More than Two Decades of Musical Memories

We take immense pride in the rich history of the David Popper International Cello Competition and the global community we have built over the past twenty-six years. Below, we have curated the official results, media highlights, and photo galleries capturing the finest moments of our past editions. Dive into our history!

"When Music Brings the World Together" – Voices of the 11th Competition

We are delighted to share some of the heartfelt messages we received from around the world following the 11th David Popper International Cello Competition. These reflections confirm that our stage is not just a place for competition, but a global gathering for learning, growth, and lifelong friendships.

“New friendships blossomed, and it truly felt as though music had brought the world a little closer.”
— Teacher from Singapore
“Thank you so much for organizing and coordinating such a wonderful international cello competition. Everything was run so smoothly, and your prompt replies to all our questions were extremely helpful.”
— Parent from China
“The time I was able to gather together with outstanding performers from all over the world served as an opportunity for me to grow further as a cellist... The emotion and excitement I felt on stage will remain unforgettable memories for a lifetime.”
— Competitor from South Korea
“We will treasure what we have seen and heard. It was a decisive awakening for us and for our children to understand the level of precision they must strive for... Heartfelt congratulations to the tireless work of the organizational team!””
— Parent from Italy
“The recipe for her success was simple (or was it?): take a dedicated student, add a natural love for music, fly 19,000 km to faraway Hungary, deal with jet lag, a different language, local customs... then play with passion. Easy, right?”
— Teacher from Australia
“The standard this year was truly exceptional – it was so inspiring to hear so many outstanding cellists and witness such artistry and musical depth. Thank you for your warm hospitality.”
— Participant from Singapore

PAST LAUREATES

  • Category I.

    1.prize: KIM, Lael / South Korea

    2.prize: GENOVESI, Florestan / France

    2.prize: JEON, Siwoo / South Korea

    2.prize: XU, Yichen / China

    2.prize: ZHU, Youyi / China

    3.prize: KOKAS, Lénárd / Hungary

    3.prize: ZHANG, Alice Yixing / Canada

    Category II.

    1.prize: MOON, Jiwon / South Korea

    2.prize: WANG, Yuxin / China

    2.prize: XU, Xingchen / China 

    2.prize: ZHOU, Yunuo / China

    3.prize: LEE, Sejong / South Korea

    3.prize: YAN, Ivy Yichen / Australia

    Category III.

    1.prize: JANG, Juha / South Korea

    2.prize: ANDERSON-HENDRA, Finn / United Kingdom

    3.prize: VOIGT, Lennard / Germany

    Category IV.

    1.prize: CHO, Yunseo / South Korea

    2.prize: -

    3.prize: MITRIVIC, Relja / Serbia

    3.prize: RUIZ BERMUDO, Celia / Spain

    Category V.

    1.prize: NISHIDA, Sho / Japan

    2.prize: KIM, Myeongjin / South Korea

    3.prize: RÁTKAY, Áron / Hungary

    Special prizes:

    • Grand Prize: A cello made by László Gáspár: CHO, Yunseo (Category IV.) - South Korea

    • Invitation for a concert by the Bartók Radio: NISHIDA, Sho (Category V.) - Japan

    • Concert with MÁV Symphony Orchestra: CHO, Yunseo (Category IV.) - South Korea

    • Concert with Mendelsshon Chamber Orchestra: NISHIDA, Sho (Category V.) - Japan

    • Conecrt with Miskolc Symphony Orchestra: KIM, Myeongjin (Category V.) - South Korea

    • Concert with Szeged Symphony Orchestra: CHO, Yunseo (Category IV.) - South Korea

    • Concert with Alba Regia Symphony Orchestra: RÁTKAY, Áron (Category V.) - Hungary

    • Invitation from the Festival Academy for 2026:

      • KOKAS, Lénárd (Category I.) - Hungary

      • BIRTALAN, Tünde (Category II.) - Hungary

      • ANDERSON-HENDRA, Finn (Category III.) - United Kingdom

      • JÁSDI, Péter (Category V.) - Hungary

      • NISHIDA, Sho (Category V.) - Japan

      • RÁTKAY, Áron (Category V.) - Hungary

      • STRANEGGER, Tara (Category V.) - Austria

    • Invitation for mini–residency at the Scandinavian Cello School for 2026: VOIGT, Lennard (Category III.) - Germany

  • Category I.

    1.prize: GERGOV, Rey / Bulgaria

    1.prize: PONS JEON, Yuna / Spain

    1.prize: RUSSEL, Dylan / USA

    2.prize: HUANG, Kanon / Taiwan

    2.prize: TRALLA, Aleksandra Maria / Estonia

    2.prize: XU, Xingchen / China

    3.prize: ARRIAZA GONZALEZ, Alicia / Spain

    3.prize: BIRTALAN Tünde / Hungary

    3.prize: CHUN, Soomin / South Korea

    Category II.

    1.prize: CHENAUX, Lyam Kaléo Gabriel / Switzerland

    2.prize: WANG, Dier / China

    2.prize: LEE, Jieon / South Korea

    3.prize: WIMBISCUS, Ella / USA

    Category III.

    1.prize: MOON, Serlyun / South Korea

    1.prize: JING, Ruoxi / China

    2.prize: WON, Min / South Korea

    2.prize: CHEN, Zhhijian / China

    3.prize: PETROV, Jan / Czeh Republic

    Category IV.

    1.prize: HAN, Yelim / South Korea

    2.prize: CARBONE, Ramiro / Spain

    3.prize: BOZADA WAFLAR, Maria Auxiliadora / Spain

    3.prize: REBULL CHAVARRIA, David / Spain

    Category V.

    1.prize: PETRACCI, Leonardo / Italy

    3.prize: DEMENEGHI, Simon / Italy

    3.prize: PÁL, Olivér / HUNGARY

    Special prizes:

    • Grand Prix: HAN, Yelim / South Korea

    • Concert with Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra: HAN, Yelim / South Korea

    • Invitation for a concert by the Bartók Radio: CHENAUX, Lyam Kaléo Gabriel / Switzerland

    • Invitation of Csaba Onczay to his Mastercourse organized by Accademia Int. Filharmonica del Mediterraneo in Trani in 2024: PETRACCI, Leonardo / Italy

    • For the best Popper etude: IMAMURA, Tomoki / Japan

  • Category I.

    1.prize: Kim JUNGA, South Korea   
    2.prize: Anna CICCHINO, Italy  
    3.prize: Tae Eun KIM, South Korea  
    3.prize: Tudor IONESCU, Romania  
    3.prize: Petar DULA VRBANIC, Croatia

    Category II.

    1.prize: Anna KOMUSINSKI DE ALBA, Poland / Mexico  
    2.prize: Jiwoong CHAE, South Korea  
    3.prize: Minjae KIM, South Korea

    Category III.

    1.prize: Park SANG HYEOK, South Korea   
    2.prize: Jin Seok JEONG, Hungary  
    3.prize: Elvis HERNDL, Austria  
    3.prize: Álvaro LOZANO CAMES, Spain   
    3.prize: Daniel POZAS, Spain

    Category IV.

    1.prize: Yosuke SHIMIZU, Japan   
    2.prize: Aaron SCHRÖER, Germany  
    3.prize: Mar GIMFERRER, Austria

    Category V.

    1.prize: Youbien LEE, South Korea   
    2.prize: Alexandra KAHRER, Austria  
    2.prize: Jungyoon LEE, South Korea

    Special prizes:

    • Concert with Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra: SHIMIZU Yosuke, Japan

    • Concert with Alba Regia Symphony Orchestra: Youbien LEE, South Korea

    • Concert with MÁV Symphony Orchestra: Park SANG HYEOK, South Korea

    • Concert with Szent István Philharmonic: RINKÓ Krisztián, Hungary

  • Category I.

    1.prize: Jeri LEE, South Korea  
    1.prize: Nicholas WONG, USA  
    1.prize: Austin Kwan Shek LAM, Hong Kong  
    2.prize: Aida POPA, Romania  
    2.prize: Sin Jo YAP, Malaysia  
    3.prize: Yuki Ariel WILSON, USA  
    3.prize: Ruilin HE, China  
    3.prize: Julia COTEANU, Romania  
    3.prize: Stefan IORDACHI, Romania

    Category II.

    1.prize: Danah HAN, South Korea  
    1.prize: Ling YANG, China  
    2.prize: Zhiyu QIU, China  
    2.prize: Hong Xuan LI, China  
    3.prize: Xi ZHENG, China

    Category III.

    1.prize: Danbin LEE, South Korea  
    1.prize: BALOG Nella, Hungary  
    2.prize: Jugyeong KIM, South Korea  
    2.prize: Cosima FEDERLE, Germany  
    3.prize: Thomas PRCHAL, Netherlands

    Category IV.

    1.prize: Seungyeon BAIK, South Korea   
    1.prize: Stefano BRUNO, Italy   
    2.prize: HARTMANN Domonkos, Hungary

    Category V.

    1.prize: Hayoung LEE, South Korea   
    1.prize: Rachel SIU, Australia   
    2.prize: Alexandra KAHRER, Austria   
    3.prize: Riku HAGIWARA, Japan   
    3.prize: Jaewoo JEONG, South Korea   
    3.prize: Lena Marie SCHULZ, Germany

    Special prizes:

    • Concert with Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra: BALOG Nella, Hungary

    • Concert with Alba Regia Symphony Orchestra: Hayoung LEE, South Korea

    • Invitation for mini – residency to the SCS by Jacob Shaw director of the Scandinavian Cello School: Stefano BRUNO, Italy  and Thomas PRCHAL, Netherlands

  • GRAND PRIX: Minje Song, South Korea

    I.category

    1.prize: JaeMin Han, South Korea  
    1.prize: Jiwoo Kwon, South Korea  
    3.prize: Jeong Jin Seok, Hungary

    II.category

    1.prize: Wu You, China  
    2.prize: Ye-Won Cho, South Korea  
    2.prize: Luis Aracama, Spain  
    3.prize: Ethan Murphy, USA  
    3.prize: Su Bin Kim, South Korea

    III.category

    1.prize: Chanheung Min, South Korea  
    1.prize: Károly Barna Zsolt, Hungary  
    2.prize: Eva Esteban Arderíus, Spain  
    3.prize: Dmitriy Volodin, Russia

    IV.category

    1.prize: Tomasz Máté Milán, Hungary  
    1.prize: Temesvári Bence, Hungary  
    2.prize: Jin Ju Lee, South Korea 
    3.prize: Lia Vielhaber, Austria
    3.prize: Hartmann Domonkos, Hungary 
    3.prize: Raphael Zinner, Germany

    V.category

    1.prize: Minje Song, South Korea  
    2.prize: Bánkövi Bence Balázs, Hungary  
    2.prize: Dora Hájková, Czech Republic  
    2.prize: Gabriel Esteban, Austria

    Special prizes:

    • Concert with Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra: Temesvári Bence, Hungary

    • Concert with Alba Regia Symphony Orchestra: Minje Song, South Korea

    • Concert with Savaria Symphony Orchestra: Tomasz Máté Milán, Hungary

  • Category I.

    1.prize: Friederike HEROLD, Germany  
    1.prize: Katarzyna KACPRZAK, Poland  
    2.prize: Yiran DENG, China  
    2.prize: Elvis HERNDL, Austria  
    2.prize: Yi Hang LI, China  
    3.prize: Henrike KÖRNER, Germany

    Category II.

    1.prize: Giulia ATTILI, Italy  
    1.prize: Gaeun KIM, South Korea  
    2.prize: Jakob ARNDT, Germany  
    2.prize: Sara CANO, Slovenia
    2.prize: Marei SCHIBILSKY, Germany  
    3.prize: KÁROLY Barna Zsolt, Hungary  
    3.prize: Johanna VOCETKOVA, Czech Republic

    Category III.

    1.prize: Clemens KROPFITSCH, Austria   
    1.prize: Lucas Martins de BARROS, Brasil  
    1.prize: Ji Yeon KIM, South Korea  
    2.prize: Alexandra KAHRER, Austria  
    3.prize: Sebastian KOZUB, Poland  
    3.prize: TEMESVÁRI Bence, Hungary

    Category IV.

    1.prize: HOTZI Mátyás, Hungary  
    1.prize: KARASSZON Eszter, Hungary  
    1.prize: Sung-Geun PARK, South Korea  
    3.prize: Miles Harrison NORMAN, USA  
    3.prize: David POSKIN, Belgium

    Special prizes:

    • GRAND PRIZE: Clemens KROPFITSCH, Austria 

    • Concert with Alba Regia Symphony Orchestra: Clemens KROPFITSCH, Austria 

  • Category I.

    1.prize: Xu Xuanhan, China  
    2.prize: Sophie Kropfitsch, Austria  
    3.prize: Katarzyna Kacprzak, Poland

    Category II.

    1.prize: Shimizu Yosuke, Japan   
    2.prize: Csőke Flóra Júlia, Hungary 
    2.prize: He Jiayan, China  
    2.prize: Milla Holm, Finland  
    3.prize: Hagiwara Izumi, Hungary  
    3.prize: Adam Klansky, Czech Republic

    Category III.

    1.prize: Gabriel Martins, USA
    2.prize: Benedikt Sinko, Austria  
    2.prize: Tomasz Máté Milán, Hungary
    2.prize: Michael Zyzak, USA  
    3.prize: Maike Clemens, Austria  
    3.prize: Sebastian Kozub, Poland

    Category IV.

    1.prize: Braden McConnell, USA  
    1.prize: Julia Wasmund, Germany   
    2.prize: Kónya Attila Levente, Hungary  
    2.prize: Standi Dorottya, Hungary