The 31st annual Leoš Janáček International Competition, hosted by the Faculty of Music of the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts (HF JAMU), took place from 15-21 September, as young musicians from all over the world came to Brno to compete in the fields of violin and string quartet. The final rounds took place on 19 September at Divadlo na Orlí and 21 September at Besední dům, where the violinists were accompanied by the Czech Virtuosi orchestra under the direction of Leoš Svárovský.
The prestigious competition takes place every five years, attracting competitors from all corners of the world, such as Australia, Switzerland, China, Great Britain, Kazakhstan and Japan. All competitors went through three rounds in front of expert juries, composed of prominent figures from the international music scene.
The winner in the violin category was Austrian violinist Eduard Steude. Second place and the prize for the interpretation of a composition by Leoš Janáček went to Gaja Wilewska from Poland. Third place went to Jiaqi Lu from China, who also won the prize for the interpretation of a composition by Adam Závodský. The jury awarded an honorary mention and the prize of the Moravian Composers’ Club to Aliaksandra Arbuzava from the Czech Republic.
The Arola Quartet from Switzerland won in the string quartet category; in addition to the financial prize, they also received the award for the best interpretation of a Leoš Janáček composition and the opportunity to perform at the International Leoš Janáček Festival 2026, the Janáček Brno Festival 2026, and Za poklady Broumovska. Second place went to the British Valegro Quartet , and third place went to the Janeček String Quartet representing the Czech Republic.
“I was really pleased with the wide range of cultures, nationalities, ethnicities and players’ interpretation styles represented at this year’s competition,” said the dean of HF JAMU, Barbara Maria Willi. “The string quartet competition category was interesting in terms of interpretation approaches, and the violin category was interesting due to the high level of all participants. The decision-making process was not easy, but I hope that all participants in the competition will take away something that will enrich them in their further musical development.”
The final concert of the string quartet laureates and the award ceremony took place on Saturday in the Concert Hall of HF JAMU. The third round of violin and the announcement of the winners took place on Sunday in Besední dům.
