The 2026 International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition Leipzig has announced its prize winners in the violin category, with Miha Zhu (29, Germany) taking first prize.
The violinist was awarded €20,000, along with several additional distinctions, including the Audience Award and the Bärenreiter Urtext Prize. Zhu also received a special prize from Wagler Leipzig GmbH, consisting of a custom-made stage outfit.
Second prize (€10,000) was awarded to Céleste Klingelschmitt (23, France), a specialist in baroque violin, while third prize (€5,000) went to Cosima Soulez-Larvière (29, Netherlands).
Additional prizes included a scholarship from the Christa Bach-Marschall Foundation, awarded to Moë Dierstein (20, Germany), supporting participation in a masterclass.
As part of the competition’s professional opportunities, prizewinners will be featured in upcoming performances, including concerts at the Bachfest Leipzig 2026 and appearances in Leipzig and Brunico (Italy).
The same foundation also announced instrument loans for selected participants: a modern violin to Phoebe Rousochatzaki (26, Greece) and a baroque violin to Klingelschmitt.
Founded in 1950 and organised by the Bach-Archiv Leipzig, the International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition is one of the leading specialist competitions dedicated to the music of Bach. Held in Leipzig — the city where Bach served as Thomaskantor — the competition places particular emphasis on stylistic understanding and historically informed performance. Its disciplines rotate between instruments and voice, with the 2026 edition dedicated to violin and baroque violin. Over the decades, the competition has helped launch the careers of numerous artists and remains closely linked to the Bachfest Leipzig, where prizewinners are regularly invited to perform.
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