Feuermann Prize announces winner

Berlin’s  Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann has today announced that Russian cellist Ivan Skanavi has won the competition’s first prize. Hosted by the Kronberg Academy and the Domenico-Gabrielli Foundation of Berlin University of the Arts, the competition made its return to the German capital this month following an eight-year hiatus.

Following last night’s final Skanavi will take home a cash prize of €15,000, as well as the €3,000 special prize for the best interpretation of the work composed for the competition by Jörg Widmann. As well as additional concert opportunities, Skavani will also receive career support.

Second prize winner, German cellist Christoph Heesch will receive a cash prize of €10,000 and the audience prize of €1,500. The third prize of €5,000 went to Australian competition Benett Tsai, who also received the special prize for the best interpretation of one of the cello concertos by Joseph Haydn or Michael Haydn worth €3,000.

The competition's three rounds, held from 15 to 22 November, saw 12 cellists perform with Metamorphosen Berlin, members of the Boccherini Trio and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, conducted by Josef Bastian. The finalists performed for a jury chaired by Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi which included cellists Anthony Elliott, Karine Georgian, David Geringas, Xenia Jankovic, Jens Peter Maintz, Jérôme Pernoo, Raimund Trenkler and Hillel Zori.​

Tonight, on what would have been the 120th birthday of competition namesake, the cellist Emanuel Feuermann, Skanavi, Heesch and Tsai will take the stage at Berlin’s Haus des Rundfunks for the competition’s official prize-winner concert and awards ceremony.