The Evolution of Classic Violin Olympus:
A New Era in Music Competitions
Founded in 2017 by Konstantin Ishkhanov, Classic Violin Olympus has quickly established itself as a prominent force in the realm of classical music. Initially launched as 'Classic Strings' to provide emerging string players with opportunities and global exposure, the competition has evolved through several iterations since its debut in 2018. Today, it proudly focuses on celebrating the exceptional talents of violinists under the guidance of esteemed artistic director Pavel Vernikov through a unique six-part process. With a vision to revolutionise conventional competition formats, Classic Violin Olympus is on a groundbreaking journey to discover and advance the world's most outstanding violinists.
To discover more and become a part of this unique contest, we invite you to explore our website and connect with the legacy of Classic Violin Olympus.
2017
In early 2017, Konstantin Ishkhanov, together with Karen Shahgaldyan, conceived of putting together a new music competition with a difference, aimed at discovering and supporting the most talented young musicians of our time. A few months later, in May 2018, this ambitious idea came to fruition, resulting in the First Edition of the Classic Strings International Cello and Violin Competition.
2018
The inaugural edition of Classic Strings took place in Riga, Latvia, between the 10th and 17th of May. Full attention was given to the smallest of details, starting from the host country itself, with Riga being chosen due to its status as one of the oldest and most prestigious cultural centres of Europe.
Announcing its entry onto the world stage with a flourish, this first iteration of Classic Strings immediately attracted the attention of music lovers all around the world, with a jury board featuring preeminent stars including Boris Andrianov, Dmitry Yablonsky and Meehae Ryo, amongst others, and a groundbreaking total prize fund of €40,000.
2019
By 2019 Classic Strings had become recognised as one of the major events in the classical music scene, and organisers responded by raising the stakes on every level.
Taking place in Vienna from May 11th to 18th, this iteration opened up the stage to not just violinists and cellists, but also violists as well, with these three separate contests each offering participants monetary prizes amounting to €47,000! Apart from changes to the venue, competition format, and prize fund, Classic Strings 2019 also saw a shift in participation numbers, with the success of the 2018 edition attracting more than 200 young musicians from all over the world to Vienna, firmly establishing the contest as one of the most exciting new events in the sector.
2022
2022 saw Classic Strings help to spearhead the influx of classical music into the Middle East.
Arriving on the back of a sterling reputation in Europe, the contest brought countless cultural tourists to the UAE for the first time, marking the largest strings competition that the region had ever seen. Held from the 9th to the 23rd of May, this edition consisted of two separate contests for violin and cello, and saw the most distinguished panel of jurors of any contemporary string competition preside over the event, with legendary artists including Martin T:son Engstroem, Andrey Baranov, Pavel Berman, Zakhar Bron, Boris Kuschnir, Dora Schwarzberg, Dominique de Williencourt and Julian Lloyd Webber, amongst others. Musicians from around the world flocked to Dubai to take part in the event, with organisers upping the ante once more by offering a €320,000 prize fund to the most accomplished amongst them.
2025
Just seven years after its debut, Classic Strings has now enjoyed such a meteoric rise that it has been deemed to be too vast a project to host in just one event.
Thus, the decision was taken to split Classic Strings into separate events, each dedicated to one instrument. For this first phase of its new life, the instrument chosen is the violin, with Classic Violin Olympus 2025 marking the inauguration of this new standalone competition. This focus on a single instrument has allowed the contest to be taken to hitherto unimagined levels, with six pre-selection contests being held around the globe, all leading to the invite-only Grand Finale in Dubai. The acclaimed Pavel Vernikov will be taking on the role of Artistic Director, with a handpicked 23-person jury board presiding over the performances. Participants, all of whom are award-winners at one of the pre-selection contests, will compete for a €310,000 prize fund, along with a series of special awards, including the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be selected by one of the jury members to join in live performance at one of their future contests.