A violinist accompanied by a pianist

Now in its 16th edition, the competition is organised by the Henryk Wieniawski Musical Society of Lublin and takes place in the city every three years.

Aged 16, Sofia is currently in her third year of attending Junior Academy. She travelled to Poland to take part in the competition earlier this month, competing in the senior age group (17+ years old). Across three rounds, Sofia performed Paganini's Caprice No 4, Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata, the first movement of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E Minor as well as works by Bach, Wieniawski and Szymanowski.

Alongside First Prize, Sofia was also awarded a prize by Rotary International.