Classic Violin Olympus Finalist Yuki Hirano to Make Lucerne Festival Debut
Yuki Hirano, one of the most exciting emerging violinists of her generation and a finalist of the Classic Violin Olympus 2025 International Competition, is set to make her highly anticipated debut at the Lucerne Festival on 25 August 2025, appearing alongside pianist Chizu Miyamoto at Lukaskirche, as a prize from Christiane Weber.
At only 21 years old, the Japanese violinist has rapidly established herself as a major rising force on the international classical scene. Born in Sapporo, Japan, Hirano first gained major international attention after winning the 2024 Vienna Classical Violin Competition at the Classical Violin Olympus, before achieving another landmark success in spring 2025 as First Prize Winner of the International Jascha Heifetz Competition in Vilnius, where she also received several special awards.
A student of renowned violinist Pavel Vernikov at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna, Hirano has earned acclaim for her expressive artistry, technical brilliance, and natural musical communication. Speaking about her artistic philosophy, she notes simply: “If the audience can enjoy the music, I’m happy.”
Her upcoming Lucerne Festival debut presents a program rich in colour, virtuosity, and Romantic lyricism. The concert opens with Alexey Shor’s Violin Sonata in B minor, a work adapted together with legendary pianist Mikhail Pletnev from Shor’s Fourth Violin Concerto — a striking composition celebrated for its sweeping melodies, folkloric vitality, and dazzling instrumental writing.
The programme continues with Karol Szymanowski’s Violin Sonata in D minor, Op. 9, a passionate and richly textured work of late-Romantic intensity, followed by Antonín Dvořák’s Romantic Pieces, Op. 75, beloved for their warmth, intimacy, and lyrical charm.
Completing the evening is the sparkling Caprice d’après l’Étude en forme de Valse by Camille Saint-Saëns / Eugène Ysaÿe, a brilliant showcase of virtuosity in which elegance and technical fireworks combine in spectacular fashion.
Yuki Hirano’s appearance at one of Europe’s most prestigious festivals marks another important milestone in a rapidly ascending international career. For followers of the Classic Violin Olympus, her Lucerne debut offers further confirmation of the remarkable level of artistry represented by the competition’s young finalists and laureates.
The tickets to the concert can be found here.
