The inaugural Classic Violin Olympus International Competition has concluded in Dubai, UAE, with a thrilling final round now available for viewing on The Violin Channel. Open to violinists of all ages, the competition crowned 42-year-old Haik Kazazyan from Armenia as its winner.
Kazazyan took home the first prize, which includes €200,000 and a Stradivari model violin crafted by renowned violinmaker Fabio Piagentini.
“I can’t believe this, it feels like a dream,” Kazazyan said during his acceptance speech. “Thank you for appreciating my music and my art. I feel a deep sense of responsibility to everyone who believed in me, and I am committed to continuing my journey of improvement.”
The final round featured 12 violinists competing in a challenging six-phase program. The competition included performances with the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra and the Madrid Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as solo performances and a Q&A session with the jurors.
The remaining 11 finalists were each awarded €10,000 in prize money.
In addition to the cash prizes, several finalists will be offered opportunities to perform live at upcoming concerts, courtesy of the 25-member jury panel. This panel, made up of leading conductors and directors from prestigious orchestras, festivals, and concert series, will select deserving violinists for these performance opportunities.
The 2025 jury included Pavel Vernikov (Artistic Director), Facundo Agudin, Vicente Alberola, Giselle Ben Dor, Mauro Bucarelli, Epifanio Comis, Damiano Cottalasso, Mischa Damev, Dražen Domjanić, Jurek Dybał, Umberto Fanni, Jean-Baptiste Fra, Robert Hanč, Eleanor Hope, Konstantin Ilievsky, Daye Lin, Tigran Mikaelyan, Lucas Macías Navarro, Marios Papadopoulos, Christoph Poppen, Sergey Smbatyan, Anu Tali, Christiane Weber, Christopher Widauer, and Lena-Lisa Wüstendörfer.
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