Violinist Ayana Tsuji Reigned MIMC

The Montreal International Musical Competition is unique in that the three disciplines, violin, piano and voice rotate over a three-year cycle, and this year's edition featured violin. A fast-rising college violinist Ayaka Tsuji, 18, grabbed the first prize for a brilliant performance of Sibelius' concerto. Another young violinist from Japan, Minami Yoshida, 17, placed third.

Ayana Tsuji is no ordinary fiddler as she already has to her credit 2nd place in the All Japan Music Competition three years ago at age 15 and 5th place in last year's Hanover International Violin Competition in Germany.

Ayana commented:

"Winning an international competition means a lot to me. Very happy, of course, but I know I do have much more to learn a lot from other participants, technically and mentally."

Sibelius' concerto is Tsuji's favorite as she has played it in all major competitions including Hanover last year. Her control of the piece's dramatism is extraordinary and it was what won her the top price this time at Montreal.

Of the six finalists four were seniors of ages 23-28 and the two Japanese were late teens of 17 and 18. The competition was a dramatic battle of two contrasting generations, and after the end of the day the town of Montreal was overwhelmed by a rising tide of junior violinists from Japan.

2016 MIMC was challenged by 206 participants from 34 countries around the world - 70% plus over the previous competition.

Ayana Tsuji played a Bach's unaccompanied and a caprice of Paganini in the quarterfinal and a sonata and a Canadian work in the semifinal to win the Best Performance Award. She further won the Best Recital Award for her semifinal performance. Ayana Tsugi made a grand slam, so to speak, in one of the world's most prestigious violin competitions.

The advent of young rising violinists suggests the resurgence of a new Japanese Kingdom of Strings. (Nathan Shiga)