The Richter String 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 deadline for applications with prescreen recordings is Saturday, April 15, 2023.
  • Those who pass prescreening will be invited to the In-Person Selected Finalists’ Audition that will take place on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
  • A Winners’ Recital will take place on Sunday, May 7, 2023.
  • All competitors must be enrolled in their second consecutive semester or greater at RSC. Summers are not counted in this total.

2023 Competition Application

Congratulations to the 2022 Winners:
Elementary School
1st Prize: Alex Hernandez-Williams (student of Liana Zaretsky)
2nd Prize: Valerie Bai (student of Kelly Barr)
3rd Prize: Anouk Grigoryan (student of Lucia May)

Middle School
1st Prize: Kirsten Choi (student of Ron Lowry)
2nd Prize: Joelle Chang (student of Jin-Kyung Joen)
3rd Prize: Rob Hargrove (student of Piotr Buczek)

High School
1st Prize: Christopher Kim (student of Piotr Buczek)
2nd Prize: Emilia Spasojevic (student of Ron Lowry)
3rd Prize: Jonathan Liu  (student of Ron Lowry)

Divisions & Eligibility
  • The competition has two divisions: Rivers and Open. Rivers is open to all string players who take weekly lessons at RSC. Open 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 Upper 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.

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

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