Merve Birbir started to play the violin aged 6 and when she was 7 was accepted into the Trakya University Edirne State Conservatory under Zuhra Mansurova. She was 2nd Prize winner in the Nedialka Simeonova Competition in Bulgaria aged 10. The following year she won 1st Prize and the Composer Prize in the Gülden Turali Competition, and performed as the soloist with the Presidential Orchestra in Ankara. Merve has taken part in masterclasses with Midori and professors Robert Szreder, Angel Stankov and Cihat Askin. She currently studies at the Prayner Konservatorium Wien under Professor Barbara Gorzynska.

“The name of Yehudi Menuhin was of course always very present in my life. He is for me one of the greatest violinists. And now I am very excited and honoured to be able to participate in the Competition which has his name.
I am looking forward a lot to get the opportunity to meet and get to know other young violinists from all around the world.” (Merve Birbir)