15th Henryk Wieniawski International Violin-Making Competition in Poznań already in 2025
The 15th edition of the Henryk Wieniawski International Violin-Making Competition is fast approaching! One of the most prestigious violin-making competitions in the world will be held in Poznań from May 9 to May 16, 2025. It is open to professional violin makers of all nationalities regardless of age.
The main objective of the Competition is to select instruments of outstanding acoustic qualities, as well as ones exhibiting supreme violin-making artistry. It is important that, in order to maintain the highest standards of integrity and impartiality, the instruments submitted remain anonymous until the Competition is adjudicated.
The Competition is conducted in three stages, comprising the evaluation of the violin-making, functional-acoustic and acoustic qualities during auditions that are open and accessible to the public. After its conclusion, the instruments will be displayed in an exhibition at the National Museum in Poznań.
A jury composed of violin makers and violinists will award the following statutory prizes:
- First prize (18,000 Euro gross),
- Second prize (6,000 Euro gross),
- Third prize (4,000 Euro gross).
Violins must fulfill the following requirements in order to be eligible to entered in the Competition:
- be an original work and the property of the entrant,
- be built no earlier than 2022,
- have not been awarded in other violin competitions.
Rules and Regulations – extract (PDF)
Full rules and regulations document, specifying in detail the rules for submitting instruments and the course of the Competition, as well as the application form will be published on this website on December 2 this year.
Submissions close March 9, 2025.
During the previous edition of the H. Wieniawski International Violin-Making Competition in 2021, three first prizes were awarded to Polish violin makers. First and second prizes went to Piotr Pielaszek. Third prize was awarded to Jan Jakub Lipiński.
The Competition is organised by the Henryk Wieniawski Musical Society of Poznań in cooperation with the Polish Union of Artist Violin Makers.