This year saw the 75th jubilee of the competition, with Artem Shishkov winning the ‘Violin’ nomination for Belarus. Over four rounds, 78 musicians performed brilliantly, presenting the best world traditions in fine music. Just twelve entered the finals, representing Belarus, Albania, Russia, Belgium, South Korea, Japan, China, the USA, Canada and the Czech Republic. Six were awarded prestigious awards and have entered the elite of world violin playing.
Artem is a graduate of Professor Eduard Kuchinsky, having studied at the Belarusian State Academy of Music, and is a postgraduate of the University of Music and Performing Arts (Vienna, Austria), having studied with Dora Schwarzenberg since 2010. Artem has won prestigious contests in Belarus, Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Ukraine. He took second place at the International Torun 2007 Violin Competition (dedicated to the memory of Karol Szymanowski), hosted by Poland, and at Austria’s Johannes Brahms International Competition, in 2006. In 2012, he claimed third prize at Germany’s International Max Rostal Competition.
Artem is also a laureate of the Special Presidential Fund for the Support of Talented Young People and receives sponsorship from the Vladimir Spivakov International Charity Foundation. He is part of the Lipkind Quartet and has performed at musical festivals across Europe.
The Belarusian Culture Ministry and the Belarusian State Academy of Music have provided Artem with the opportunity to play a unique violin crafted by Andrea Guarneri, in 1673. It was bought with funds allocated by Belarusian sponsors and Artem helped select it from London’s Florian Leonhard Fine Violins.
