11-year-old violinist Jayden King becomes youngest George Enescu Competition winner in Romania

American violinist Jayden King won first prize in the violin section of the 2026 George Enescu International Competition on Sunday, September 13, becoming the youngest winner in the event’s history. Italian violinist Francesco Papa placed second, while South Korea’s Eun Che Kim finished third.

The three finalists performed at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest with the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Harry Ogg.

Jayden King played Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35, while Papa and Kim performed Jean Sibelius’ Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47.

Alongside the EUR 15,000 first prize, King received EUR 2,000 for the best performance of Lembit Beecher’s commissioned work Still Life with Fallen Stone. He also claimed the EUR 1,000 audience award.

Meanwhile, Francesco Papa received the EUR 10,000 second prize and the EUR 3,000 Ștefan and Valentin Gheorghiu Prize for the best interpretation of a George Enescu sonata. Eun Che Kim received EUR 5,000 for third place.

German violinist Mariam Abouzahra won the EUR 1,500 Playing for Tomorrow award, while Iohan Coman received the EUR 2,500 Sherban Lupu Prize as the highest-ranked Romanian contestant in the violin section.

Born in the United States, Jayden King began studying violin at the age of three and was admitted to the Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division at seven, where he studies with Masao Kawasaki. He made his orchestral debut at six and has since performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Merkin Hall.

In 2026, he also won second prize at the Henri Marteau International Violin Competition and the Goldene Note competition, while reaching the semifinals of the Stulberg International String Competition.

The George Enescu International Competition continues in Bucharest with its piano section until September 19. This year’s edition attracted 819 entries from 58 countries and territories.