Over the years of teaching the violin, my students have won almost a hundred prizes at the Swiss national and international music competitions in Europe and Asia. This includes 63 first prizes: 12 at international music contests and 51 at the Swiss national competitions, 25 of which are with distinction. Also noteworthy is the fact that five of the awards at the international competitions had never been won by participants from Switzerland before.
International Competitions
THE X INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN COMPETITION ‘ASTANA-VIOLIN’ IN MEMORY OF DAVID OISTRAKH (ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN)
2nd prize: Nikita Koller, 14 y.o., violin solo (junior group) (2023)* 3rd prize: Sophie Branson, 17 y.o., violin solo (adult group, the youngest contestant) (2023)*
THE ‘FLAME’ (PARIS, FRANCE)
1st prize: Vlada Sabella, 12 y.o., violin solo (2023) 2nd prize: Eva Solodovska, 13 y.o., violin solo (2023) 2nd prize: Nina Gringolts, 15 y.o., violin solo (2023)
THE ‘RISING STARS’ (RIGA, LATVIA)
1st prize: Kimia Corke, 12 y.o., violin solo (2023) 1st prize: Sophie Gringolts, 10 y.o., chamber music (2023) 2nd prize: Vlada Sabella, 12 y.o., violin solo (2023) 1st prize: Sophie Branson, 13 y.o., violin solo (2020) 1st prize: Ilva Eigus, 8 y.o., violin solo (2016)
XIV EDITION OF THE INTERNATIONAL ARTHUR GRUMIAUX COMPETITION FOR YOUNG VIOLINISTS (BRUSSELS, BELGIUM)
2nd prize (no 1st prize this year): Nikita Koller, 12 y.o., violin solo (2022)*
THE XV INTERNATIONAL WIENIAWSKI VIOLIN COMPETITION (POLAND)
2nd prize: Ilva Eigus, 14 y.o., violin solo (2021)
THE ‘BLUE BIRD’ TELEVISION CONTEST FOR YOUNG MUSICIANS (MOSCOW, RUSSIA)
1st prize: Ilva Eigus, 13 y.o., violin solo (2021)*
THE ‘NUTCRACKER’ TELEVISION CONTEST FOR YOUNG MUSICIANS (MOSCOW, RUSSIA)
1st prize: Ilva Eigus, 13 y.o., string instruments (2020)*
PREMIO DI PADOVA (ITALY)
1st prize: Nina Gringolts, 10 y.o., violin solo (junior group) (2018) 1st prize: Marc Senn, 14 y.o., violin solo (first age group) (2018) 1st prize: Sophie Branson, 10 y.o., violin solo (2017)
CRESCENDO (FLORENCE, ITALY)
1st prize: Renée Tu (China), 11 y.o., violin solo (junior group) (2019) 1st prize: Zoe Walton, 15 y.o., violin solo (first age group) (2019) 2nd prize (no 1st prize this year): Sophie Branson, 9 y.o., violin solo (2015)
* Won by a participant from Switzerland for the first time in the competition history.
Swiss National Competitions
SWISS YOUTH MUSIC COMPETITION: FINALE
1st prize with distinction: Nikita Koller, 13 y.o., chamber music (2023) 1st prize with distinction: Ilva Eigus, 15 y.o., chamber music (2023) 1st prize: Nina Gringolts, 15 y.o., chamber music (2023) 1st prize: Alexandra Taub, 14 y.o., chamber music (2023) 1st prize: Sophie Gringolts, 10 y.o., chamber music (2023) 1st prize with distinction: Alexandra Taub, 13 y.o., violin solo (2022) 1st prize with distinction: Ilva Eigus, 14 y.o., violin solo (2022) 1st prize: Sophie Branson, 15 y.o., chamber music (2022) 1st prize: Alexandra Taub, 13 y.o., chamber music (2022) 2nd prize: Sophie Branson, 15 y.o., violin solo (2022) 1st prize with distinction: Kimia Corke, 10 y.o., chamber music (2021) 1st prize with distinction: Nikita Koller, 11 y.o., chamber music (2021) 1st prize: Nina Gringolts, 13 y.o., chamber music (2021) 1st prize: Alexandra Taub, 12 y.o., chamber music (2021) 2nd prize: Sophie Branson, 14 y.o., solo baroque violin (2021) 2nd prize: Vlada Sabella, 10 y.o., chamber music (2021) 1st prize with distinction: Alexandra Taub, 10 y.o., chamber music (2019) 1st prize with distinction: Vlada Sabella, 8 y.o., chamber music (2019) 1st prize with distinction: Nina Gringolts, 11 y.o., chamber music (2019) 1st prize: Ilva Eigus, 11 y.o., chamber music (2019) 1st prize: Sophie Branson, 12 y.o., chamber music (2019) 1st prize: Moe Zürcher, 14 y.o., chamber music (2019) 1st prize with distinction: Ilva Eigus, 10 y.o., violin solo (2018) 1st prize: Aurora Gächter, 11 y.o., violin solo (2018) 1st prize with distinction: Alexander Sahatci, 9 y.o., violin solo (2016)
SWISS YOUTH MUSIC COMPETITION: ENTRADA
1st prize with distinction: Nikita Koller, 13 y.o., chamber music (2023) 1st prize with distinction: Sophie Gringolts, 10 y.o., chamber music (2023) 1st prize: Ilva Eigus, 15 y.o., chamber music (2023) 1st prize: Alexandra Taub, 14 y.o., chamber music (2023) 1st prize: Nina Gringolts, 15 y.o., chamber music (2023) 1st prize with distinction: Kimia Corke, 11 y.o., violin solo (2022) 1st prize with distinction: Ilva Eigus, 14 y.o., violin solo (2022) 1st prize: Alexandra Taub, 13 y.o., violin solo (2022) 1st prize: Sophie Branson, 15 y.o., violin solo (2022) 1st prize: Alexandra Taub, 13 y.o., chamber music (2022) 1st prize: Sophie Branson, 15 y.o., chamber music (2022) 1st prize with distinction: Kimia Corke, 10 y.o., chamber music (2021) 1st prize with distinction: Nikita Koller, 11 y.o., chamber music (2021) 1st prize with distinction: Vlada Sabella, 10 y.o., chamber music (2021) 1st prize with distinction: Sophie Branson, 14 y.o., solo baroque violin (2021) 1st prize: Emil Spiess, 12 y.o., solo baroque violin (2021) 1st prize: Nina Gringolts, 13 y.o., chamber music (2021) 1st prize: Alexandra Taub, 12 y.o., chamber music (2021) 2nd prize: Sophie Gringolts, 8 y.o., chamber music (2021) 1st prize with distinction: Ilva Eigus, 11 y.o., chamber music (2019) 1st prize with distinction: Sophie Branson, 12 y.o., chamber music (2019) 1st prize with distinction: Moe Zürcher, 14 y.o., chamber music (2019) 1st prize: Alexandra Taub, 10 y.o., chamber music (2019) 1st prize: Vlada Sabella, 8 y.o., chamber music (2019) 1st prize: Nina Gringolts, 11 y.o., chamber music (2019) 1st prize with distinction: Ilva Eigus, 10 y.o., violin solo (2018) 1st prize with distinction: Aurora Gächter, 11 y.o., violin solo (2018)
‘RIVIERA’ SWISS NATIONAL COMPETITION (VILLENEUVE)
1st prize with distinction: Kimia Corke, 11 y.o., violin solo (2022)
THE CANTONAL BAROQUE COMPETITION
1st prize: Kimia Corke, 9 y.o., violin solo (2021)
AARGAU CANTONAL MUSIC COMPETITION
1st prize: Moe Zürcher, 14 y.o., violin solo (2018)