Matthew Hakkarainen

Matthew Hakkarainen became the first American violinist to be awarded first prize at the Premio Rodolfo Lipizer International Violin Competition, in Gorizia, Italy, where he also received three special prizes for “a young, deserving talent,” the best interpretation of a 19^th century sonata, and the best interpretation of a 19^th century concerto. He received his Bachelor of Music from the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Pamela Frank, and he is currently attending the Juilliard School, studying with Sylvia Rosenberg and Ronald Copes. Previous teachers Matthew has studied with include Charles Castleman, Mauricio Fuks, Borislava Iltcheva, Huifang Chen, and Maree Sawhney. In 2024, he won the 3rd prize at the Stuttgart International Violin Competition.