Stulberg International String Competition

09/14/2026

✨️ Relive the musical magic of an unforgettable evening! ✨️
The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and WMUK present a broadcast of the WORLD PREMIERE of Lucas Richman’s Violin Concerto No. 2: Legacy, which was commissioned by the Stulberg for its 50th Anniversary. PLUS, you’ll also hear 2007 and 2025 Gold Medalists Benjamin Bellman and Jinan Laurentia Woo in stunning performances of the Beethoven and Glazunov violin concerti.

View Program Here: https://kalamazoosymphony.com/concerts-events/kso-radio/

👂️ TWO chances to tune in on 89.9 Classical WMUK (https://www.wmuk.org/):
🗓️ Friday, September 18 | 6 p.m.
🗓️ Sunday, September 20 | 5 p.m.

ICYMI: The KSO celebrated the Stulberg’s 50th Anniversary with a concert on March 28, 2026, featuring three Stulberg alumni as soloists with the orchestra and Music Director Julian Kuerti.

This broadcast is a partnership between the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and WMUK. Recordings of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra are provided as part of the Thoms Digital Archive and Library. This radio series is brought to you by the generous support of the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation.

08/28/2026

Peter Dugan is BACK! 👏

After hosting the monumental 50th Stulberg String Competition in 2025, Peter Dugan will be returning to Kalamazoo as Host and Emcee for the 52nd Stulberg Competition, May 14-16, 2027. Mark your calendars and join us for a weekend you won’t want to miss!

Peter prizes versatility as the hallmark of today's musician and advocates for a classical music culture that is inclusive and welcome to all. That approach has manifested in a multifaceted and dynamic career as a pianist, composer, collaborator, and radio host.

He is heard on radios nationwide weekly as host of NPR's From the Top, a show the New York Times has described as "a hopeful counterweight against the idea that classical music is a dying form."

Peter Dugan appears by arrangement with the Cliburn Agency.

08/12/2026

Congratulations to Stulberg 2026 Silver Medalist Mingzhe Ye on First Prize with The Thomas & Evon Cooper International Competition! 🎉

Look forward to seeing him in Kalamazoo this October for a performance with the WMU Symphony Orchestra at Miller Auditorium!

The 2026 Cooper International Violin Competition winners have been chosen! 🏆🎻
A huge congratulations to 16-year-old Mingzhe Ye for taking home first place with a breathtaking performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35, alongside the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra and conductor David Danzmayr! ✨

Rounding out our incredible podium, Elizabeth Poppy Song (16) finished in second place and Minji Choi (16) took third. This year’s competition awarded over $40,000 in prizes!

A total of over $40,000 in cash and prizes were awarded during the competition. First place winner Mingze Ye’s prize package also includes the use of a fine violin from Jonathan Solars Violins and an appearance with the ProMusic Chamber Orchestra during their season, a $500 Arkady Fomin Scholarship Fund Opportunity Award, granted directly to the winner by the North Shore Chamber Music Festival, as well as a lesson with ProMusica Chamber Orchestra Creative Partner Vadim Gluzman.

Congratulations to all of our finalists for an unforgettable week of music! 👏

07/01/2026

Missing the Stulberg Competition? We are too, but not to worry! All videos of the Semifinals and Finals performances, as well as Competition livestreams, have been uploaded to our Youtube channel! Check it out on Youtube

06/25/2026

So grateful to our competition judges for providing learning opportunities for all 12 semifinalists!

Semifinalist masterclasses were NEW this year in order to stand by our mission in nurturing the growth of young musicians. This opportunity sets the Stulberg apart from other competitions, and was met with an outpouring of positive reactions from Semifinalists and audience members alike 🤩

06/20/2026

Some more photos from an amazing weekend celebrating musical excellence with YOU!

The Stulberg is fortunate to have such a supportive audience and community members who dedicate their time to volunteer and enjoy performances by gifted young artists. It brings us joy to see you every year, and we cannot wait to see you soon!

06/15/2026

We can’t believe it’s already been a month since these 12 talented young musicians joined us in Kalamazoo for the 2026 Stulberg Competition! It was a fantastic weekend for the books, with one Semifinalist telling us that it was an “Overall wonderful experience, and I already recommend participating to my fellow musicians”. Check out these awesome action shots of all of our 2026 Semifinalists!

06/09/2026

A HUGE congratulations to 2023 Bronze Medalist Starla Breshears on winning the 2026 Klein Competition, as well as 2026 Finalist James Birch for taking second prize! We love seeing our Stulberg alumni go on to accomplish great things!

05/26/2026

Thank you to The Strad for this feature! We are still buzzing after this year’s competition!

The results have been announced for this year's Stulberg International String Competition – congratulations to the winners! Link in comments 🎻

05/17/2026

Congratulations to the Stulberg’s 2026 Medalists!!

Gold Medal: Ella Eom, violin
Silver Medal: Mingzhe Ye, violin
Bronze Medal: Katarina Kenney, cello
Bach Prize: Ella Eom, violin

Congratulations to all of the semifinalists and finalists on amazing performances this weekend!