Richter String Competition

2025 Competition Dates

Saturday, April 12, 2025: Application deadline with prescreen recordings
Tuesday, April 22, 2025: Finalists will be posted
Saturday, May 3, 2025: In-person selected finalists’ audition
Sunday, May 4, 2025: Honors Recital featuring winners from the Richter String Competition and Rivera Piano Competition

  • All Open Division competitors must be taking lessons in New England.
  • All Rivers Division competitors must be enrolled in their second, complete consecutive semester or greater at RSC. Summers are not counted in this total.
  • The competition has two divisions: Rivers and Open. The Rivers Division is open to all string players who take weekly lessons at RSC. The Open Division is for all string players who take lessons in New England.
  • Each division has three categories – Elementary School (up to 5th grade), Middle School (6th – 8th grade), and High School (9th – 12th grade).
  • Students may compete in a higher category if they wish.
  • Students may not participate in the same category if they have already won first place in a previous year, but they may compete in a higher category the following or future years.
  • The Open Division: in each category, 1st prize is $500, 2nd prize is $300, and 3rd prize is $150.
  • The Rivers Division: in each category, 1st prize is a $500 RSC scholarship, 2nd prize is a $300 RSC scholarship, and 3rd prize is a $150 RSC scholarship. If a prize winner is a senior at RSC, a cash prize will be substituted for a scholarship. All Rivers Division competitors must be enrolled in their second, complete consecutive semester or greater at RSC. Summers are not counted in this total.

Requirements for Richter String Competition:

  • Two contrasting pieces memorized
  • If competing in the Open Division, you are responsible for your own accompanist if invited to finals
  • All Rivers Division competitors must be enrolled in their second, complete consecutive semester or greater at RSC. Summers are not counted in this total.

Video Requirements:

  1. At least 720p, preferably 1080p or higher  
  2. One continuous take of both contrasting pieces
  3. Video cannot be edited or altered
  4. Video cannot include an accompanist
  5. Entire body must be visible and fill most of the screen 
  6. Ensure the video has good quality audio and image 
  7. Do not use special effects, dissolves, etc.  
  8. Do not submit pre-recorded live performances
  9. Please wear concert attire 
  10. Competitors bow when finished, as when performing in a recital

**Deviations from the above Requirements will be accepted and heard, but not considered for a prize**  

YouTube Instructions:

  1. Log into YouTube or create a free account.
  2. Click the camera+ icon (top right corner) to upload a new video
  3. Title your video: Last Name, First Name, Open or Rivers Division, Elementary/Middle/High School  
  4. Description: Composer, Title, Key, Opus# or BWV 
  5. “Is this video made for kids?” select, “No, it’s not made for kids”.
  6. Click “Unlisted” under the “Visibility” section and copy the link for your video to include in your application.
  7. Click “Save”.  Your video may take a while to process if it is a large, high-def file.
Downloadable Version of Requirements
2025 Competition Application Now Open

About the Competition

The Richter String Competition is sponsored by the Magdalena Richter Fund and was created to honor the legacy of extraordinary teaching and leadership by Magdalena Richter, the chair of the RSC string department and violin teacher at RSC for many years.

The 2024 Winners

Congratulations to the 2024 winners:

Rivers Division

Elementary School Category

First Prize:  Mattia Wang (Student of Jin-Kyung Joen)

Second Prize:  Sebastian Unglaub (Student of Ron Lowry)

Third Prize:  Colin Svec (Student of Julia Meynert-Guarino)

Middle School Category

First Prize:  Helene Yang (Student of Kelly Barr)

Second Prize:  Leon Bloomenthal (Student of Susanne Friedrich)

Third Prize:  Hema Mani (Student of Alexander Badalov)

High School Category

First Prize:  Ryan Rogers (Student of Eugene Kim)

Second Prize:  Max Wei (Student of Kelly Barr)

Third Prize:  Rob Hargrove (Student of Piotr Buczek)

Open Division

Elementary School Category

First Prize:  Emma Lee (Student of Anna Korsunsky)

Second Prize:  Isaac Cheng (Student of Rebecca Hallowell)

Third Prize:  Allen Huang (Student of Susanne Friedrich)

Middle School Category

First Prize:  Ethan Wright (Student of Miriam Bolkosky)

Second Prize:  Hailey Peck (Student of Yeolim Nam)

Third Prize:  Ava Kung (Student of Caroline Leiber

High School Category

First Prize:  Ian Jang (Student of Harel Gietheim)

Second Prize:  Hana Jang (Student of Rodger Ellsworth)

Third Prize:  Isabella Lai (Student of Lynn Chang)