Violin 2025: Repertoire

Recorded Preliminary Round

All repertoire must be submitted in a video-recording format with the application.

  1. J. S. Bach: fugue movement from one of the unaccompanied violin sonatas—No. 1 in G Minor, No. 2 in A Minor, or No. 3 in C Major
  2. N. Paganini: One caprice
  3. The first movement of a concerto selected from:
    L.v. Beethoven: Concerto in D Major, Op. 61
    J. Brahms: Concerto in D Major, Op. 77
    A. Dvořák: Concerto in A Minor, Op.53
    F. Mendelssohn: Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64
    P. Tchaikovsky: Concerto in D Major, Op. 35

Live Rounds in Oberlin

Contestant's repertoire must be finalized by November 1, 2024. Please see repertoire lists below.

First Round - 30 minutes

MONDAY, JANUARY 6 at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 7 at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Approximately 18 violinists will be chosen to perform in Oberlin.

  1. J. S. Bach: fugue movement from one of the unaccompanied violin sonatas—No. 1 in G Minor, No. 2 in A Minor, or No. 3 in C Major
  2. N. Paganini: one caprice for unaccompanied violin
  3. F. Kreisler: a five-minute encore piece with piano accompaniment, written or arranged by Kreisler
  4.  Twelve minutes of excerpts, selected by the Jury, of the contestant's concerto choice, selected from the list of the six Cooper Competition Violin Concertos below

Repertoire in the First Round may include works submitted with the application, or these pieces may be different.

Second Round - 45 minutes

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8 at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Six violinists will advance to the second round.

  1. Jessie Montgomery: Rhapsody No. 2
  2. W. A. Mozart: a slow movement from Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major,  Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major, or Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major
  3. Two brilliant concert pieces with or without piano of the competitor's choice (see Repertoire List at the bottom of this page)
  4. L. v. Beethoven: first movement from a violin sonata (sonatas 1 through 5 only)

At the conclusion of this round, prizes for fourth, fifth, sixth, and the Audience Prize will be awarded.

Concerto Finals

FRIDAY, JANUARY 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Three violinists will advance to the Concerto Finals.

Each of the three finalists will perform their complete concerto, selected from the list of five concertos below, with the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra at Oberlin College and Conservatory's Finney Chapel.

Cooper Competition Violin Concerto List:

  1. L. v. Beethoven: Concerto in D Major, Op. 61
  2. J. Brahms: Concerto in D Major, Op. 77
  3. A. Dvořák: Concerto in A Minor, Op. 53
  4. F. Mendelssohn: Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64
  5. P. Tchaikovsky: Concerto in D Major, Op. 35

Repertoire list

Brilliant concert piece, with or without piano accompaniment:

1. B. Bartók: Sonata for Solo Violin, Sz. 117
2. A. Bazzini: La ronde des lutins, Op. 25
3. E. Chausson: Poème, Op. 25
4. H.W. Ernst: Last Rose of Summer
5. H.W. Ernst: Grand Caprice on Schubert's Der Erlkönig, Op. 26
6. N. Paganini: Nel cor più non mi sento
7. N. Paganini: Moses Variations on the G String
8. N. Paganini: La Streghe, Op. 8
9. N. Paganini: Variations on "God Save the Queen," Op. 9
10. M. Ravel: Tzigane
11. C. Saint-Saëns: Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28
12. C. Saint-Saëns/Ysaÿe: Caprice d’après l’Étude en forme de Valse, Op. 52
13. C. Saint-Saëns: Havanaise, Op. 83
14. P. Sarasate: Habanera (Spanish Dance No. 2), Op. 21
15. P. Sarasate: Jota Navarra (Spanish Dance No. 4), Op. 22
16. P. Sarasate: Caprice Basque, Op. 24
17. P. Sarasate: Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25
18. P. Sarasate: Introduction and Tarantella, Op. 43
19. A. Schnittke: A Paganini
20. F. Waxman: Carmen Fantasy (after Bizet)
21. H. Wieniawski: Polonaise in D Major, Op. 4
22. H. Wieniawski: Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 15
23. H. Wieniawski: Scherzo-Tarantelle, Op. 16
24. H. Wieniawski: Fantasia Brillante on Themes from Gounod’s ‘Faust,’ Op. 20
25. H. Wieniawski: Polonaise brillante in A Major, Op. 21
26. E. Ysaÿe: one of the sonatas for solo violin, Op. 27
27. E. T. Zwilich: Fantasy for Solo Violin