Prestigious violinist competition to land Beijing April

Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists will be held in Beijing from April 6-15, the first time for the prestigious competition being held outside Europe.

Forty-two players have been shortlisted out of 234 contestants from 28 countries to contend in the Beijing event, Gordon Back, the competition's artistic director, announced Thursday in Beijing.

The jury committee will consist of nine globally-famous violin performers and musicians, with American violinist Pamela Frank as the chair. They will give public performance in five concerts during the competition, Back said.

According to Wang Cizhao, chair of the organizing committee and president of China's Central Conservatory of Music, two works of Chinese composers will feature among compulsory pieces for players in a bid to add color of Chinese culture to the event.

Founded by Yehudi Menuhin and mostly referred to as the Menuhin Competition, the contest first took place in Kent, England in 1983 and is a major violin competition for young players under the age of 22. Past winners include renowned Chinese violinists Lu Siqing and Ning Feng.