A feast of violin mastery: Highlights from Rounds I and II If the first two rounds of the 2026 Michael Hill International Violin Competition have demonstrated anything, it is the extraordinary breadth of artistry emerging from the next generation of violinists. Across four days of performances, audiences in Queenstown have travelled across more than three centuries of music, from the architectural brilliance of Bach to newly commissioned New Zealand music, dazzling virtuoso showpieces, intimate sonatas and deeply personal…

Monday 1 June 2026  Due to illness with one of the collaborative pianists, a last minute change has been made to the Michael Hill International Violin Competition 2026 schedule. This afternoon’s session - Round II, Session 4 - the final segment of the quarter-finals in Queenstown, will now be broken into two separate events. Competitors 13 and 15, Emmalena Huning (Perth) and Yebin Yoo (New York), will perform this afternoon at 3.15pm and 4.40pm NZST respectively. Competitors 14…

Please join us for our last day of Round II in Queenstown, and for our semi-finalist announcement at approximately 7pm (NZST) Monday 1 June. Live stream: www.violincompetition.co.nz Monday 1 June Queenstown Memorial Centre 9.30am: Insiders Guide Paganini: a Devil or a God? (Presenter: Archie Lamont-Bowden) Who was Paganini and what does he represent in the world of violin performance? Archie explores his legendary caprices – how such devilish challenges demand godly technical execution. ROUND II – SESSION 3…

Reflections by Mary Lonsdale Baker Audience member, supporter, competitor host Lord Byron wrote “She walks in beauty”. I truly understand these words as I attend the first rounds of the 2026 Michael Hill International Violin Competition in Queenstown, New Zealand. I am entirely surrounded by beauty. First is the natural beauty of this mountain town. Situated at the foot of the South Island’s stunning Remarkable Mountains on the shore of Lake Wakatipu, this is surely everyone’s idea of a…

With Round II now well underway, we invited some of our 2026 Fellows - New Zealand-based musicians who are studying at a high level and who hold a number of different roles in the 2026 Competition including presenting, score reading and page turning - about their favourite moments from Round I, the quarter-finals in Queenstown... Mana Waiariki (violinist) "Hearing Salina Fisher’s piece ‘Chasm’ so many times in so many different interpretations has been so interesting! They are all…

Round II (Sessions 1 and 2) Queenstown Memorial Centre 9.30am: Insiders Guide Two Partners in One Story makes a Duo Sonata (Presenters: Madeleine Xiao & Lorna Zhang) Between the piano’s orchestral depth and the lyrical voice of the violin, Lorna Zhang explores the shifting roles and interplaying textures within the two throughout the eras. How much can strike from the intimacy in this simple duality? Who stands as the King and who will be Queen? ROUND II –…

Round I (sessions 3 and 4) Queenstown Memorial Centre 9.30am: Insiders Guide: Up close to the Chasm (Mana Waiariki) The 2026 MHIVC commissioned composer, Salina Fisher, sits down with Mana to discuss her commissioned work Chasm and why the history of the MHIVC commission is integral to the global music community. ROUND I – SESSION 3 10:00-10:35am: Alexey Stychkin (Berlin) Pianist: Sarah Watkins JS Bach – Adagio and Fuga Sonata 1 in G minor Paganini – Caprice No…

Round I: Schedule Friday 29th May Queenstown Memorial Centre View the livestream here 1.30pm: Insiders Guide Bach: Between the Lines Presenter: Indiana Williamson Bach’s solo violin works are never truly “solo.” Beneath a single line lies a web of voices, implied harmonies, and intricate counterpoint. In this insider’s guide, Indiana Williamson explores how Bach creates the illusion of multiple voices on one instrument. Through a closer look at phrasing, structure and technique, he reveals the challenge of bringing…