The 60th anniversary Concertino Praga Competition is over. Both winners also took home the Audience Prize.

We are pleased to announce the winners of the 60th anniversary Concertino Praga – the Antonín Dvořák International Radio Competition for Young Musicians. Flautist Elen Virabyan of Armenia took first place in the wind instrument category and Japanese violinist Lin Tokura won the keyboard and string instrument category. Both winners took home the Audience Prize as well.

Eight young performers from five countries made it into the finals of the 60th anniversary Concertino Praga competition. The Czech Republic had the most finalists. The wind instrument finals took place on 17 September, 2026 in the Prague Conservatoire Concert Hall. The soloists were accompanied by the Prague Philharmonia, led by conductor Marko Ivanović.

The keyboard and string instrument finals took place in the Dvořák Hall in the Rudolfinum on Friday, 18 September, 2026. The musicians performed alongside the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Marek Šedivý. Both finals concerts were broadcast live on Czech Radio Vltava.

“For a young musician, Concertino Praga can be a truly great step into the professional world. The finalists – perhaps for the first time – experience the atmosphere of a grand concert hall with a majestic music tradition and perform alongside a professional orchestra of the highest standard. One thing that makes Concertina Praga exceptional is the strong connections that develop between the competitors during their two-week stay. The second part of the programme is not competitive, which means that the young musicians have a chance to get to know peers from around the world. These encounters often lead to lifelong friendships and professional collaborations. We are very pleased that four of the eight finalists in the 60th anniversary Concertino Praga were Czech,” said Kateřina Konopásková, Director of Corporate Support and External Relations at Czech Radio.

Elen Virabyan won the wind instrument category

Flautist Elen Virabyan of Armenia took first place in the wind instrument category. She also took home the Audience Prize. In the finals she performed Aram Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto in D Minor in an arrangement for flute by Jean-Pierre Rampal.

Czech trumpet player Vojtěch Stejskal took second place and Ukrainian oboist Alina Lamziuk won third. Czech trombonist Sebastian Cretan was awarded a first grade honourable mention.

“It was amazing. I loved playing with the orchestra, which was so fantastic, just like the conductor. I am truly grateful that I could be here – I fell totally in love with Prague in just four days. Right after the performance I called my mum, who was watching the live stream, to ask her if she liked my performance. I was really nervous before the winners were announced and I didn’t want to go up onto the podium, but then I was really happy,” said Elen Virabyan.

Lin Tokura won the keyboard and string instrument category

The Japanese violinist Lin Tokura won the keyboard and string instrument category. Similarly to Elen Virabyan, she also took home the Audience Prize.

Pianist Xuyao Bai from New Zealand ranked second, while Czech cellist Tobiáš Balkovský took third place.

Czech pianist Valentýna Ibriqi received a first grade honourable mention.

“I am so happy and also surprised that I won. I really enjoyed today’s performance; I wasn’t too nervous and I focused on the music. My teacher and my mum gave me the most support as I was preparing, and I am most grateful to them for that,“ said Lin Tokura.

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Winners were selected by an international jury

The finalists’ performances were judged by an international expert jury comprised of leading performers and teachers. Prior to the live finals, the competitors were first anonymously assessed based on their competition recordings. This procedure has been one of the defining features of Concertino Praga since its inception.

“On both evenings, we were treated to remarkable performances. Closing your eyes, you often felt as though you were listening to seasoned veterans of the world’s concert stages, rather than fourteen- or fifteen-year-old musicians who are only just beginning their careers. I am delighted with the artistic standard of both finals evenings and I am confident that we will be seeing many of the finalists regularly on concert stages,” says Jan Simon, Director of the Dvořák Prague Festival.

All of the finalists will receive study grants ranging from EUR 700 to 5,000 to support their further musical development. The prizes are sponsored by the Karel Komárek Family Foundation and other partners of the competition.

Results of the 60th anniversary edition

Wind instruments

1st place: Elen Virabyan (2010), transverse flute, Armenia

2nd place: Vojtěch Stejskal (2009), trumpet, Czech Republic

3rd place: Alina Lamziuk (2009), oboe, Ukraine

First grade honourable mention: Sebastian Cretan (2010), trombone, Czech Republic

Second grade honourable mention: Jooan Kim, trumpet, South Korea

Audience Prize: Elen Virabyan

Keyboard and string instruments

1st place: Lin Tokura (2011), violin, Japan

2nd place: Xuyao Bai (2010), piano, New Zealand

3rd place: Tobiáš Balkovský (2010), cello, Czech Republic

First grade honourable mention: Valentýna Ibriqi (2012), piano, Czech Republic

Second grade honourable mention: Michaela Odvárková (2010), harp, Czech Republic; Jaroslav Skalka (2010), piano, Czech Republic; Daniel Wang (2012), cello, USA

Audience Prize: Lin Tokura

Other awards

The Karel Komárek Family Foundation Prize: Valentýna Ibriqi

The Bohuslav Martinů Foundation Prize: Tobiáš Balkovský

The Viktor Kalabis and Zuzana Růžičková Endowment Fund Prize: Lin Tokura

The Magdalena Kožená Foundation Awards: Sebastian Cretan and Tobiáš Balkovský