Villa Musica Stern Award 2026
The Italian violinist Giulia Rimonda will be awarded the prestigious Villa Musica Stern Award 2026, a recognition granted by Villa Musica Rheinland-Pfalz in Mainz to exceptionally talented young musicians who particularly distinguish themselves in the field of chamber music.
The award, accompanied by a €5,000 scholarship supporting the violinist’s artistic and educational development, represents one of the most symbolically important distinctions conferred by the German foundation. The 2026 edition carries special significance, as it is part of the celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of Villa Musica, an institution that for four decades has been an international reference point for the training and promotion of young classical music talent. The award ceremony will take place during a celebratory concert in Berlin on 24 November 2026.
Villa Musica, a foundation of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate established with the participation of Südwestrundfunk (SWR), is one of the most prestigious institutions in Germany dedicated to the promotion of chamber music and the support of young performers. Through its scholarship programme at Schloss Engers Academy, the foundation brings together each year young musicians from around the world, offering them the opportunity to work with internationally renowned artists and perform in more than forty concert venues across Rhineland-Palatinate. Since 2024, Giulia Rimonda has been among the musicians selected by the foundation as a scholarship holder.
In recent years, Giulia Rimonda has won over German audiences through numerous concert performances, including a particularly acclaimed personal interpretation of Vivaldi’s Spring from The Four Seasons during a tour in December 2025 in the Rhineland with the Villa Musica orchestra.
“Giulia Rimonda is a captivating violinist,” says violinist Ervis Gega, Artistic Director of Villa Musica.“ I have had the opportunity to observe her extraordinary talent both playing alongside her and listening to her in concert. She always places her impeccable technical mastery at the service of maximum expressivity. Through elegance and communicative intensity, she conveys an impression of complete authenticity. She has something deeply personal to say in every work she interprets and leaves a mark through her rare artistic maturity.”
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