Italian violinist Lucilla Rose Mariotti is the winner of the first competition
Open to artists between the ages of 15 and 30, the inaugural Music competition for violins “Violins&Soul”. recently concluded at the AMADEUS 2023 festival. The first of its kind, the inaugural competition focused solely on the salon music genre and awarded young musicians for their best interpretation of the then-popular 19th-century European music genre.
On July 2, three finalists competed for the grand prize of €5,000 and a 2-year loan of a 1709 Antonio Stradivari violin from the Go family collection.
This year’s grand prize winner is Lucilla Rose Mariottiwho also won the public prize of 500 euros according to the audience’s vote.
Current student at Royal College of Music (RCM) in London under Mark Messenger, where she is an Anne & Brian Wadsworth Fellow, Lucilla Rose Mariotti will continue her studies at the RCM for an Artist Diploma. She was recently selected for the prestigious Carne Trust Junior Fellowship 2023/24 at the RCM.
She previously won the 59th Kočian International Violin Competition in the Czech Republic, the prize for the best performance of the contemporary Czech piece “Dža More” by Silvia Bodorova at the Josef Muzika International Violin Competition and the Young Musicians Competition organized by the Filarmonica del Teatro alla Scala, by the way.
“I am so incredibly happy to have been involved in Amadeus Festival Vienna and at the Violins&Soul competition in Vienna,” said Mariotti. “Thank you very much to the Goh family and the audience for the awards and the amazing experience. I am really looking forward to playing the next two years on the beautiful Stradivari 1709 from the Goh family collection. Many thanks also to the amazing pianist Simone Sgarbanti who shared this experience with me. Last but not least, it was so inspiring to play and work with the Janoska Ensemble for a two-day masterclass.”
Second place and €3,000 went to Carissa Minji Chiu from the United States, and third place and €1,000 went to Dong Young Shim of South Korea.
The three finalists were selected through a highly selective round of blind screening and personal interviews.
“The beauty, grace and elegance of Salon Music was on display on stage this weekend,” pageant officials wrote. “The three finalists for the Violins&Soul Competition showcased the beautiful appeal of classical music and we are proud to hold the stage for these violinists.”
The competition jury included Ms. Karen Goh, Director of the AMADEUS Vienna Festival, Mr. Brendan Goh, Artistic Director of the AMADEUS Vienna Festival and Dr. Wilson Goh.
As the winner, Lucilla Rose Mariotti will perform on stage at the AMADEUS Festival in Vienna a full repertoire of salon music with Antonio Stradivari’s 1709 violin. The theme for 2024 is ‘Variety’, which promises to be another extraordinary edition.
It is held annually, AMADEUS Festival Vienna brings together international musicians based on AMADEUS International School Vienna for a series of performances and workshops.