Hyun Jae Lim, Yiyang Hou, and Sameer Agrawal Win Top Prizes at Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition

Lim claimed first prize and two best performance awards; Hou earned second prize and Agrawal took third.

We’re thrilled to congratulate violin students Hyun Jae Lim,* Yiyang Hou, and Sameer Agrawal for winning top prizes at the Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition.

Lim won the competition, receiving the first prize of $30,000 for her performance of the Sibelius violin concerto. She also won two best performance awards totaling $2,000 for her renditions of the EOIVC-commissioned work, Wood-Sprite, and a Ysaÿe solo sonata. Additionally:

Hou earned the second prize of $15,000, performing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, and
Agrawal received the third prize of $10,000, performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor.

About the Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition
A flagship program of the Elevar Foundation, the EOIVC supports talented violinists ages 18-30 through financial awards and meaningful career development opportunities. Each competition also includes a newly commissioned work and a community engagement round. Established in 2017, the EOIVC takes place once every three years.

*Lim received her bachelor’s degree in music at Curtis in 2020 and returned in fall of 2025 for her master’s degree.