July 5, 2011, Updated September 11, 2012

Israeli violinist Itamar Zorman and Russian violinist Sergey Dogadin shared a second place finish at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Russia – in a category that had no winner. Judges of the the quadrennial contest declined to award a gold medal for first prize, instead choosing the two silver medalists.

The violin competition began with 24 contestants and, over a two week period, was narrowed down to five finalists.

South Korean’s Jehye Lee, the lone female violin finalist, came in third, and Americans Nigel Armstrong and Eric Silberger finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Zorman is the son of pianist Esterit Baltzan and composer Moshe Zorman. He received his Master’s of Music from The Julliard School in New York City.

In the piano competition, the young Russian Daniil Trifonov won the gold medal. Trifonov won first prize at the Arthur Rubinstein Piano Competition a short while ago in Tel Aviv.

The Tchaikovsky Competition was founded more than 50 years ago. Previous winners have gone on to worldwide fame.

 

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