Hao Zhou of U.S. Wins First Prize in 2019 Montreal Violin Competition

June 6, 2019, 12:16 AM · Hao Zhou, 22, of the United States has won First Prize in the 2019 Montreal International Violin Competition.

Hao Zhou performs in the Finals of the Montreal Competition.

Laureates were announced on Wednesday night; here is a full list:

First Prize ($30,000): Hao Zhou, 22, of the United States
Second Prize ($15,000): Johanna Pichlmair, 29, of Austria
Third Prize: ($10,000): Fumika Mohri, 25, of Japan/Germany

As First Prize winner, Zhou also will receive a career development grant of $50,000; a violin and bow handmade by the Maker's Forum, valued at $20,000; an artist residency at Canada's Banff Centre for the Arts; and a concert engagement at the New Generation Festival.

PRIZES for unranked finalists ($3,000):

Elli Choi, 17, of the United States
Anna Lee, 23, of the United States/South Korea
Christine Lim, 24, of the United States/South Korea

SPECIAL AWARDS:

Sonata Award: Anna Lee, 23, of the United States/South Korea
Radio-Canada Audience Award: Hao Zhou, 22, of the United States
André-Bachand Award for the best performance of the compulsory Canadian work: Johanna Pichlmair, 29, of Austria
Montreal Bach Festival Award: Johanna Pichlmair, 29, of Austria

First-prize winner Zhou studies at the Colburn Music Conservatory with Martin Beaver, having previously studied with Aimee Kreston, Danielle Belen, and Henry Gronnier. Zhou is a laureate of the 2015 American String Teachers Association National Solo Competition, and has received top prizes at the Dorothy Chandler Spotlight Competition, the Downey Young Artists Concerto Competition, Edith Knox Performance Competition, as well as the Torrance Concerto Competition. As a violinist in the Viano Quartet, he won the Silver Medal in the 2018 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition as well as Third Prize at the 2018 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition. As the former first violinist of Quartet Firenze, Zhou won the Bronze Medal in the 2014 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. For the Montreal competition, Zhou performed on a Carl Becker violin made in 1936.

Jury members for the 2019 competition include Zarin Mehta (President of the jury), Pierre Amoyal, Kim Kashkashian, Boris Kuschnir, Cho-Liang Lin, Mihaela Martin, Barry Shiffman, Dmitry Sitkovetsky and Pavel Vernikov.

BELOW: Hou Zhou performs Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77 with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, in the Final round: