Violist beats two violinists to take major prize

06 October 2026

The Windsor Festival strings competition, commemorating the festival founder Yehudi Menuhin, was won last night at Eton College by the Canadian violist Emad Zolfaghari, a student at Curtis.

Emad played the Walton concerto. He takes home around $50k and a record contract.

Runners-up were the Lithuanian Rokas Diržys (Tchaikovsky) and the American Sophie Werner (Mozart).

Rokas, 18, took the audience and the orchestra prizes.