The Strad News – Hengqin International Mozart Competition for Young Musicians awards $95,000 prize pool

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The 2025 Hengqin International Mozart Competition for Young Musicians took place from 9–21 September at the Hengqin Cultural and Art Center in Zhuhai, China, in partnership with the Mozarteum University Salzburg. This year was dedicated to the violin, and candidates were divided into three categories according to age. Finalists were accompanied by the Salzburg Chamber Soloists.

In the first category, for violinists aged twelve and under, the $7,500 first prize was awarded to Singaporean violinist Cathy Chen Xi. The $5,000 second prize went to South Korean violinist Hyunsuk Ryu, the $2,500 third prize to Chinese violinist Hu Wenjing, and the $,1,000 fourth prize to Russian violinist Aleksandr Kolesnikov.

In the second category, for violinists aged 13–16, the $15,000 first prize was won by South Korean violinist Jiye Kang, the $8,000 second prize by Hong Kong–Chinese violinist Li Tsz Yan Tiffany, and the $5,000 by Australian violinist Ein Na. A diploma was also awarded to Chinese violinist Lin Muzi.

In the third category, for violinists aged 17–23, the first prize of $30,000 went to Chinese violinist Wang Dindin Jingyi, the $15,000 second prize to Chinese violinist Zhong Shaoheng, and the $7,500 third prize to British–Japanese violinist Yume Tomita.

Wang currently studies with Shmuel Ashkenasi and Pamela Frank at the Curtis Institute of Music, having previously studied in Melbourne and at the Colburn School in Los Angeles, with teachers including Ida Kavafian, Margaret Batjer and Fintan Murphy. She was the youngest ever winner of the Kendall National Violin Competition at the age of twelve, won second prize at the 2022 Chicago International Violin Competition, and third prize at the New York Classic Violin Competition in 2024. Most recently, she was awarded the 2025 Dorcas McClean Travelling Scholarship.

This year’s jury comprised Reto Kuppel, Alf-Richard Kraggerud, Ning Feng, Hagai Shaham and Joel Smirnoff, with Weidong Tong and Paul Roczek as chairmen of the jury.

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