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MONTRÉAL, CANADA

Violin Summit in Montréal

Competitions

Koshiro Takeuchi wins the 2026 Concours musical international de Montréal

Dedicated this year to the violin, the 2026 Concours musical international de Montréal (CMIM) took place on May 27 to June 4, closing at the Maison symphonique with the crowning of 21-year-old Koshiro Takeuchi as the first prize. This year’s edition drew 250 applications from 37 countries, of which 24 violinists from 18 countries were selected for the live rounds, including three from Canada, one of whom is from Montreal. Ten of which proceeded to the semi-finals, and five were chosen to compete in the first part of the final round, playing a Mozart concerto with the Orchestre symphonique de montréal, and then three grand finalists were chosen to perform concertos at the grand final.

At the Grand Final, held at the Maison symphonique, the three finalists performed full concertos with the OSM under guest conductor Sascha Goetzel. Performing Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35, Koshiro Takeuchi was awarded First Prize, valued at $70,000 in total — a $30,000 cash prize offered in partnership with the Ville de Montréal, and the $40,000 Joseph-Rouleau Career Development Grant, offered in partnership with the Azrieli Foundation. Takeuchi will also receive a three-year loan of the Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù 1728–30 "ex-Christopher Warren-Green" violin, along with further professional development opportunities, performance engagements, and residencies.

Koshiro Takeuchi, First prize winner

Koshiro Takeuchi, born in Tokyo, began playing the violin at the age of five. A graduate of the Tokyo College of Music High School, he is currently a full scholarship student at the Manhattan School of Music and a full scholarship student at the Tokyo College of Music's Artist Diploma Course, studying with Koichiro Harada, Lucie Robert, and Mayuko Kamio. He made his debut in 2024 with a performance with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Tadaki Otaka. He has since performed with orchestras including the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre de la Garde républicaine and Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, among others.  He won first prize at the 2025 Ion Voicu International Violin Competition and third prize at the 2023 Long-Thibaud International Music Competition.

Prize winners 2026: Laurel Gagnon, Kenshiro Takeuchi, Sara Watanabe

Sara Watanabe, from Japan, received Second Prize along with a $15,000 cash prize and $10,000 Career Development Grant offered in partnership with the Azrieli Foundation. She was also awarded the Mozart Prize for the best performance of a Mozart concerto in the 3 June finals. The third prize went to Laurel Gagnon, slong with the $10,000 cash prize offered in partnership with Stingreay classica, and $10,000 Career Development Grant offered in partnership with the Azrieli Foundation. She also won the Canadian Work Prize and the Sonata Prize.

Sara Watanabe, Second prize winner

Laurel Gagnon, third prize winner

The Concours musical international de Montréal enjoys an undeniable reputation as one of the most prestigious and welcoming international music competitions around the world. A multidisciplinary event, the Concours has welcomed annually since 2002, in turn, singers, violinists, and pianists. Well over 5,000 musicians of the new generation from more than 90 countries and trained at the world’s most important musical schools have entered the competition. A major event on Montréal’s cultural calendar, the Concours musical international de Montréal is a high-profile showcase that shapes the future of the classical music scene by offering its laureates invaluable visibility and professional opportunities. The competitors measure themselves against their peers, performing before a jury of classical music luminaries and music lovers in Montréal. 

The Concours is designed to give every contestant a chance to be seen and recognized. Violinists who do not advance to the semi-final still take the stage through Concours On the Road, now in its third consecutive year, performing for audiences in and around Montreal and extending the competition's reach well beyond its main halls. Along the way, special prizes are awarded every round. Two other finalists, Bade Dastan and Aozhe Zhang, were each awarded $3,000, offered in partnership with the Rouleau Family and Jacques Vincent.

Awards
First prize: Koshiro Takeuchi (21), New York
Second prize: Sara Watanabe (21), Nishinomiya
Third prize: Laurel Gagnon (31), New York

Jury
Lucie Robert (Chair), Ju-Young Bark, Glenn Dicterow, Simin Ganatra, Yuzuko Horigome, Régis Pasquier, Barry Shiffman, Pavel Vernikov

Artists
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal/ Sascha Goetzel (Conductor)

© WFIMC 2026