Mingzhe Ye Wins 2026 Cooper International Violin Competition

Sixteen-year-old violinist Mingzhe Ye of Tianjin, China, won the 2026 Thomas and Evon Cooper International Competition on Friday evening following a performance of Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35. He performed with the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra under the direction of conductor David Danzmayr.

Ye received the competition's top prize, which includes a $20,000 cash award, a two-year loan of a rare violin from Jonathan Solars Fine Violins, and a future guest artist appearance with the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra during the 2027–28 or 2028–29 season. The award package also includes a $500 Arkady Fomin Scholarship Fund Opportunity Award from the North Shore Chamber Music Festival and a private lesson with ProMusica Chamber Orchestra Creative Partner Vadim Gluzman.

Elizabeth Poppy Song, 16, of Haworth, New Jersey, earned second place for her performance of Sergei Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 63. Minji Choi, 16, of Irvine, California, placed third with her interpretation of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35.

Second- and third-place prizes included cash awards of $10,000 and $5,000, respectively. Pending admission, all three finalists will also receive tuition to Oberlin College and Conservatory.

The awards ceremony concluded a week of performances featuring 17 violinists from seven countries. During Wednesday's recital round, Emrik Revermann of Toronto, Canada, placed fourth, while Jiye Kang of Jejudo, South Korea, and Hyunsuk Ryu of Seoul, South Korea, tied for fifth place. Fourth- and fifth-place finishers each received $1,500.

Before the finals concert, Sibbi Bernhardsson, director of the Cooper Competition, chair of the jury, and professor of violin at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, reflected on the week shared by the competitors.

"It was inspiring to listen to these wonderful young musicians perform over the last few days," Bernhardsson said. "In our troubled world it was uplifting and hopeful to witness them pour their heart and souls into their music with great commitment, dedication and passion. It is a good reminder that with young people like this, our future is great and the future of classical music is great." 

Joining Bernhardsson on the jury were Jinjoo Cho, professor of violin at Northwestern University's Bienen School of Music; Scott Mello, vice president of Opus 3 Artists; Ami Oike, professor of violin at Tokyo University of the Arts (GEIDAI); and Qian Zhou, founding head of strings at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music in Singapore.

Founded in 2010, the Thomas and Evon Cooper International Competition provides a competitive opportunity for outstanding young musicians between the ages of 13 and 18 from around the world. Made possible through the generosity of Thomas Cooper '78 and pianist Evon Cooper, the competition alternates annually between violin and piano. Past winners include pianist George Li and violinist Johan Dalene, both of whom have gone on to international performing careers.

The 2026 violin competition was broadcast by The Violin Channel. The next Cooper International Competition, featuring piano, will take place in summer 2027.