Portrait of the violin competition

The Stiftung Niedersachsen has been organizing the Joseph Joachim Violin Competition in Hanover every three years since 1991. The competition stands for the international promotion of excellence in classical music. At the same time, it is one of the top-class, internationally acclaimed music events in the state capital of Hanover.

Many young violinists have presented themselves to the public and the jury in Hanover since 1991. Today, the renowned violin competition has grown into a forum for concert life. It offers exceptional young violin talents the opportunity to present themselves to an enthusiastic audience, an international jury and top-class concert organisers in up to five competition rounds. Participation in the Joseph Joachim Violin Competition can thus become the starting point for an international solo career on the stages of the world's major concert halls and festivals.

The competition focuses on the artistic personality of the young violinists and their concertante charisma. The competition repertoire reflects this in every edition of the competition. From solo performances to appearances with the symphony orchestra, from organising their own recital to the challenge of playing a completely new composition for the first time - the Joseph Joachim Violin Competition gives young violinists the opportunity to face these challenges under excellent conditions. On the stages of the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media and the NDR Konzerthaus Niedersachsen, they play alongside first-class artistic partners such as the Kuss Quartet, the NDR Radiophilharmonie and selected pianists. 

The Joseph Joachim Violin Competition is characterised by a combination of the highest level of concentration and an atmosphere of personal warmth. On request, participants can find a temporary home with a Hanoverian host family.

The Joseph Joachim Violin Competition will be streamed live on the internet and can therefore be experienced all over the world. An extensive supporting programme opens up the international music competition to Lower Saxony and involves children and young people. During the competition, selected semi-finalists will travel from the state capital of Hanover to venues throughout the state of Lower Saxony on one evening. The "The Competition across the State" concert programme offers special concerts in smaller venues and invites local audiences to experience participants live on site. Innovative education programmes, such as 'Showtime' and 'Young Reporters', offer pupils, teenagers and young adults an exciting approach to the competition and the opportunity to be actively involved.

The Stiftung Niedersachsen is the cultural foundation of Lower Saxony and organises the competition. The Joseph Joachim Violin Competition team complements the Foundation's office team.

The foundation promotes the diversity of culture throughout Lower Saxony and strengthens its identity and locations. With an annual funding volume of around 5 million euros, it is one of the largest cultural sponsors in Lower Saxony. The foundation is present in cultural life between the Harz Mountains and the North Sea coast, in Ammerland and Hanover, in Osnabrück, Oldenburg and the Wesermarsch, in Braunschweig, Holzminden and Lüchow-Dannenberg. In addition to promoting music, it supports non-profit cultural projects in the fields of museums and art, theatre and dance, literature and socioculture. The Stiftung Niedersachsen provides its own impetus to the cultural scene with its own funding programmes. These funding programmes include the Joseph Joachim Violin Competition, as well as the SchreibZeit scholarship programme and the Best OFF Festival of Independent Theatre.