The Aviv Competitions

AICF’s Aviv Competitions have been held since 1999 and assist in the advancement of outstanding Israeli musicians who are just embarking on their artistic journey, through the distribution of prizes in different fields of musical performance.

The Aviv Competitions are intended for musicians 21 to 32 years of age who are ready for a professional career. The Competitions are held by AICF in cooperation with the Tel-Aviv Museum of Art and supported by the Ministry of Culture and Sport every two years.

One prize is awarded in every field. In addition to the monetary prize, winning the competition bestows exposure to audiences and critics, live performances, radio broadcasts in Israel and assistance in career development in Israel and abroad.

Next Competitions

The Aviv Competitions 2024

The most prestigious competitions for young Israeli musicians in classical music will be held in the following fields: Piano | Violin | Viola | Woodwinds, between December 22, 2024 and January 2, 2025.

For more info

Past Aviv Competitions’ Winners

The Goldie R. Feldman Prize for Piano, provided by the Canada-Israel Cultural Foundation

Tom Zalmanov 2022

The Rafi Guralnik Prize for Piano, donated by Guralnik Family

Almog Segal 2020
Yuval Chen 2018
Alon petrilin 2016
Tomer Gewirtzman 2014
Raviv Leibzirer 2012
Boris Giltburg 2010
Roman Rabinovich 2008
Victor Stanislavsky 2006
Inon Barnatan 2004
Ran Dank 2002
Einav Yarden 2001
Dror Biran 2000
Ido Bar-Shai 1999

The Michal Oren Prize for Voice

Rona Shrira 2022
Sivan Keren 2018
Daniela Skorka 2015
Tal Ganor 2012
Rachel Frenkel 2009

The Doris and Mori Arkin Prize for Voice

Gal James 2006
Anna Virovlanski 2003

The Mira Zakai Prize for the Outstanding Performance of the Israeli Vocal Piece, donated by Zakai family

Tamara Navoth 2022

The Eva and Georg Koigen Prize for the Outstanding Performance of the Israeli Vocal Piece, donated by Mira Zakai

Sivan Keren 2018
Daniela Skorka 2015
Gan-ya Ben-Gur Akselrod 2012

The Outstanding Performance of the Israeli Vocal Piece Prize

Mima Millo 2009

The Outstanding Performance of the Israeli art Song

Gal Games 2003

The Ilona Kornhauser Prize for Violin, donated by the Kornhauser Family of the Canada-Israel Cultural Foundation

Yamen Saadi 2020
Daniel Aizenshtadt 2014
Kobi Malkin 2011
Semion Gavrikov 2008
Sergei Ostrovsky 1999

The Rachel and Dov Gottesman Family Prize for Viola

Maya Tal 2020
Matan Noussimovitch, Shira Majoni 2013
Matan Gilitchensky 2010
Amihai Grosz 2007
Yuval Gotlibovich 2004

The David Shallon Prize for Voila

Nimrod Guaz 2001

The Rachel and Dov Gottesman Family Prize for Cello

Assif Binness 2022
Haran Meltzer 2018
Michal Beck 2015
Michael Katz and Daniel Mitnitsky 2012
Gal Nyska 2009
Carolina Singer 2003

The Rafi Girlanik Prize for the Outstanding Performance of the Israeli Piece, donated by Guralnik family

Elai Grisaru Drori (Trombone) 2022

The Outstanding Performance of the Israeli Piece

Almog Segal (piano) and Jonathan Leibovitz (Clarinet) 2020

The Ministry of Culture and Sport Prize for the Outstanding Performance of the Israeli Piece

Elisha Kravitz 2018
Alon petrilin 2016
Talia Erdal 2015
Daniel Borovitzky 2014
Shira Majoni 2013
Michael Katz 2012
Hed Yaron Mayersohn 2011
Asaf Kleinman 2010
Yigal Kaminka 2009

The Ministry of Science, Culture and Sport Prize for the Outstanding Performance of the Israeli Piece

Sivan Maayani-Zelikoff 2008
Lotem Beider 2007
Carolina Singer 2003
Ran Dank 2002

The Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport Prize for the Outstanding Performance of the Israeli Piece

Victor Stanislavsky 2006
Benny Aghassi 2005
Carmel String Quartet 2004

The Olja and Miriam Zilbermann Prize for the Outstanding Performance of the Israeli Piece

Einav Yarden 2001
Alexander Fiterstein 2000
Sergei Ostrovsky 1999

The Lillian Shapiro and Lester Beryl Radlo Prize for Brass, donated by their grandson, David Eliezer Lieberman

Elai Grisaru Drori 2022

The Benny Gal-Ed Award for Brass

Noam Fresko 2018

The François Schapira Prize for Composition

Udi Perlman 2020

The François Schapira Prize for Woodwinds

Amit Dubester 2015
Margarita Timoshin 2012
Yigal Kaminka 2009
Moran Katz 2006
Mor Biron 2003
Alexander Fiterstein 2000

The Susan and Emanuel (Bob) Kornhauser Prize for Woodwinds, donated by the Kornhauser Family of the Canada-Israel Cultural Foundation

Jonathan Leibovitz 2020

The Susan and Emanuel (Bob) Kornhauser Prize for Brass

Gal Raviv 2014

The Rachel and Dov Gottesman Family Prize for Brass

Alon Stoler 2011

The François Schapira Prize for Brass

Eyal Cohen 2008
Yuval Shapiro 2005
Sergei Gambarian Z”L 1999

The Adele and John Gray Prize for Composition

Amit Gilutz 2013
Asaf Matityahu 2011

The Yuri Ahronovitch Prize for Conducting

Daniel Cohen 2008
Yaniv Dinur 2005

The Samuel-Pierre Tarcali Prize for Guitar

Shani Inbar 2007

The Samuel-Pierre Tarcali Prize for Early Music Instruments

Benny Aghassi 2005

The Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport Prize for Early Music Instruments

Uri Smilansky 2001

The Doris and Mori Arkin Prize for Mandolin

Avi Avital 2007

The Doris and Mori Arkin Prize for Plucked String Instruments

Yaniv Attar 2004

The Bilhah Davis Prize for Chamber Music

Carmel String Quartet 2004
“Percadu” – Tomer Yariv & Adi Morag 2001

The Meira Geyra “Audience Choice” Prizes

Almog Segal 2020
Yuval Chen (piano), Michal Doron (singing), William Weil (cello), Noam Fresko (brass) 2018
Alon petrilin, Nir Rom Nagy 2016
Maayan Licht, Oded Hadar, Rotem Bartan 2015
Tomer Gewirtzman, Yuval Wolfson, Yuval Herz 2014
Matan Noussimovitch, Eliav Kohl, Amit Gilutz 2013
Margarita Timoshin, Raviv Leibzirer, Michael Katz, Tal Ganor 2012
Nitzan Bartana, Nir Erez, Sivan Albo Ben-Hur 2011
Boris Giltburg, Matan Gilitchensky 2010
Yigal Kaminka, Gal Nyska, Mima Millo, Alon Sariel 2009
Roman Rabinovich 2008
Amihai Grosz 2007
Moran Abulof 2006
Kinneret Sieradzki 2005
Carmel String Quartet, Inon Barnatan 2004
Carolina Singer 2003

Previous music competitions' Winners

The François Schapira Prize

Bassoon – Maurizio Paez
Cello – Hillel Zori, Zvi Plesser, Konstantin Sokolov, Gavriel Lipkind, Amit Peled
Clarinet – Yevgeni Yehudin
Flute – Margalit Gafni, Michael Melzer, Eyal Ein-Habar
Guitar – Yehuda Schryer
Harpsichord – Shalev Ad-El
Oboe – Dudu Carmel
Piano – Liora Ziv-Li, Zecharia Plavin, Sara Janovski-Tal, Michal Tal, Ilan Rechtman,
Arnan Wiesel, Eitan Globerson, Arnon Erez, Alon Goldstein, Genadi Zagor, Anna Keiserman
Percussion – Benny Kunievsky, Chen Zimbalista
Recorder – Eyal Lerner
Trombone – Nitzan Haroz
Violin – Ani Schnarch, Guy Braunstein, Roi Shiloah
Voice – Danny Ettinger, Anat Efraty, Dana Glazer

The Rafi Guralnik Prize for Piano

Aviram Reichert, Alon Goldstien, Tal Weissman, Ohad Ben-Ari, Gil Garbourg, Assaf Fire

The Canada-Israel Cultural Foundation Ilona Kornhauser Prize for Violin Donated by the Kornhauser Family

Hagai Shaham, Guy Braunstein, Alexander Pavlovsky