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The finals of the 2025 Tibor Varga Competition were held on 30 August at the Noda BCVS concert hall in Sion, Switzerland. The finalists performed a concerto of their choice from a supplied list, accompanied by the South Czech Philharmonic and wind players from Italian orchestras, conducted by Valentin Uryupin. They also played a solo work of their choice composed after 1970.
Chinese violinist Aozhe Zhang, 17, took home the first prize (Prize of the City of Sion) of CHF20,000 (£18,400) as well as the Youth Jury Prize worth CHF500 (£460). Russian violinist Maria Lundina, 25, won the second prize (Loterie Romande Prize) of CHF10,000 (£9,200). She also won the Audience Prize worth CHF500. The CHF5,000 (£4,600) third prize (Prize of the State of Valais) was awarded to Japanese violinist Reika Sato, 26. The Tibor Varga Prize for the Best Interpretation of Capriccio by Shin Kim was given to Eva Tor-Sarkisova.
Born in Hefei, China, Zhang is a student of the Music Middle School Affiliated with the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. He is a student of He Xian. Zhang most recently won third prize at the 2025 Sendai International Music Competition in June. In 2024, he won first prize at the Rodolfo Lipizer International Violin Competition, as well as two special prizes. And in 2023 he won the Golden Bell Award at the 14th Chinese Golden Bell Award for Music.
Zhang has performed as a soloist with the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Kunming Nie Er Symphony Orchestra and other orchestras.
This edition’s jury comprised violinists Monika Baer, Ariadne Daskalakis, Sunny Lee, Fumiaki Miura, Lucie Robert, Anton Sorokow, and Pavel Vernikov, as well as musicians from the chamber music round, Grossenbacher and Oetiker.