The Alice and Eleonore Schoenfeld International String Competition for Violin and Cello 2014 began on Aug 18 in Harbin, and will last until Aug 25.

This is the first large-scale international string competition organized by Harbin. As one of the important international events of the 32nd China Harbin Summer Music Festival, the competition attracted more than 700 applicants from 21 countries and regions, including professional candidates from 45 art academies and a great number of music lovers.

Through several rounds of competition, over 150 candidates were selected to compete in the semifinals and final.

The 93- year-old internationally renowned violinist Alice Schoenfeld, arrived in Harbin on Aug 13 to attend the competition.

The event aims to enrich the culture of music by recognizing and promoting highly gifted young musicians. It will provide an opportunity for world-renowned musicians, scholars and experts from music academies and art troupes as well as music lovers to showcase their talents and exchange experiences.

The competition has violin, cello and ensemble sectors, presenting the highest level of international competition and highlighting public participation.

The jury for the competition consists of 25 prestigious musicians from 12 countries including Germany, France, Russia, Norway and China. World-renowned cellist Lynn Harrell and violinist David Cerone were invited to act as chairman of the jury; Christoph Poppen, musical director of the German Broadcasting Union Symphony Orchestra, was invited to act as chairman of the artistic committee.

The Alice and Eleonore Schoenfeld International String Competition was founded by Alice Schoenfeld and organized by the Schoenfeld International String Society. Once it was initiated, the competition was strongly supported by world-renowned artists such as conductor Zubin Mehta and pianist Christoph Eschenbach, as well as professionals from all over the world. Now it has become one of the most influential and authoritative competitions in the world.