We are very proud to announce that the Menuhin Competition London 2016 has smashed its own record with 307 entries this year – from 140 applications received for Oslo 2010, steadily increasing through Beijing 2012 and Austin 2014 the number of applicants has more than doubled. We are particularly pleased that this record number of entries has been achieved in the edition celebrating the centenary year of Yehudi Menuhin’s birth.

Among these 307 extraordinary young violinists, coming from a total of 40 different countries, only 44 will be selected to compete for the coveted prizes compete in April 2016.

We are delighted to have received first time entries from nine countries, including the first ever entry from an African country: Cyprus, Estonia, Georgia, Moldova, Mongolia, Portugal, Slovakia, South Africa and Turkey. The youngest entrant is just 9 years old from Taiwan. Nearly 40% of entrants come from 28 European countries and the competition sees its highest ever number of applicants from the UK, with 28 entrants – could there be a young violinist from 2016’s host country in the final 44 who will compete in London in April 2016?

We have asked all applicants to take part in a survey and found some interesting results, including the fact that inspiration to start play the violin can come from a wide variety of sources: Itzhak Perlman appearing on Sesame Street, the National Youth Orchestra playing live, a violin presented to a child from a Jewish man escaped from Nazi Germany, the need of an orphan to overcome deep emotional issues.

For a summary of these most interesting results please click here