Concours de Genève names flute competition winner

Flautist Elizaveta Ivanova has been revealed as the first prize winner of the Concours de Genève flute competition. Ivanova was awarded the competition’s top prize after a final round which took place on Saturday (4 November) at Geneva’s Victoria Hall.

Ivanova, who is also a co-soloist in the Frankfurt Opera Orchestra, receives a cash prize of CHF 20,000 (£17,973). She was also awarded the competition’s CHF 3,000 (£2,696) Arts Society Prize and the Souffle Prize CHF 1,500 (£1,348), both of which offer performance opportunities. Competition finalists also receive two years of career management, personal coaching and concert opportunities from Sartory Artists, partner agency of the Concours de Genève.

Jury chair, flautist Silvia Careddu, said: ‘Throughout this 77th edition of the Concours de Genève, we have been able to listen to and discover all the wonderful talents. We wish all our finalists and all the participants of the Competition a wonderful career. Ad maiora and all the best in your musical lives.’

While no third prize winner was selected, the competition second prize of CHF 12,000 (£10,784) was awarded jointly to Yuan Yu and Mario Bruno. Bruno also received the publicly-voted Audience Prize (CHF 1,500/£1,348), the Young Audience Prize (CHF 1,000/£898) voted by a group of students from schools in Geneva, and the students' prize (CHF 1,000/£898) awarded by a group of students from the University of Geneva’s Faculty of Music and Department of Musicology. He also won the Prize de L´Orchestre de la Siusse Romande, awarded by the musicians of the orchestra.

The Rose-Marie Huguenin Prize of CHF 10,000 (£8,986) was awarded to the three flute finalists, offering them a grant for their creative projects while the Paul Streit Prize (CHF 3,000/£2,696) for a ‘particularly deserving flutist’ was given to Judy Lee.