Introduction:

by Coosje Wijzenbeek

Price

The award was established in memory of Coosje Wijzenbeek, who passed away in March 2021 Coosje Wijzenbeek, a violin teacher and the driving force behind countless violinists with thriving careers.

Personality

The form and content of this new and special award were shaped by distinctive elements from Coosje’s teaching practice. To begin with, Coosje always emphasized that competitions for young talent should not be primarily about the prizes, but rather about the experience a competition provides for the participants’ musicality and personality. Partly because this competition targets the same age group as Coosje’s students, the Coosje Wijzenbeek Prize is awarded to all semifinalists of the Davina van Wely Prize.

Unique

In terms of content, each semifinalist will receive a personal invitation to an exclusive Coosje Wijzenbeek Workshop Day featuring masterclasses on stage performance, deepening personal leadership, participation in a podcast production, and, finally, a performance at one of the NMF concerts. The organizing partners believe this is the best way to honor Coosje’s approach and philosophy, thereby making the award truly unique.

2022 Edition

Each semifinalist for the Davina van Wely Prize will receive the 2022 Coosje Wijzenbeek Prizecertificate, along with an invitation to the Coosje Wijzenbeek Workshop Day.

The Coosje Wijzenbeek Prize is made possible in part by contributions from, among others, the Kersjes Fund, the Prince Bernhard Cultural Fund, the Zadelhoff Cultural Fund, the Elisa Mathilde Fund, the Dutch Violin Competition, the National Musical Instrument Fund, and the Friends Foundation of (former) Fancy Fiddlers.