By Laurie Niles: On Thursday three Finalists were announced in the 2021 Primrose International Viola Competition, which is taking place this week at The Colburn School in Los Angeles. ![2021 Primrose Finalists]()
Primrose International Viola Competition Finalists (L-R): Samuel Rosenthal, Nicholas Swensen and Natalie Loughran.
They are:
![Primrose Finalists]()
The Finalists, at The Colburn School on Thursday night.
The final round and award ceremony will take place on Saturday at The Colburn School. Click here to watch previous and future livestreams.
A Viola Mini-Fest, with lectures, exhibits, master classes and recitals, also will take place on Friday and Saturday at Colburn. (Stop by and see me on Saturday at the Violinist.com table - we'll be giving away luggage tags for your instrument case and selling "Violinist.com Interviews" books.) Here is a schedule, which includes events for both the competition and mini-fest.
Prizes in the Primrose competition include a $15,000 first prize; $10,000 second prize; $5,000 third prize; $1,000 transcriptions prize; and a new category, $1,000 prize for the best performance of a work by a BIPOC composer. The first prize winner will also perform at the 2022 American Viola Society Festival and 47th International Viola Congress in June 2022.
This year's jury includes Barry Shiffman (Chairman), Andrés Cárdenes, Victoria Chiang, Daniel Heifetz, Mai Motobuchi, Dimitri Murrath, and Chauncey Patterson.
You might also like:
Primrose International Viola Competition Finalists (L-R): Samuel Rosenthal, Nicholas Swensen and Natalie Loughran.
- Nicholas Swensen, of Denmark/U.S.
- Samuel Rosenthal, 21, of the U.S.
- Natalie Loughran, of the U.S.
The Finalists, at The Colburn School on Thursday night.