Emad Zolfaghari, viola

16-year-old Toronto-based violist Emad Zolfaghari comes from a musical family. Upon moving from Michigan in 2018, Mr. Zolfaghari joined the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra where he often performs as principal player, as well as The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists on full scholarship as the only student violist. He currently studies with Theresa Rudolph, Assistant Principal Violist of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

Most recently, Mr. Zolfaghari was accepted into the Curtis Institute of Music where he will begin studying with Hsin-Yun Huang in the fall. Mr. Zolfaghari has performed in various concerto competitions, and won first prize in the 2020 Guelph Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, the 2019 Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra Competition, OMFA’s 2019 and 2020 Provincial Finals Competition and second prize in the 2020 Oakville Chamber Orchestra Competition.

He is also a finalist of the 2018 Royal Oak Concerto Competition, as well as the 2019 Geringas Memorial Scholarship competition. As a result of his accomplishments, Mr. Zolfaghari will appear as a soloist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Guelph Symphony Orchestra and Oakville Chamber Orchestra in the 2021/22 season. He has also performed in master classes for distinguished artists such as Roberto Díaz, Kim Kashkashian, Misha Amory, Steven Tenenbom, Teng Li, Atar Arad, Rachel Podger, and James Ehnes. Mr. Zolfaghari has been participating in the Morningside Music Bridge international summer festival on full scholarship since 2019. He also attended the 10th Center Stage Strings festival in summer of 2020 on full scholarship.

• The Shean Strings Competition will take place May 18-20, 2011 at Muttart Hall, Alberta College Campus, Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta.

12/1/2010

The adjudicators for the 2011 competition are David Hoyt, chair; Moshe Hammer, violin and Colin Ryan, violoncello.

1/1/2011

The application process is now closed. We have received 20 applications and our current timeline is to let all applicants know if they were successful in advancing to the semi-final and final rounds by mid-January 2011.