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Canadian Violinist Gabrielle Després Named Finalist in Prestigious International Bach Competition
Four young musicians vie for top prize in 2025 Barbash J.S. Bach String Competition
Canadian violinist Gabrielle Després has been named one of four finalists in the 2025 Lillian and Maurice Barbash J.S. Bach String Competition — a prestigious international contest dedicated to unaccompanied string music by J.S. Bach.
Chosen from a pool of 98 applicants from around the globe, Després is the sole Canadian finalist and a standout in a diverse and impressive lineup. The remaining finalists are:
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Wanxinyi Huang, viola (China)
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Coco Mi, violin (USA)
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Danqi Zeng, Baroque violin (China)
The finals will take place at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 16, 2025, at the Staller Center Recital Hall at Stony Brook University in Long Island, New York. The event will also be streamed live on The Violin Channel.
At stake is a $10,000 grand prize, as well as a solo appearance at the Island Symphony Bach Festival in January 2027. The winner will also receive paid engagements with several prominent early music ensembles, including the Washington Bach Consort, GEMS, Amor Artis, and The Bach Choir of Bethlehem. A second prize of $2,500 will also be awarded.
Després, already a decorated performer, brings an impressive résumé to the competition. She has won major prizes at international competitions including the Irving M. Klein, Michael Hill, and Elmar Oliveira, and is a former concertmaster of the Juilliard Orchestra. In 2024, she was awarded the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award and the William Schuman Prize at Juilliard.
Beyond the stage, Després is a committed musical citizen, having worked with programs such as Project: Music Heals Us and Juilliard’s Gluck Community Engagement Fellowship to bring music to hospitals, nursing homes, and detention centres.
The 2025 jury includes renowned musicians and scholars: violist Kim Kashkashian, violinist Renée Jolles, cellist Colin Carr, gambist and musicologist Kenneth Slowik, and harpsichordist Arthur Haas.
Past winners of the competition — now in its seventh year — include rising stars such as violinist Rachell Ellen Wong and cellist Maxime Quennesson. The competition honours Lillian and Maurice Barbash, lifelong champions of the arts.
Whether she takes home the top prize or not, Gabrielle Després has already secured her place among the international elite of young string players — and she’s proudly waving the Canadian flag while doing it.