The Rahn Kulturfonds was founded to promote and award outstanding students of swiss music conservatoires and academies.

Rahn Musikpreis 2018 for strings

The competition Rahn Musikpreis 2018 for strings was held from 16 to 19 January 2018 at ZKO-Haus in Zurich. 53 candidates from all over the world took part and a total of 12 prizes were awarded in the four instrument categories. First prizes, endowed with CHF 12,000 each, went to Vasyl Zatsikha (violin), Salauat Karibayev (cello) and Zhixiong Liu (double bass). Second prizes of 8,000 Swiss francs each were awarded to Sherniyaz Mussakhan (violin), Constantin Macherel (violoncello) and Minji Kim (violoncello). Third prizes of CHF 4,000 each were awarded to Eoin Ducrot (violin), Amelia Mirella Maszonska (violin), Natanael Ferreira Dos Santos (viola), Manuel Nägeli (viola), Francesco Stefanelli (violoncello) and Irene Sanz Centeno (double bass). The prize winners’ concert was held on 10 April 2018 at the Tonhalle Maag.

Rahn Musikpreis 2016 for piano

The Rahn Musikpreis competition 2016 took place from 16-20 January 2016 at the ZKO-Haus in Zurich. 42 students applied, mainly from Russia but also from Belgium, France, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Rumania, Switzerland, Spain, Taiwan, Czech Republic, Turkey, Ukraine and Hungary. Three female and five male students qualified for the final audition. The jury awarded a first prize to Chiara Opalio from Italy and Benedek Horváth from Hungary (CHF 12’000 each). The third prize (CHF 4’000) was won by Alexandra Sikorskaya from Russia.

Impressions

Rahn Musikpreis 2014 for strings

The Rahn Musikpreis competition 2014 for string instruments took place from 19-21 January 2014 at the ZKO-Haus. Approximately 100 students participated, among them seven from Switzerland, as well as from various European countries and from Russia. 17 students qualified for the final audition. The members of the jury were: Ada Pesch, Karen Forster, Sol Gabetta and Frank Sanderell. They awarded the cellist Miriam Prandi with a first prize (CHF 12’000). A second prize (CHF 8’000) went to the violinist Rustem Monasypov, the cellist Beatriz Blanco and Vanessa Hunt Russell. Third prizes went to (CHF 4’000) the violinist Simon Wiener, the violist Grigory Maximenko and the double bassists Witold Moniewski and Zhi Xiong Liu.

Impressions

Rahn Musikpreis 2012 for piano

The Rahn Musikpreis competition 2012 for piano took place from 20-22 January 2012 at the ZKO-Haus in Zurich. 25 students from Switzerland and abroad competed, four of them from Switzerland, the others mainly from Japan, Russia and Ukraine. Six students qualified for the final audition. The jury awarded a first prize (CHF 12’000 each) to Asaki Ino from Japan and Maki Wiederkehr from Switzerland. A third prize (CHF 4’000) went to Mari Tada from Japan.

Impressions

Rahn Musikpreis 2010 for strings

The Rahn Musikpreis competition for string instruments 2010 took place from 19-22 January at St. Peter’s church in Zurich. 41 students from Switzerland and abroad applied: 19 violinists, 11 violists, 8 cellists and 3 double bassists. Students from Switzerland, other European countries, Asia, Australia and the USA participated. 13 candidates qualified for the final audition. The jury awarded a first prize (CHF 10’000) to the violinist Vladyslava Luchenko from Ukraine and the Chinese cellist, Mi Zhou, as well as to the double bassist Wies de Boevé from Belgium. A second prize (CHF 8’000) went to Konstantin Manaev, Cellist from Russia. Third prizes (CHF 4’000) went to the violinist Malwina Sosnowski from Switzerland and the two cellists Gunta Abele from Latvia and Marie Waldmannova from Czech Republic. None of the violists was awarded.

Impressions

Rahn Musikpreis 2008 for piano

The Rahn Musikpreis competition 2008 took place from 15-18 January 2008. The jury comprised of Howard Griffiths as president, Klaus Linder, Dominique Merlet and Ricardo Castro. The jury awarded prizes of a total of CHF 30’000. The first prize was won by Giulietta Koch, the second prize by Christoph Scheffelt.

Impressions

Rahn Musikpreis 2006 for strings

The Rahn Musikpreis competition 2006 for string instruments took place from 16-20 January 2006. The jury comprised of Gérard Caussé (viola, Paris) as president, Bohuslav Matousek (violin, Prague), Yvan Chiffoleau (violoncello, Paris), Frank Sanderell (double bass, Zurich) and Ricardo Castro (piano, Bahia).

The jury awarded prizes of a total of CHF 50’000. First prize winners were Mayuko Kamio (Violin), Alexander Grytsayenko (violin), Lionel Cottet (violoncello) and Benjamin Nyffenegger (violoncello). Second prize winners were Veit Hertenstein (viola) and Samuel Alcántara (double bass). Third prizes went to Noémie Rufer (violin) and Xu Luo (double bass).