Classic Violin Olympus president Konstantin Ishkhanov announces conclusion of preselection process

All twelve finalists for the 2025 Grand Finale are now officially confirmed.
Elli Choi and Ruifeng Lin have been announced as the last two finalists for the Classic Violin Olympus Grand Finale, rounding out the 12 exceptional violinists who will compete in Dubai in April 2025 for the coveted title. The journey to this exclusive finale began in March 2024, spanning six prestigious preselection rounds held across global music capitals including Tokyo, Vienna, New York, London, Rome, and Dubai.
'It has been an incredible few months', said Konstantin Ishkhanov, the President of Classic Violin Olympus, 'The performances that we've been privileged to witness have been truly outstanding, and I would like to deeply congratulate all our amazing finalists from Armenia, China, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Japan, Sweden, the USA, and South Korea for making it to this next stage!'
Each preselection contest hosted 20 talented violinists from around the world, all vying for a share of the €35,000 prize fund and one of two spots in the Grand Finale. This last event, hosted from November 1st to 5th at Dubai's Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, saw intense competition as participants showcased their artistry under the scrutiny of a distinguished jury. Led by Jury Chairman Pavel Vernikov (Switzerland), the panel included noted violinists Eszter Haffner (Austria), Massimo Quarta (Italy), Itzhak Rashkovsky (UK), and Yamei Yu (China/Germany).
'Konstantin Ishkhanov and Pavel Vernikov's efforts to establish the Classic Violin Olympus International Competition mark a refreshing addition to the violin competition landscape' juror Eszter Haffner remarked. 'This competition is a brilliant idea. Their initiative not only broadens opportunities for violinists without age limits but also brings new perspectives by emphasising high-calibre artistry and wide geographical reach.'
During this rigorous five-day competition, candidates performed a varied programme including one of Paganini's 24 caprices, the first movement of a Mozart concerto, and a violin sonata by Composer-in-Residence Alexey Shor. The 10 participants advancing to the Second Round displayed further mastery with a selection from a broader repertoire, highlighting their individual artistic voices in 30-40 minute solo or piano-accompanied performances.
Elli Choi took home First Prize, earning €20,000, while Ruifeng Lin received €10,000 for Second Prize, and Issei Kurihara was awarded €5,000 for Third Prize. Choi and Lin are now eligible to join the Grand Finale in Dubai, with all expenses covered, where they will compete against other preselection winners.
As this preliminary phase draws to a close, Classic Violin Olympus gears up for its revolutionary Grand Finale. The final competition in April will challenge each of the 12 finalists through a unique six-phase programme, which will include solo and ensemble performances, orchestral works, and an interactive Q&A session with an esteemed panel of 25 jurors. The ultimate winner will claim the top spot and a share of the €310,000 prize fund.
'I am extremely satisfied with the way everything is going', Vernikov, who is the Artistic Director of Classic Violin Olympus, declared, 'from the organisation to the level of the participants. The goals that Konstantin Ishkhanov and I set for ourselves were 100% fulfilled; even more than that, we surpassed our expectations. It is wonderful to have a partner like him for an event of this magnitude, and judging by the feedback, I can confidently say that Konstantin Ishkhanov and I have already stirred up the world of classical music competitions. Our project has moved away from the traditional form, and I am now very excited to see all these wonderful finalists in performance this coming April'.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Sharjah 24

04-05-2025

• Sharjah 24

Mozart chocolate row leaves bitter taste in Austria

Family-owned Leschanz still painstakingly makes the Mozartkugel chocolates by hand before putting them in their signature wrapping, featuring a portrait of Austria's 18th-century composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. But Leschanz is in the minority these days, and with the number of brands rising, the chocolate balls beloved by tourists and locals alike are often no longer even produced in Austria. US food giant Mondelez, which owns one of the most recognisable brands, moved its production from the Austrian city of Salzburg -- Mozart's birthplace -- to Eastern Europe last month, reigniting a heated and long-running marketing debate. "It's a shame, because Mozart balls are an Austrian product," head confectioner and owner Wolfgang Leschanz, 75, said. At his firm, 10 time-honoured steps are required to make one single Mozartkugel and about 20,000 of the delicacies are freshly made to order each year. - Only one 'original' - Invented by confectioner Paul Fuerst in Salzburg in 1890, the Mozartkugel became popular in Europe after winning a gold medal at a Paris food fair in 1905. Fuerst's great-great-grandson Martin now owns the business, which produces around 3.5 million handmade balls annually, still in Salzburg and still using the traditional recipe. Fuerst chocolates can now be ordered online for delivery across the European Union. But with rising popularity have come imitators and an array of knockoffs, different fillings, wrappings, names -- and also competing claims and legal disputes. The Fuerst family had to fight for years for recognition of their "Original Salzburger Mozartkugel" wrapped in silver foil with blue print -- including in the courts -- because their progenitor made the mistake of not protecting his creation in the first place. Mozart chocolates do not have protected designation of origin status, a European protection for food-related products from certain geographical areas, such as champagne and parmesan cheese. Even German heavyweight Reber, which produces 500,000 balls daily just across the border from Salzburg, is allowed to call its Mozart balls "authentic", even if it cannot use the term "original". Contacted by AFP, Mondelez International, formerly known as Kraft Foods, declined to reveal where within its "European network" it began manufacturing the newly launched "Authentic Mirabell Mozartkugeln" in April. For decades, the group's chocolates had been made at a plant in Salzburg -- but the facility closed last year after teetering on the brink of bankruptcy for years. Citing high cocoa prices and rising costs for energy, Mondelez said its Mirabell brand was "a real gem" but the weight of the products had to be reduced slightly "to remain competitive". Mondelez's Mozart balls currently sell for about $0.50 apiece, while one of Leschanz's handmade confections costs more than seven times that amount. The Pro-Ge trade union, representing more than 60 workers laid off when the Salzburg plant closed, criticised Mondelez's "lack of transparency" about its new production site. "The supply chain of an egg can be traced better than that," it said. - 'Flagship product' - Viennese chocolatier Heindl also voiced concern about Austria's emblematic confection being produced "somewhere in Eastern Europe". "The Mozartkugel is a flagship product of Austria, just like the Sachertorte chocolate cake or the apple strudel or the poppy seed strudel," managing director Andreas Heindl, 63, said. "When someone comes to Austria, they want to take Austrian products home with them, especially when it's Mozartkugeln," said Heindl, whose father founded the firm. He said he could not imagine moving production abroad to save money, even with cocoa prices tripling hitting businesses hard. Leschanz likened Mozart balls produced outside Austria to a "souvenir cup emblazoned with Mozart's portrait" that is bought in haste only for the purchaser to discover it says "Made in China" on the bottom.

Khaleej Times

22-04-2025

• Khaleej Times

Canada's Alberta Ballet wows Dubai audience with performance of A Thousand Tales

Following a hugely successful premiere back in 2023, the new, contemporary ballet A Thousand Tales marked its return to Dubai, UAE on April 4 and 5, 2025, in a restaging that charmed audiences across the GCC region and beyond with its enthralling mix of classical charm, timeless narrative, and spellbinding musical score. Organised by SAMIT Event Group, with direction and choreography by Francesco Ventriglia and music from Alexey Shor, A Thousand Tales follows the White Rabbit from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland as he goes on a quest in service of the Prince from Cinderella, attempting to find the true owner of a golden shoe dropped by a mysterious unknown woman who stole the Prince's heart. Along the way, he meets with a wide variety of characters from seminal childhood tales known the world over, including Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Puss in Boots, The Three Musketeers, and many more, with some offering assistance and others challenging him in his noble quest. Taking on the role of writer, director, and choreographer, Ventriglia was the creative lead behind the production, arriving in Dubai with Canada's Alberta Ballet dance company, whom he heads as artistic director. "Dubai is an incredible place", Ventriglia said, "and for us to come here now, it's amazing because it's an opportunity to show the work that Alberta Ballet has been doing, and to make sure that the name of the company can be internationally recognised. It's the first time ever that the company has come to Dubai and I think that we are the first Canadian ballet company performing here, so we're really very proud to be representing the country here, and A Thousand Tales is such an amazing show! It's an event for everyone, of every age! It's a fairy tale, but it's also a real ballet, with real dance technique and ballet technique which is actually very challenging, but it comes across beautifully". Ventriglia also took the time to single out the ballet's musical score, around which the entire production was constructed, remarking that "it was really the easiest thing in the world to choreograph to Alexey Shor's music, because it's so beautiful. I really love Alexey's compositions, and in fact I keep telling him that we need to do a new ballet together again some time because I really love his works, and it's so natural to create dances for this music. It's not simple music but it's perfect for ballet. The way it's constructed is very clever; there's a narrative to it, and the collaboration with him has been incredible from day one!" These sentiments were shared by the rest of the production team behind the show, with Roberta Guidi Di Bagno, the globally-acclaimed mind behind the ballet's stunning sets and costume designs, declaring that "the music is so descriptive! I'm absolutely in love with Maestro Shor's music because I think he is so poetic and so danceable, and the way Francesco translated it into ballet is just pure art!". The renowned Valerio Tiberi, meanwhile, who was the lighting designer for the production, had similar things to say, as he noted that "the music is really great; it's got all these melodies, with different rhythms and different colours and it's really wonderful. I think Francesco created a very nice combination to tell the story, because there is a comprehensive story behind the ballet, and the music is the main base, with everything else on top to help with the storytelling aspect you know". Taking centre stage during the shows themselves, meanwhile, were the dancers of Alberta Ballet, who made up both the entirety of the corps de ballet, as well as the vast majority of the principal roles. These included Aaron Anker, in the role of Prince Florian, and The Beast; Alexandra Hughes as Cinderella; Luna Sasaki as The Beauty, and Snow White; Scotto Hamed-Ramos as Aladdin, and Rothbart; Caleb Durbin as Prince Charming; Mariko Kondo as Jasmine, and the White Swan; and Mario Galindo from Spain's Compañía Nacional de Danza as the White Rabbit. "This is my first time visiting Dubai, and I'm thrilled to be here", Anker said, in comments that were echoed by many of his castmates. "It's really cool, everything's huge, the streets are huge, the buildings are huge... the scale of everything is massive, and the architecture and the design of everything is so amazing and beautiful!" "The ballet itself is really great", he continued, "I think it's a brilliant way of sort of bringing together a lot of stories that people recognise. It's a fun story, and the music, well, first of all it's beautiful, really, really lovely music, and it's always a great treat to dance to beautiful music. I 100 per cent believe that the music is first, the music makes the dance, because as a dancer you're not really much without the music! So yes, to me the music comes first and then we add to it, so it's really great that it's a beautiful score which fits perfectly with the story, and it really reflects the characters as well, which is cool". Conversely, Shor himself, the man behind the music, was also left impressed by the proceedings on the stage, with the composer exuberantly praising the vision which his own art helped inspire. "I think Francesco has done an absolutely amazing job", he said, "and he's brought together such a fantastic team and a really amazing cast of dancers! I love the way he's interpreted the music and added his own vision to it, and the end result is just a truly magical experience in every way! As a composer it's a genuine honour to see my music being transformed in this way and forming the heart of this ballet, and I would really like to congratulate everyone involved for all the hard work they've put in to make this all come to life." Having reached yet another shining milestone in its journey, A Thousand Tales now looks to continue building on its success with new theatrical runs in different venues across the globe over the months to come. To keep up-to-date with all the latest information, do make sure to follow the production's social media channels, and official website at

Web Release

11-04-2025

• Web Release

The UAE's First Corporate Culinary Showdown: Meals On Me Turns Leaders into Culinary Stars

Entertainment Web Release Selection By Editor_wr On Apr 11, 2025 As the UAE's leading meal plan provider, Meals On Me has recently set its sights on hosting the nation's first ever corporate culinary competition. Offering a unique opportunity for professionals from top global corporations in the UAE to trade their suits for aprons, the showdown will welcome 20 teams of two to battle it out for the title. Enter now for your chance to take home the trophy and train under the legendary Marco Pierre White or watch all the nail-biting action unfold on Meals On Me's YouTube Channel. Founded in 2019, Meals on Me set out to make healthy eating effortless for busy professionals and families without sacrificing flavour. Focusing on sustainability and culinary innovation, it has become one of the UAE's most trusted meal plan providers, delivering over 2 million meals to 70+ nationalities. Recognised as the Best Diet-Friendly Brand by the BBC Good Food Awards, Meals on Me continues to raise the bar, having recently teamed up with Chef Marco Pierre White to create an exclusive range of gourmet dishes. Now, Meals On Me is taking its passion for food beyond meal plans with an exciting new competition, challenging top UAE professionals to swap high-stakes meetings for the fast-paced world of a fine dining kitchen. Teams can enter from March 1 st via email [email protected] , after which 20 corporate teams of two will be selected. Each team will face an intense trade test in their corporate office, with only 10 advancing to the next stage. Turning up the heat, the remaining 10 teams will be tasked with preparing a Surprise meal to impress the judges before five more teams are eliminated. Adding to the competition, participants can expect plenty of exciting twists and turns, while those at home are invited to follow along on Meals On Me's YouTube channel. As the suspense builds, the top five teams will go head-to-head in a high-pressure Grand Cook-Off, crafting a full five-course meal in pursuit of the culinary crown. From this intense showdown, three finalist teams will rise to compete in the Grand Finale on May 1st and 2nd, judged by the legendary Chef Marco Pierre White. The winning team will claim the coveted trophy, while the second and third-place teams will also take home well-earned prizes. Think you and your colleagues have what it takes to swap suits for aprons and battle it out in the kitchen? Shake things up at work and enter your team from March 1st via email [email protected] or simply kick back, tune into Meals On Me's YouTube channel, and watch the delicious drama unfold. Comments are closed.