The 10th edition of String Competition Online has officially come to a close, bringing together young musicians and performers from different countries and artistic backgrounds. This season’s results once again confirmed the international scope of the competition and the high level of the submitted performances.
In this edition, the Jury decided to award the title of Artist of the Season to two cellists: Daphne Richman from Israel and Danylo Semenyuk from Germany. Alongside this distinction, four participants received the title of Absolute Winner: Lit Hoi Yan Alison (Hong Kong), Zhang-Hong Weng (Taiwan), Stina Wikberg Sjöbäck (Sweden), and Zala Vidic (Slovenia).
Daphne Richman, awarded Young Maestro Absolute Winner, Concerto Absolute Winner and Artist of the Season, is currently completing her Bachelor’s degree in music performance at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University, where she studies with Professor Hillel Zori. Her artistic path already includes solo appearances with orchestra, chamber performances, scholarships from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation, and participation in masterclasses with leading international cellists. Her performance in this edition stood out for its maturity, elegance and musical control.
Danylo Semenyuk, who received Senior Artist Absolute Winner, Romantic Absolute Winner and Artist of the Season, was born in Ukraine in 2011 and has continued his education in Germany since 2022. He studies with Professor Grigory Alumyan at the University of Music and Dance Cologne and is also a scholarship holder of the Music Academy in Liechtenstein. Despite his young age, he has already built an impressive list of achievements, including prizes at international competitions in Vienna, Bucharest and Germany, as well as concerto performances with several orchestras. His profile combines technical brilliance with a strong artistic presence.
Among the Absolute Winners, Lit Hoi Yan Alison from Hong Kong received the title of Prodigy Absolute Winner in cello, along with a Classical Gold Prize. At only ten years old, she represents the youngest group of laureates in this edition and showed a promising musical instinct and confidence well beyond her age.
Zhang-Hong Weng from Taiwan was awarded Caprice Absolute Winner, as well as Master Gold Prize and Concerto Gold Prize. His programme combined major concerto repertoire, solo caprice literature and Bach, showing both stylistic range and a solid command of the cello repertoire.
Stina Wikberg Sjöbäck from Sweden received the title of Senior Artist Absolute Winner in violin. Born in 2010, she began studying violin at the age of five and is part of the YOMA Talent Program. She studies privately with Martina Lohmann Weingaertner and has already taken part in a number of advanced summer academies and courses in Sweden, Norway and Switzerland. She is also a multiple recipient of the Kerstin and Siggestrand Scholarship and the Brattström Scholarship.
Zala Vidic from Slovenia, awarded Sonata Absolute Winner and Master Gold Prize, is an active solo, chamber and orchestral musician. She studied with Pieter Wispelwey in Amsterdam and Reinhard Latzko in Vienna, and is currently pursuing her second master’s degree at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. Her artistic work includes collaborations with orchestras such as the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra and the Zagreb Philharmonic, as well as chamber activity with ensembles including Cello Quartet Cédez and Piano Trio Sensibile.
The 10th edition also brought recognition to many other distinguished participants from around the world in the main and expert categories. The competition continues to develop as a platform for young artists, emerging performers and established musicians who wish to present their work in an international online format.
Congratulations to all Prizewinners and participants of the 10th edition of String Competition Online.
