The 21-year-old Juilliard student is the first violist to win first prize in an ‘exceptionally close decision’
Canadian violist Emad Zolfaghari, 21, has won the 2026 Windsor Festival International String Competition (WFISC), becoming the first violist in the history of the event to take first prize.
Zolfaghari secured his victory following a performance of Walton’s Viola Concerto with Orpheus Sinfonia and conductor Rory MacDonald in the Grand Concerto Final at Eton College School Hall on 2 October. He previously won both first prize and the audience prize at the 2024 Primrose International Viola Competition. A graduate of the Curtis Institute, he is currently a Kovner Fellow at the Juilliard School, studying with Hsin-Yun Huang and Cynthia Phelps. He currently plays a 1700 Matteo Goffriller viola on generous loan from the Rachel Barton Pine Foundation, and a Eugène Sartory bow on load from Canimex, Inc.
The final formed part of the WFISC’s tenth-anniversary edition which for the first time saw the finalists performing complete concertos with orchestra. In another competition first, the jury awarded a joint second prize to Lithuanian violinist Rokas Diržys, 18, who performed Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major, and American violinist Sophia Werner, 23 who performed Mozart’s Violin Concerto no.3 in G major, K216. Diržys additionally received both the Orchestra Prize and Audience Prize.
The three finalists were selected from a field of twelve semi-finalists representing 35 countries. The competition jury comprised violinist and conductor Joji Hattori, violist Hsin-Yun Huang, cellist Raphael Wallfisch, composer Sally Beamish, conductor Rory MacDonald, Champs Hill Records executive producer Alexander van Ingen, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra director of artistic planning Tom Philpott and Windsor Festival director Martin Denny.
As winner, Zolfaghari receives a prize package valued at more than £40,000, including a £5,000 cash award, a solo recording with Champs Hill Records, a performance with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the 2027 Windsor Festival followed by a UK tour, international recital opportunities, and a new concerto commission from composer Sally Beamish, to be premiered with Orpheus Sinfonia in London in June 2027.
Martin Denny, Director of Windsor Festival, said: ‘The inaugural Grand Concerto Final with Orpheus Sinfonia at Eton College was a monumental success and a fitting celebration for our tenth anniversary edition. The level of artistry displayed by all three young musicians was astounding, resulting in an exceptionally close decision for our jury.’
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