By Ara Arakelian
BOSTON, Mass.—Violinist Emmanuel Tjeknavorian won second prize recently at the coveted 2015 Jean Sibelius International Violin Competition in Finland. In addition to the second prize, worth 18,000 euros, Tjeknavorian, 20, also received a special prize of 3,000 euros for the best interpretation of the Sibelius Violin Concerto.
American violinist Christel Lee won the first prize; Friderike Starkloff of Germany received the third prize.
Held every 5 years, this year’s competition received a record number of applicants—some 234 entries from 29 countries. Six finalists were selected to the final round of the competition after several preliminary stage performances.
Boston audiences may recall Tjeknavorian’s memorable performance at the 2013 Armenian Night at the Pops, where he performed the “Carmen Fantasy” by Fritz Waxman, as well as the film music from Schindler’s List with the Boston Pops under the direction of Keith Lockhart. In October of this year, Tjeknavorian appeared again with Maestro Lockhart in Vienna, in a special concert titled, “Hollywood in Vienna.”
Born in Vienna, Tjeknavorian represented Austria in the 2012 Eurovision contest, and in 2013 won first prize in the Stefanie Hohl Violin Competition and first prize in the Fifth Szymon Goldberg Award competition. He was the first Austrian in the history of the Fritz Kreisler Competition to make it to the final round, where he won third place. In 2013, he received the Casinos Austria Rising Start Award.
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