Live and online audience members are encouraged to vote for their favourite competitor, online or NZ mobile (standard charges apply), in the Michael Hill International Violin Competition Audience Prize. Please find the online voting button on our Home Page or text the unique code of your favourite competitor to 3323 (NZ only. Standard call charges apply). Competitor codes are below. Contestant Text code Rimma Benyumova (Russia) RIM Emmalena Huning (Australia) EMMA Do Gyung (Anna) Im (South Korea) ANNA Harry…

This beautiful video of our 2011 winner Sergey Malov playing the Paganini’s Caprice 24 perfectly highlights the violinist’s stunning feats of dexterity. Martin Riseley is the Head of Strings at the New Zealand School of Music. He began violin studies at the age of six, and gave his first solo concert when he was ten. Since 2015, he has been Concertmaster of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and has conducted the Edmonton Symphony, Manawatu Chamber Orchestra, Academy Strings of Alberta, and…

Our Competitors enjoyed a brilliant opening event and draw announcement, at the home of Competition Founder Sir Michael Hill and his wife Christine, Lady Hill. Guests enjoyed a pōwhiri - a traditional Māori welcome - by Queenstown tangata whenua (people of this place) and children from Arrowtown Primary (pictured), as well as welcome speeches by Queenstown Mayor Jim Boult, Sir Michael Hill and Competition Director Anne Rodda. The following day, we welcomed a group of guests for lunch at…