Toronto violist Emad Zolfaghari has been selected to compete in the 79th Concours de Genève later this year. He’s one of 38 violists who have been selected from a field of 91 candidates who submitted their applications for 2025.
The 20-year old is among the youngest of the competitors, and the only musician to come from Canada.
“We are proud to present 38 wonderful young violists from around the globe. The competition wants to challenge them, help them develop their stage personality and enlarge their perspective. The preselection process was already a proof of the good spirit at the Concours de Genève,” says Tabea Zimmerman, Chair of the Jury, in a statement.
Fast facts about the competition:
The first official round takes place from September 8 to 14, 2025, and will take the form of an online recital that audiences can stream from the Concours de Genève’s YouTube channel.
The Semi-Final and Final Rounds of the Competition will be held from November 6 to 12 in Geneva, and will be livestreamed on Concours de Genève’s website and social media channels, with the final taking place in Geneva’s Victoria Hall with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande.
The prizes are:
Emad Zolfaghari hails from Oakville, Ontario. Emad studied at the Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists in Toronto before entering the Curtis Institute of Music in 2021 at the age of 16, where he currently studies as the Elaine W. Camarda and A. Morris Williams Jr. Fellow.
He is a past member of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, and has performed as a soloist with l’Orchestre Métropolitain at the Maison Symphonique in Montréal under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the National Philharmonic in Strathmore Hall, the Oakville Chamber Orchestra, and the National Metropolitan Philharmonic.
Zolfaghari is no stranger to competitions — or wins. Past successes include:
In 2023, he became the first violist to receive first prize at the International Morningside Music Bridge Competition.
He currently plays a 1700 Matteo Goffriller viola on loan from the Rachel Barton Pine Foundation, and a 1786 Lorenzo Storioni viola and Eugène Sartory bow on loan from CANIMEX, inc.
Best of luck to Emad as he prepares for the first round of online recitals.
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