Mayumi Kanagawa Wins 2024 George Enescu International Violin Competition

Mayumi Kanagawa from the United States of America won the 2024 George Enescu International Competition, Violin Section, after a Final in which she performed the Concerto no. 3 in B minor for violin and orchestra op. 61 by Camille Saint-Saëns. In second place was Hyeonjeong Lee from South Korea and in third place Wakana Kimura from Japan.

Mayumi Kanagawa (30 years old, United States of America) is the winner of the 19th edition of the George Enescu International Competition, Violin Section, at the end of a Final in which she performed Concerto no. 3 in B minor for violin and orchestra op. 61 by Camille Saint-Saëns, accompanied by the “George Enescu” Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by conductor Alan Buribayev.

Second Prize winner Hyeonjeong Lee (13 years old, South Korea) performed the Concerto in D Major for Violin and Orchestra Op. 77 by Johannes Brahms while 3rd Prize winner Wakana Kimura (21, Japan) performed Concerto no. 2 for violin and orchestra Sz. 112 by Béla Bartók.

The Jury of the Violin Section for the 19th edition of the George Enescu International Competition was formed by the violinists Dmitry Sitkovetsky (President of the Jury), Mihaela Martin, Liviu Prunaru, Silvia Marcovici, Shlomo Mintz, Boris Garlitsky, David Halen and managers Doug Sheldon and Benjamin Schwartz.

“First of all, I congratulate and thank the orchestra and the conductor of this finale: tonight I listened to three different, very difficult concertos, especially Bartók. All the musicians in the orchestra gave their best. I thank my fellow judges, with whom I listened to many violin performances, many of them spectacular. Mihaela Martin, Boris Garlitsky and I listened to 187 contestants with outstanding talents from all over the world. Of these, 50 were selected, of which 37 reached the competition, 12 sang in the second round, 6 in the semi-final and 3 in the final. It’s been a wonderful journey, supported by you, the contest audience, those of you who have offered the audience prize”, said Dmitry Sitkovetsky, President of the Jury of the Violin Section.

The first prize of the 19th edition of the George Enescu International Competition is worth 15,000 euros net, the second prize 10,000 euros net, and the third prize 5,000 euros net. Also, the laureates of the 2024 George Enescu International Competition will be offered the chance to perform in the 2025 and 2026 editions of the George Enescu International Festival and Competition, as well as in concerts organized during the philharmonic seasons in the country. The Enescu 2024 Competition trophies, offered to the three young violinists, are made by the artist Mihai Băncilă.