Winner's Speech | Ina Kosturi | Saint-Saëns International Music Competition 2025
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
Congratulations to Ina Kosturi from Tirana on receiving the Grand Prize at the Saint-Saëns International Music Competition 2025. After the results were announced, she shared her thoughts and gratitude with us.
A performer, composer, and associate professor at the University of Arts Tirana, Ina highlighted the importance of connecting composition, performance, and academic research. Her work, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in three movements, emphasizes expressive melody and virtuosic character. The piece is published by Universal Edition. She added that the victory feels comparable to performing a brilliant work by Camille Saint-Saëns and that the prize inspires her to continue composing.
“I'm very happy, deeply honored, and proud to introduce myself as the Grand Prize winner at the fourth session of the International Music Competition Camille Saint-Saëns 2025. This award means a lot to me, and it is not only an appreciation of my work, but also of Albanian music. I'm proud of that.”
“As a performer, composer, and associate professor at the Violin Department of the University of Arts in Tirana, this competition is important for bringing together three important elements: composition, performance, and academic research. My composition, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, is a traditional classical piece with three movements. The melody is indeed a very important element, and together it makes the work so virtuous and passionate. This concerto is published by the renowned Viennese publishing house Universal Edition and promoted in the Winter Catalog 2024–2025. I am deeply grateful and would like to compare winning this competition with playing Ronda Capito by Camille Saint-Saëns. This prize inspired me to write another—who knows, maybe another concerto for violin. Greetings from Tirana, and thank you. Thank you again.”
The Saint‑Saëns International Music Competition is a global, online contest celebrating the legacy of composer Camille Saint‑Saëns. Open to musicians of all ages and backgrounds — including performance, composition, chamber music, conducting, and more — the competition embraces both tradition and innovation. Find out more at www.saintsaenscompetition.com
