brazenose violin competition

Presented by Stamford Strings
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Pirastro
supported by
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. The video should not exceed 30 minutes, but can be whatever length you feel shows your playing at it's best so for example, ten minutes could be adequate. The recording should be done in one sitting, however and should not be edited.

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
Entries are now closed. Finalists will be announced on 1 September.
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brazenose_violin_competition_-_terms_and_conditions_of_entry_2026.pdf
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our judges: Michael Petrov, Berent Korfker and Gaby Lester

Brazenose Violin Competition 2026
Terms and Conditions of Entry
1. Promoter
The Brazenose Violin Competition 2026 (“the Competition”) is organised and administered by Stamford Strings, Stamford, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom (“the Promoter”).
2. Competition Overview
The Competition will culminate in a live final round on 10 October 2026 held at:
St Martin’s Church
St Martin’s, Stamford
Lincolnshire, PE9 2LF
United Kingdom
Finalists will be selected from submitted video applications.


3. Eligibility
3.1 Entrants must be aged between 12 and 24 years old on the date of the Competition Final (10 October 2026).
3.2 Entrants must be resident in the United Kingdom and may be required to provide proof of residency.
3.3 Entrants will be expected to be working around Grade 8 standard or equivalent. This is a guideline only and there are no exam requirements. 
3.4 By entering the Competition, entrants confirm that all information provided is accurate and complete.
3.5 The Promoter reserves the right to verify eligibility and to disqualify any entrant who does not meet the requirements.


4. Entry Process
4.1 Entries must be submitted via the Stamford Strings website.
4.2 Entries open on 30 March 2026.
4.3 The closing date for entries is 1 August 2026. Entries received after this date will not be accepted.
4.4 Applicants must submit:
  • A completed application form
  • A video recording of their performance created within the last 12 months
  • A link to the video hosted on an accessible platform such as YouTube, Vimeo, or Google Drive, in MP4 format. 
  • The competition entry fee
4.5 Video recordings will be used for preliminary selection only. Production quality is not important; evaluation will be based solely on musical performance.


5. Entry Fee
5.1 The entry fee for the Competition is £45.
5.2 The entry fee must be paid at the time of submitting the application.
5.3 Entries submitted without payment will not be processed.
5.4 Entry fees are non-refundable, except in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Promoter.
6. Selection of Finalists
6.1 A panel of judges will review all eligible video submissions.
6.2 A maximum of 15 finalists will be invited to perform in the live final round.
6.3 Finalists will be announced on 1 September 2026.
6.4 All finalists must confirm their availability to attend the Competition Final in person on 10 October 2026.
7. Competition Final
7.1 The Competition Final will take place on 10 October 2026 between approximately 9:30am and 7:00pm at St Martin’s Church, Stamford.
7.2 Each finalist must perform a programme not exceeding 30 minutes.
7.3 Candidates may present repertoire of their own choice, which may include:
  • a complete concerto or sonata, or
  • a contrasting programme of works from different styles or periods.
7.4 The final schedule and running order will be issued after finalists are confirmed.
8. Accompanists
8.1 Candidates may either:
  • provide their own accompanist and page turner, or
  • request the Competition’s official accompanist Susie Summers.
8.2 If using the official accompanist, this must be indicated at the time of application and repertoire details must be provided.
9. Judging
9.1 The Competition will be judged by a panel consisting of:
  • Gaby Lester
  • Michael Petrov
  • Berent Korfker
9.2 The judges’ decision is final and binding, and no correspondence will be entered into regarding their decisions.
10. Prizes
Prizes are expected to include:
First Prize
  • A Brazenose Violin
  • A performance opportunity at the Brazenose Concert Series in 2027
Second Prize (subject to confirmation)
  • Pirastro KorfkerRest / Spring
Runners-up Prizes (subject to confirmation)
  • Pirastro strings
The Promoter reserves the right to modify prizes if necessary due to circumstances beyond its control.
Prizes are non-transferable and no cash alternative will be offered.
11. Prize Conditions
11.1 The winner of the Brazenose Violin agrees:
  • not to sell, transfer, or give away the instrument to a third party
  • to perform on the violin at the Brazenose Chamber Concert in May 2027
11.2 If, in the future, the winner wishes to upgrade to a different instrument, they agree to first approach Stamford Strings for assistance and not to sell or transfer the violin independently.
12. Publicity, Data Protection and Privacy
12.1 By entering the Competition, participants agree that their name, image, and performance may be used by the Promoter for:
  • promotional materials
  • social media
  • websites
  • press coverage related to the Competition.
12.2 No additional compensation will be provided for such use.
12.3 Stamford Strings will collect and process personal information submitted as part of the Brazenose Violin Competition application.
This may include:
  • name
  • date of birth
  • contact details
  • education information
  • teacher contact details
  • proof of UK residency
  • video recordings and application materials
This information will be used solely for:
  • administering the competition
  • assessing applications
  • contacting applicants
  • promoting the competition and its results.
Personal data will be stored securely and will not be shared with third parties except where necessary for the administration of the competition (for example, sharing application materials with the judging panel).
Applicants may request access to their personal data or request deletion of their information by contacting Stamford Strings.
By submitting an application, entrants consent to the processing of their personal data for the purposes of administering the competition.
13. Audience and Tickets
13.1 Members of the public may attend the Competition Final.
13.2 Ticket prices will be:
  • £10 per session
  • £20 day pass
13.3 Ticket holders are invited to attend the Prize Presentation.
14. Event Arrangements
14.1 Warm-up facilities will be available at Stamford Strings.
14.2 Candidates will have access to a warm-up room 30 minutes before their scheduled performance time.
14.3 A luthier will be available on the day for instrument setup assistance.
15. Liability
15.1 The Promoter accepts no responsibility for:
  • lost, delayed, or corrupted submissions
  • technical issues with video links or uploads
  • travel or accommodation costs incurred by participants.
15.2 Participants attend and perform at their own risk.
16. Cancellation or Changes
The Promoter reserves the right to:
  • amend these Terms and Conditions
  • alter the competition format
  • cancel the event
if circumstances beyond its control make this necessary.
17. Acceptance of Terms
By submitting an entry to the Brazenose Violin Competition, applicants confirm that they have read, understood, and agree to these Terms and Conditions.