Johansen International Competition for Young String Players

03/20/2026

Valery Breshears (2025 JIC, 1st prize violin) will be performing with Capital City Symphony on Sunday, March 22, 2026 at 5:00pm.

✨ Shout! 📣
Raise your voice. Celebrate your power.

Join us for an evening of bold, vibrant music that champions justice, joy, and the power of being heard. Brilliant young violinist Valery Beshears, winner of the Johannsen International Competition, brings dazzling energy to Wieniawski’s Violin Concerto No. 2. The program also features Nkeiru Okoye’s Voices Shouting Out and Duke Ellington’s powerful Black, Brown, and Beige—celebrating resilience, expression, and bright futures.

📅 Sunday, March 22, 2026
🕔 5:00–6:30 PM (70 minutes, including intermission)
📍 Atlas Performing Arts Center
🎟 Adults: $40.75 | 16 & Under: FREE

More details in https://ow.ly/wXP050YglXf

02/17/2026

Romain-Olivier Gray (2022 JIC, 2nd prize cello) will perform Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No.1 with Apollo Orchestra on February 22, 2026 at 4:00pm.
https://apolloorchestra.com/event/february-22/

01/26/2026

A reminder about the Winners Concert this coming Sunday, February 1, 2026!
What: 2025 JIC prize winners recital on the Roth Concert Series at Annunciation Catholic Church
Date: February 1, 2026
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Address: 3810 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20016
Performers:
Valery Breshears, violin
Samuel Tatsuki, viola
Joshua Kováč, cello
Eiline Tai, cello
Frank Conlon, piano
Program will include music by Mozart, Bach, Britten, Schubert, Dutilleux, Rebecca Clarke, Enesco, Shostakovich and also will feature a premiere of the work by DC-area composer Mark Simon that was commissioned for the competition.

11/13/2025

Samuel Tatsuki (2025 JIC, 3rd prize viola) will be performing with Prince George's Philharmonic on Saturday, November 15, 2025 at 7:30pm.

The Prince George’s Philharmonic continues its 60th Anniversary Season at 7:30 pm on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at Bowie State University’s Fine and Performing Arts Center in Bowie, Maryland.

Music Director candidate, Peter Wilson, conducts Ray Sprenkle’s "A’rounding" and Bizet’s Symphony in C. Samuel Tatsuki, a 2025 Johansen Competition Winner, performs Bartok’s Concerto for Viola.

Ticket information and more is available at pgphilharmonic.org.

11/03/2025

Congratulations to Xunyu Zhou (2025 JIC, 2nd prize viola) and Ella Eunsuh Park (2025 JIC, semifinalist viola) who were winners at the 7th Oskar Nedbal International Viola Competition! Xunyu received the CZK50,000 (£1,800) first prize, as well as a fine viola bow by Luboš Odlas, a Gewa viola case, three sets of Pirastro Perpetual strings and an Evah Pirazzi Pirastro rosin. Ella was awarded the CZK20,000 (£720) third prize and the audition prize. She also received a Gewa viola case and Pirastro strings and rosin.

Chinese violinist Xunyu Zhou received CZK50,000 (£1,800) alongside a fine bow, viola case, strings and rosin

09/26/2025

Joshua Kováč (2025 JIC, 1st prize cello) will be performing with Avanti Orchestra of the Friday Morning Music Club on Sunday, September 28, 2025 at 3pm.

Please join us for Avanti's first concert of the new season! Chi-Yuan Lin, Music Director and Conductor. Program: Debussy: Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun Saint-Saens: Cello Concerto No. 1, op. 33, featuring Joshua Kováč, 2025 Johansen International Competition (JIC) winner Tchaiko

03/22/2025

03/21/2025

Here are a few more details about this year's JIC winners (listed by instrument, prize, name, age, and citizenship):
Violin:
First: Valery Breshears, 15, United States
Second: Jiwoo Son, 15, Korea
Third: Elizabeth (Poppy) Song, 15, United States
Viola:
First: Junyan Du, 16, China
Second: Xunyu Zhou, 17, China
Third: Samuel Tatsuki, 17, United States
Cello:
First: Joshua Kováč, 17, United States
Second: Eiline Tai, 17, United States
Third: Starla Breshears, 17, United States
Best Performance of Commissioned Work: Eiline Tai
Judges’ Commendation: Mio Imai (Violin), 14, Japan and Matthew Ho (Cello), 16, United States

03/20/2025

2025 JIC update: We have results!
Violin:
First: Valery Breshears (ID # 16)
Second: Jiwoo Son (ID # 10)
Third: Elizabeth (Poppy) Song (ID # 25)
Viola:
First: Junyan Du (ID # 26)
Second: Xunyu Zhou (ID # 6)
Third: Samuel Tatsuki (ID # 4)
Cello:
First: Joshua Kováč (ID # 20)
Second: Eiline Tai (ID # 11)
Third: Starla Breshears (ID # 24)
Best Performance of Commissioned Work: Eiline Tai (cello)
Judges’ Commendation: Mio Imai (Violin) (ID # 21) and Matthew Ho (Cello) (ID # 27)

Send a message to learn more

03/20/2025

2025 JIC finals are happening now!
At: 945 G Street, NW, Washington, DC
Performances until about 3 p.m.; winners will be announced shortly after.

Send a message to learn more

03/04/2025

Join us on March 18th and 19th from 10am - 6pm and on March 20th from 9:30am - 5pm. Free and open to the public!

11/28/2024

The application deadline for the 2025 JIC is coming up in four days: December 1, 2024, 11:59 p.m. ET!

Remember to finish your application!

Start your online application to Johansen International Competition in 801 K Street NW, Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C., 20001, United States at Acceptd!