Brazenose Violin Competition

The Brazenose Violin Competition offers young violinists the opportunity to compete for a fine violin and performance opportunity in the Brazenose Concert Series.

The competition aims to support and encourage outstanding young musicians at the beginning of their professional careers.

Overview
The Brazenose Violin Competition is a new national event supporting the next generation of violinists aged 12 – 24.
The competition culminates in a live final in Stamford, judged by leading musicians and attended by students, teachers, and music audiences.

The central prize is a fine Brazenose violin, set up with Evah Pirazzi Neo Strings, alongside a performance opportunity in the Brazenose Concert Series. The winner will also receive an Evah Pirazzi Gold Rosin.

Entry will be made through the Stamford Strings website. Entries open on 30 March and close on 1st August. The list of Finalists will be announced on 1 September.

Competition Date
Saturday 10 October 2026
9:30am – 7:00pm
Location
St Martin’s Church, High Street St Martin’s, Stamford
Lincolnshire, PE9 2LF
Warm-up facilities, kitchen and toilet facilities will be available for candidates at Stamford Strings, located opposite the church.
Eligibility
Applicants must be aged 12 – 24, be UK residents and be performing at a level beyond Grade 8

Application Process
The entry fee is £45 and must be paid at the same time as submitting the application form. Applications must be made via online application form on Stamford Strings website, with a link to a video recording made within the last 12 months. Video recordings may be submitted via YouTube, Vimeo or Google Drive in MP4 format. The production quality is not important — the panel will focus on musical performance only.

Key Dates
Entries open: 30 March 2026
Application deadline: 1 August 2026
Finalists announced: 1 September 2026
Competition Final: 10 October 2026

Final Round
Up to 15 finalists will be invited to perform live in Stamford.
Candidates will present their own choice of program which could be an entire concerto or sonata, or a contrasting selection of styles and periods. The program must not exceed 30 minutes.

Judges
Gaby Lester, Deputy Head of Strings, Royal College of Music, London
Michael Petrov, YCAT musician and award winning international cellist
Berent Korfker, Violinist and Inventor of the Pirastro KorfkerRest and KorfkerSpring

Accompanist
Candidates may bring their own accompanist or request the competition’s official accompanist, Susie Summers. This must be indicated on the application form and the accompaniment part must be provided once the finalists have been announced. 
 
There is a Bluthner Grand Piano in the church which will be used for the competition.

Prizes

First Prize
Brazenose Fuoco Violin worth £3,995
Performance in the Brazenose Chamber Concert (May 2027)

Second Prize
PIRASTRO KorfkerRest LUNA and an Evah Pirazzi Neo Set and an Evah Pirazzi Gold rosin

Third Prize
The third prize will be an Evah Pirazzi Neo Set and an Evah Pirazzi Gold rosin.

Finalists
Pirastro Evah Pirazzi Gold Rosin and a goody bag including a PIRASTRO pencil, note book, string cleaning cloth and stickers.

Audience
Members of the public are welcome.
Tickets:
£10 per session
£20 day pass
All ticket holders are invited to the Prize Presentation.

Facilities
Warm-up room available
Luthier on site for instrument setup issues
Tea and coffee provided during the break
Toilets available at the church and Stamford Strings

Entry
Applications are made via:
www.stamfordstrings.co.uk
​
The competition is open for entry. Please click the button below to enter.
​
​To view the terms and conditions of entry please click here