INDIANAPOLIS — The 12th Quadrennial International Violin Competition of Indianapolis (IVCI) concluded in spectacular fashion as 27-year-old American violinist Karisa Chiu was awarded the Gold Medal. The announcement marks the climax of one of the most prestigious events in the classical music world, cementing Chiu’s status as a rising force in the international soloist circuit.
As the Gold Medalist, Chiu receives a significant prize package, including a $75,000 cash award, a debut recital at Carnegie Hall, a professional CD recording contract, and comprehensive website development. Beyond these immediate rewards, the top three medalists—including Silver Medalist Elli Choi (USA) and Bronze Medalist Aozhe Zhang (China)—are guaranteed a transformative four-year tenure of dedicated career management and international concert engagements.
The competition’s final stages highlighted an extraordinary depth of talent. Fourth, fifth, and sixth places were awarded to Xunyue Zhang, Yesong Sophie Lee, and Lina Nakano, respectively. All finalists will have the rare privilege of utilizing one of the instruments from the IVCI’s renowned collection, which includes the legendary 1683 “ex-Gingold” Stradivari violin, through the next quadrennial cycle in 2030.
The 2026 jury, presided over by Jaime Laredo and featuring esteemed musicians such as David Chan, Pamela Frank, and Cho-Liang Lin, faced the difficult task of evaluating competitors who have already achieved significant international milestones.
Chiu’s victory comes as the latest chapter in a distinguished musical journey. A product of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra family—her father, Cornelius Chiu, serves as a violinist for the ensemble—Karisa began her formal training at the age of two. Following her studies at the Curtis Institute of Music and the Cleveland Institute of Music, she is currently refining her craft under the tutelage of Catherine Cho and Donald Weilerstein as an Artist Diploma student at The Juilliard School.
Chiu is no stranger to the high-stakes world of international performance. Her resume includes top honors at the Isangyun, Menuhin, and Leopold Mozart competitions. In 2021, she made industry history as the first solo violinist to record for the label Cedille Records in over two decades, releasing her debut album, Home, alongside pianist Zhu Wang.
The excitement in Indianapolis is set to continue for one more day. While the major prizes have been decided, the highly anticipated announcement of all Special Prizes is scheduled for tomorrow, October 4.
For audiences who missed the final performances, the entire competition was broadcast via The Violin Channel, with full recordings currently available for viewing online. As the classical world turns its attention to this new laureate, it is clear that the 12th IVCI has introduced a powerful new voice to the global stage, ensuring that Karisa Chiu will be a fixture in concert halls for years to come.
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