 1990 Gold Medalist Pavel Berman! Thank you The Strad!

The Strad Podcast #97: Pavel Berman on playing Oistrakh’s Stradivari violin What's it like playing the Shostakovich Violin Sonata - a piece written for David Oistrakh - on Oistrakh's former violin?

The 23/24 Laureate Series is now on sale! Click below to learn more and purchase tickets, and take advantage of the Early Bird Discount (save 30% through Sept 1).

The season will feature two Gold Medalists (Richard Lin and Jinjoo Cho), three Silver Medalists (Julian Rhee, Risa Hokamura and Liviu Prunaru), and two official IVCI pianists (Chih-Yi Chen and Melivia Raharjo). The illustrious Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center will join us in January in a co-production with Ensemble Music Society featuring 2018 Gold Medalist Richard Lin.

Join us for a FREE community recital at the Madam Walker in March, and enjoy a thrilling season conclusion with the cabaret-style return of duo Charles Yang (Time for Three) and Peter Dugan (NPR's "From the Top"), this time with Grammy-nominated clarinetist Mark Dover.

www.violin.org

This Wednesday, June 21 at 11am, IVCI Gold Medalist Sirena Huang and pianist Chih-Yi Chen will perform on the Matthew R. Gutwein Commonground at the Eskenazi Health downtown campus, 720 Eskenazi Ave. This FREE 30-minute performance is part of the city-wide celebration of Make Music Indy!

Bring lunch, a lawn chair or blanket and join the Indianapolis community in making music! Visit the link below to learn more about other performances across the city.

www.makemusicday.org/indy

Our 2022 Gold Medalist is back in town!

Back at Indy this week to play 2 concerts (6/16 & 6/17) with with Maestro Jun Märkl for an all-Mendelssohn program. Very meaningful for me to return since the competition and really excited to make music with such incredible musicians this week.
📸 : Raymond Huang

Check out this WISH-TV interview with the IVCI's Executive Director Glen Kwok for this month's Asian American Heritage Celebration.

Glen Kwok leads prestigious violin competition in Indianapolis INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — At only 3 years old, the executive director of the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, Glen Kwok, began his journey of success in the world of music. However, it was his love for the violin that gave him life changing experiences. He lives in Indianapolis and le...

2022 Gold Medalist Sirena Huang and pianist Chih-Yi Chen will perform a 45-minute virtual recital at 1:15 PM EDT today (Wednesday, May 3). The duo will perform works by Eddie South (Black Gypsy), Prokofiev (Sonata No. 1 in F minor), and Vieuxtemps (Variations on Yankee Doodle) for Classical Music Chicago. This performance will not be available on-demand, so be sure to catch it live! Access the performance using the link below. Enjoy!

https://bit.ly/3LrHEoh

We are down to our final few tickets for the 22/23 Laureate Series finale, featuring violinist Charles Yang and pianist Peter Dugan - May 9 at 7:30pm at The Cabaret!

To secure your tickets and make a table reservation, call the IVCI offices right away at (317) 637-4574.

www.violin.org

Indianapolis audiences will have the opportunity to enjoy the sounds of a 1683 Stradivarius performed regularly during Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra concerts.

The IVCI will loan its "ex-Gingold" Strad to ISO Concertmaster Kevin Lin until the IVCI's 12th Quadrennial Competition in 2026. The instrument, acquired in 1946 by the late Josef Gingold, Artistic Founder of the IVCI, carries the distinctive sound and artistry of its previous owner.

"To be able to perform on a Stradivari violin is to be around a piece of history," says Lin, "but to use the ex-Gingold, a violin with such a meaningful provenance, is incredibly special."

Instrumentalists beware! Have you noticed small, obscure "online competitions" beginning to populate around the world? Some are suspected to be fraudulent. Learn more and read this article from the WFIMC news (World Federation of International Music Competitions) before you consider applying.

Business Model Online "Competition" | World Federation of International Music Competitions Fraud suspected behind multiple new competition names

2010 IVCI Bronze Medalist Benjamin Beilman and pianist Roman Rabinovich bring a unique program to Indianapolis featuring a collection of works with a common thread: composers searching for inner enlightenment through personal inspirations.

Program includes works by Szymanowski, Rameau, Schumann, Messiaen and a world premiere by Gabriella Smith, a work co-commissioned by Beilman and the IVCI.

This live concert takes place Tuesday, March 14 at 7:30 PM at the Indiana Historical Society, 450 W Ohio Street, Indianapolis.

Benjamin Beilman: Seeking Enlightenment – International Violin Competition of Indianapolis 2010 IVCI Bronze Medalist Benjamin Beilman and pianist Roman Rabinovich bring a unique program to Indianapolis featuring a collection of works with a common thread: composers searching for inner enlightenment through personal inspirations.

Jazz violinist, Grammy Award-nominee and MacArthur "Genius" Award recipient Regina Carter and jazz pianist Xavier Davis bring their genre-defying artistry, inspired by jazz, R&B, Latin, Classical, blues and African music to the historic Madam Walker Legacy Center in downtown Indianapolis.

Wednesday, February 15 | 7:30 PM | Madam Walker Theatre

Visit link below -- Student tickets always $10!

Regina Carter and Xavier Davis at the Madam Walker: Inspirational Jazz – International Violin Competition of Indianapolis Genre-defying jazz violinist Regina Carter and pianist Xavier Davis present an evening of jazz at the historic Madam Walker Theatre. Inspired by jazz, R&B, Latin, classical, blues, pop and African music, Carter encapsulates multiple genres and transforms them into a world of exploration through her....

Just in time for the holidays, we have dropped new items into our Shop! Check out merchandise from the 2022 Competition like holiday stocking stuffers, apparel, Laureate recordings and more!

https://violin.org/product-category/new-items/

And the Indianapolis Violin winner is: Sirena Huang A violinist since the age of four, Huang tells us about her journey to the Indianapolis final and the ironclad preparation discipline that led to her win.

Learn more about the IVCI's newest Gold Medalist, Sirena Huang! Read this wonderful post-competition interview, courtesy of Violinist.com.

Violinist.com Interview with Sirena Huang, Winner of the 2022 Indianapolis Violin Competition October 6, 2022, 9:49 AM · At age 28, this was Sirena Huang's last opportunity to enter the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis.