Draft:Stulberg International String Competition
American competition for string musicians under 20
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Stulberg International String Competition is an annual music competition in the United States for young string instrument performers aged 19 and under. Open to players of the violin, viola, cello, and double bass, the competition is held each May in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and is considered one of the longest-running and most prestigious string competitions for pre-collegiate and early-collegiate musicians in North America.[1]
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| Stulberg International String Competition | |
|---|---|
| Date | Annually in May |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Venue | Dalton Center Recital Hall, Western Michigan University |
| Location | Kalamazoo, Michigan |
| Country | United States |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Founded | 1975 |
| Founder | Friends and colleagues of Julius Stulberg |
| Next event | May 15–17, 2026 (51st edition) |
| Participants | 12 semifinalists (selected from 230+ applicants) |
| Organised by | Stulberg International String Competition, Inc. |
| Website | stulberg |
Founded in 1975 as a memorial to violinist, conductor, and pedagogue Julius Stulberg (1905–1974), the competition has a notable alumni list that includes Joshua Bell, Jennifer Koh, Rachel Barton Pine, Benjamin Beilman, Karina Canellakis, Zlatomir Fung, and Matthew Lipman.[2]
History
The competition was established in the spring of 1975, when friends and colleagues of the late Julius Stulberg gathered at the home of his widow, Esther Leiberman Stulberg, to establish a memorial honoring his life's work with young musicians.[3]
At the time of his death in 1974, Julius Stulberg was Professor of Violin at Western Michigan University, where he had conducted the University Symphony for 28 years. He also directed the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra for 31 years (1941–1974), and his former students went on to perform in major orchestras across the United States and Europe.[3]
Originally a regional event, the competition has since grown into an internationally recognized contest, drawing more than 230 applicants from around the world each year. In 2025 the organization celebrated its 50th anniversary with the release of a special-edition history book commemorating its first half-century.[3] The 2026 edition marks the 51st Annual Stulberg International String Competition.[4]
Format
Eligibility
The competition is open to students of the violin, viola, cello, or double bass who are age 19 or under as of January 1 of the competition year. Current students of that year's judging panel are ineligible to apply. Applications are due each February, and results are announced in mid-March.[5]
Rounds
A panel of judges reviews recorded applications and selects twelve semifinalists and four alternates.[5] Semifinalists travel to Kalamazoo in May for:
- Semifinals — Each semifinalist performs a selection from a required list of solo Bach works and one or more movements from a standard concerto (total concerto time not to exceed 20 minutes). All performances must be from memory.[6]
- Finals — Six finalists are selected following the semifinals and perform additional concerto movement(s) at a Finals Concert the next day to determine the medalists.[5]
A public masterclass with the judging panel is held on the Sunday following the finals.[6]
Prizes
| Award | Sponsor | Cash Prize | Performance Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Medal | Kenneth Warren & Son | $10,000 | Concerto performance with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra |
| Silver Medal | — | $7,500 | Concerto performance with a partner orchestra |
| Bronze Medal (Pinehurst) | Pinehurst | $5,000 | Performance with the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra |
| Bach Award | — | $1,000 | Given to the best solo Bach performance in the semifinals |
| Semifinalist Stipend | — | $1,000 | Awarded to each of the nine non-medalist semifinalists |
Gold, Silver, and Bronze prize money is paid in two installments: half immediately after the competition and half following the performance award concert.[5]
Venue
The semifinals and finals are held at the Dalton Center Recital Hall on the campus of Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Tickets to both rounds are free and open to the public. For the 2026 edition, the semifinals take place across four performance blocks on Friday, May 15, at 9:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. EST, with three semifinalists performing in each block.[7]
The competition's administrative offices are located at the Epic Center, 359 South Kalamazoo Mall, Suite 14, Kalamazoo, Michigan.[1]
2026 Competition
Judges
The jury for the 51st annual competition consists of:[5]
- Suli Xue — violin
- James Dunham — viola
- Anne Francis Bayless — cello
Semifinalists
Twelve semifinalists were announced in April 2026. They will compete at the Dalton Center Recital Hall on Friday, May 15, 2026.[8]
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| James Birch | 19 |
| Ella Eom | 19 |
| Ray Gu | 15 |
| Euisun Hong | 17 |
| Chanhee Jin | 15 |
| Katarina Kenney | 17 |
| Jayden King | 11 |
| Jesse Krentz | 17 |
| Daniel Yoonsuh Lee | 15 |
| Oliver Mar | 15 |
| Eiline Tai | 18 |
| Mingzhe Ye | 16 |
Key Dates
- May 15, 2026 — Semifinals
- May 16, 2026 — Finals concert
- May 17, 2026 — Public masterclass with judges[6]
Recent Medalists
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Jinan Laurentia Woo (17) | Zekai Chen (15) | Oliver Mar (14) |
| 2024 | Mio Imai (13) | Joshua Kováč (16) | Pearl de la Motte (20) |
| 2023 | Amelia Zitoun (17) | Esme Arias-Kim (17) | Starla Breshears (16) |
| 2022 | Daniel Bae (19) | Jacques Forestier (17) | Angeline Kiang (17) |
| 2021 | Keila Wakao | Sean Yu | Bobby Boogyeom Park |
| 2020 | Dongyoung Jake Shim | Yeyeong Jin | Masha Lakisova |
| 2019 | Daniel Rafimayeri | Nathan Le | Sory Park |
| 2018 | Charlotte Marckx | La Li | Maya Anjali Buchanan |
| 2017 | William McGregor (double bass) | Qing Yu Chen (violin) | Karisa Chiu (violin) |
| 2016 | Daniel Hass (cello) | Zeyu Victor Li (violin) | Austin Haley Berman (violin) |
| 2015 | Yaegy Park (violin) | Oliver Herbert (cello) | Hae Sue Lee (violin) |
Notable Alumni
Among the many prominent classical musicians who competed at Stulberg as young artists:
- Joshua Bell — Silver Medal 1980; Gold Medal 1981
- Soovin Kim — 1994, 1995
- Karina Canellakis — Bronze Medal 2001
- Benjamin Beilman — Gold Medal 2007
- Matthew Lipman — Gold Medal 2012
- Zlatomir Fung — Gold Medal 2014