Sixteen-year-old violinist Mingzhe Ye of Tianjin, China, has won first prize at the 2026 Thomas and Evon Cooper International Competition for violin.
Ye secured the title following a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 with the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra under conductor David Danzmayr.
The final concluded several days of competition at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio, bringing together young violinists from around the world.
A US$20,000 first prize
Ye receives the competition’s US$20,000 first prize together with a substantial package of additional opportunities.
These include a two-year loan of a fine violin from Jonathan Solars Fine Violins and a future appearance as guest artist with the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra during either its 2027/28 or 2028/29 season.
The prize package also includes a US$500 Arkady Fomin Scholarship Fund Opportunity Award and a private lesson with violinist Vadim Gluzman.
Three 16-year-olds reach the final
Second prize went to Elizabeth Poppy Song of Haworth, New Jersey, following her performance of Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2.
Minji Choi of Irvine, California, took third place after performing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto.
All three finalists were 16 years old.
Song received US$10,000 and Choi US$5,000. Pending admission, the three finalists are also eligible for tuition awards to Oberlin College and Conservatory.
A Singapore connection on the jury
The 2026 jury also included a familiar name within Singapore’s classical music community.
Violinist Qian Zhou, founding head of strings at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music in Singapore, served on the jury alongside Sibbi Bernhardsson, Jinjoo Cho, Scott Mello and Ami Oike.
The competition featured 17 violinists from seven countries, with competitors ranging from 13 to 18 years old.
About the Cooper International Competition
Founded in 2010, the Thomas and Evon Cooper International Competition is organised by Oberlin College and Conservatory and alternates annually between violin and piano.
Its previous winners include violinist Johan Dalene and pianist George Li, both of whom went on to establish significant international performing careers.
The 2026 result adds Mingzhe Ye to a growing list of young musicians whose performances at the Cooper Competition have attracted international attention at an early stage of their careers.
The next edition of the competition is scheduled to focus on piano in summer 2027.
