The Sixth Triennial Johansen International Competition for Young String Players took place on March 21–24, 2012, at Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, DC. To learn more about the 2012 competition, and to see what repertoire was performed during Semi-Final and Final rounds, take a look at the 2012 JIC Program.

First Place Winners

2012 Winners (left to right): Taeguk Mun, Gallia Kastner, Jean Kim, Santiago Canon Valencia, Gloria Ferry-Brennan, Brannon Cho, Ziyu Shen, Maria Ioudenitch, and Zhenwei Shi.

Prize Winners

Violins

  • First Prize – $10,000 – Gallia Kastner, age 15; student of Almita Vamos;  from Arlington Heights, Illinois.
  • Second Prize – $7,000 – Maria Ioudenitch, age 16; student of Ben Sayevich; from Overland Park, Kansas.
  • Third Prize – $5,000 – Gloria Ferry-Brennan, age 15; student of Simon James; from Langley, Washington.

Violas

  • First Prize – $10,000 – Ziyu Shen, age 14; student of Li Sheng; from Shanghai China.
  • Second Prize – $7,000 – No viola second prize awarded.
  • Third Prize – $5,000 – Zhenwei Shi, age 16; student of Li Sheng; from Shanghai China.

Cellos

  • First Prize – $10,000 – Brannon Cho, age 17; student of Hans Jensen in Illinois; from Short Hills, New Jersey. (Brannon was also a Finalist in the 2009 Johansen International Competition at age 14.)
  • Second Prize – $7,000 – Santiago Canon Valencia, age 16; student of James Tennant in Hamilton, New Zealand; from Bogota, Colombia.
  • Third Prize – $5,000 – Jean Kim, age 16; student of Minhye Clara Kim; from Sleepy Hollow, New York.

Best Performance of Commissioned Work, Three Minute Chaconne, by Jonathan Leshnoff – $500 – Taeguk Mun, cello, age 17; student of Minhye Clara Kim; citizen of South Korea from Westbury, New York.

Performance and Other Opportunities

Individual winners performed in a Winners’ Recital at the Church of the Annunciation in Washington, DC, and also appeared as soloists with the Capital City Symphony, FMMC Avanti Orchestra, and Prince Georges Philharmonic.

Collaborative Pianists

Composer