The three finalists received JPY1,900,000 in prize money, plus performance opportunities
The 6th Tokyo International Viola Competition was held from 23 May to 1 June 2025 at the Toho Gakuen School of Music and Nippon Steel Kioi Hall.
Following the final round on 31 May, the jury awarded first prize of to JPY1,000,000 (£5,100) Yixiu Lin of China. Second prize of JPY600,000 (£3,000) went to Hiroki Kasai of Japan, while third prize of JPY300,000 (£1,500) went to Emad Zolfaghari of Canada.
The first, second and third prizewinners received performance opportunities: the Runde Prize to perform at Halle Runde, Nagoya, appearances at the Prizewinners’ Concerts at Tokyo, Osaka and Sendai following the competition, and appearances at Viola Space in or after 2026.
Lin also received the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra Prize, consisting of an opportunity to perform as a soloist with the ensemble after 2026. Kasai received the Audience Prize of JPY100,000 (£500), while Zolfaghari received the Encouragement Prize, comprising a high-quality carbon-fibre bow donated by Nakazen Music, Aichi.
Shiori Wada received the Suntory Foundation Arts Prize of JPY100,000 for Best Interpretation of a Japanese composition, plus the Hindemith Prize, comprising a high-quality carbon-fibre bow donated by Nakazen Music, Aichi.
The jury was presided by Ryo Sasaki and comprised Masao Kawasaki, Máté Szücs, Hsin-Yun Huang, Sangjin Kim, Lars Anders Tomter and Dimitri Murrath. The honorary presidents of the jury were Antoine Tamestit and Nobuko Imai, who founded the competition in 1992.
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