Prizes

Prizes Awarded at 2026 Indianapolis Competition Gala
Awards Ceremony for its Six new Laureates

Following Saturday night’s Finals and subsequent Laureate placement announcement, the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis closed its 12th Quadrennial Competition with its Gala Awards Ceremony at the Scottish Rite Cathedral on Sunday, October 4. Among the festivities were performances by each of the six Finalists, as well as the presentation of Medals and Special Prizes bestowed upon the Finalists. Cash awards were given to each winner, plus to the pianist in the case of a sonata.

Gold Medalist – $75,000

KARISA CHIU
Sponsored by David and Amy Fulton

Silver Medalist -$30,000

ELLI CHOI
Sponsored by the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation, Inc.n

Bronze Medalist – $15,000

AOZHE ZHANG
Sponsored by Kay F. Koch

Fourth Place Laureate – $10,000

XUNYUE ZHANG
Sponsored by David and Christina Wong and Family

Fifth Place Laureate – $8,000

YESONG SOPHIE LEE
Sponsored by Laura and Alan Mendelsohn and Skip and Buff Whaley

Sixth Place Laureate – $6,000

LINA NAKANO
Sponsored by Ms. Suzanne Killen

In addition to the cash prize, Gold Medalist Karisa Chiui received the Josef Gingold Gold Medal, designed by Indiana sculptor Dan Edwards and an 18K Rose Gold Mounted Pernambuco violin bow, valued at over $12,000 by bowmaker Ronald Ji from New York. XXX will also receive a Carnegie Hall recital debut and a recording contract. The Gold, Silver and Bronze Medalists will receive career management for four years, and will have the opportunity to use a violin from the IVCI collection, including the 1683 “ex-Gingold” Stradivarius until the next Competition in 2030.

Below is a list of the 2026 Special Prizes:

Best Performance of a Concerto in the Finals

$5,000
LINA NAKANO
(Bartók Violin Concerto No. 2, Sz. 112)
Sponsored by Kathy and Lou Daugherty

Best Performance of a Classical Concerto

$2,500
KARISA CHIU
(Mozart Violin Concerto No. 4 in D, K. 218)
Sponsored by The Andrew J. Paine, Jr. Award

Best Performance of a Mozart Sonata or Schubert Sonatina

In Memory of Henryk Kowalski
Violinist- $1,000
XUNYUE ZHANG
Sponsored by The Kwok Family
Pianist – $1,000
MELIVIA RAHARJO
(Schubert Sonatina in D major, Op. 137, No. 1)
Sponsored by Joo and Stephen Boe

Best Performance of a Violin-Piano Sonata (other than Beethoven)

$1,000
KARISA CHIU
(Prokofiev Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 80)
Sponsored by Donald P. Bogard

Best Performance of a Beethoven Sonata

Violinist $1,000
KARISA CHIU
Pianist – $1,000
THOMAS HOPPE
(Sonata No. 6 in A major, Op. 30)
Permanently endowed in loving memory of Francis J. Chen and Kuang Jui-Fang by their sons, daughters-in-law and granddaughter Victor, Betty, Benjamin, Helen and Heidi.

Best Performance of the Rhapsody No. 3 by Jessie Montgomery

$1,000
KARISA CHIU
Title Sponsor
Drs. John and Emily Giesel and Owen Hungerford
Associate Sponsor
Charles and Carol Ward – In Memory of James P. White

Best Performance of an Encore Piece

$1,000
KARISA CHIU
(Wagner Albumblatt)
The Thomas J. Beczkiewicz Founding Director’s Award

Best Performance of a Work by Paganini, Ernst or Milstein

$1,000
AOZHE ZHANG
(Caprice Nos. 7 and 24, Op. 1)
The Michael D. O’Brien Award

Best Performance of an Ysaÿe Sonata

$1,000
XUNYUE ZHANG
(Sonata No. 4 in E minor)
Sponsored by Wei-Tai Kwok and Violet Hsu

Best Performance of a Kreisler Encore

$1,000
KARISA CHIU
(La Gitana)
Sponsored by Anonymous – In Memory of Dorothy DeLay