(BRUSSELS, BELGIUM) -- Elli Choi of Tenafly, NJ earned Third Prize in Brussels, Belgium on May 29, 2024 at the Queen Elisabeth Competition, considered the most formidable violin competition in the world, not only for its endurance factor but for its challenging route to the judges’ final decisions.

Elli’s award, also called the Count de Launoit Prize, consists of €17.000 and a Belgian concert tour this month.

The 22-year-old called the achievement “a full circle moment, and a very, very ‘I finally did it’ moment” as well as an honor “to put my name next to some of the most famous, and some of the most respected violinists in our world, in our lifetime, of people that I personally look up to, of people I grew up listening to.”

Elli spent the better part of May on the journey to the winners’ circle of the competition, which was conceived by the queen and Belgian violin virtuoso Eugène Ysaÿe almost 90 years ago. It rotates its yearly musical focus through voice, piano, cello and violin, and features young adults on the brink of international music careers.

The demanding event started with 63 video-selected violinists, honed down to 24 semifinalists over two weeks of performance with piano and orchestra, to a final dozen, who competed last week. Elli earned the competition’s first standing ovation after her blazing performance of Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77 in the final round, in Brussels’ iconic Bozar Centre for Fine Arts under the baton of Maestro Antony Hermus with the Belgian National Orchestra and under the eye of Her Majesty Queen Mathilde herself.

All the performances were live-streamed and recorded.

Elli will perform in concert with the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège on Wednesday, June 12 in the Brussels Centre for Fine Arts, and also in Namur (Thursday, June13, Namur Concert Hall), Sankt Vith (Friday,  June14, Kulturzentrum Triangel), Bruges (Saturday, June 15, Concertgebouw), and Liège (Tuesday, June18, Salle Philharmonique).

“It’s a six-week commitment for this one competition, although, arguably, Elli’s been committed to the goal of unrelenting artistic excellence her whole life,” said Sandy Marcucci, President of the Philadelphia International Music Camp & Festival (PIMF), featuring members of The Philadelphia Orchestra.  “Elli first came to us at PIMF as a first-grader, and recently worked as a Student Manager and coach with us. She’s a massive inspiration to younger musicians in our program and to all of us who’ve watched her grow into a world class talent.”

Young musicians interested in working with principal players and other members of the world-famous Philadelphia Orchestra can still find a summer music home at The Philadelphia International Music Camp and Festival this year. Chat online for additional information at: pimf.org or call: (856) 875-6816. Interested musicians may also email Operations Director Jacob Heil for additional information: jacob.heil@pimf.org.

The Philadelphia International Music Festival (PIMF) is a resident summer music program directed by Kimberly Fisher, Principal Second Violin of The Philadelphia Orchestra, offering student musicians from around the world the unique opportunity of spending up to four weeks immersed in music education and performance training with members of the world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra.

PIMF offers summer camp programs both online AND live on Philadelphia’s prestigious Main Line. Since March 2020, PIMF’s online platform has expanded its training programs year-round with Master Classes taught by principal players and other members of The Philadelphia Orchestra.