Australian violinist James Birch has been named among eight semifinalists for the 2026 Irving M. Klein International String Competition, to be held in San Francisco from 6 June.

The 19-year-old joins a field of international young string players selected to compete at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where the semifinal and final rounds will take place at Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall.

Violinist Alina Kobialka, a 2016 Klein prizewinner, will serve as mentor, with Mitchell Sardou Klein co-hosting. The 2026 competition features a newly commissioned work by Suzanne Sorkin, who also sits on the jury.

James Birch

Birch is a Sydney-born musician who relocated to England in 2020 to continue his studies. Now a full-time Kohl Scholar at the Colburn Music Academy, he studies with Robert Lipsett. Previously, he attended the Junior Guildhall School of Music & Drama on scholarship, where he studied with David Takeno, alongside guidance from So-Ock Kim and Simon Blendis, and mentorship from Nicola Benedetti, Rachel Podger and Shlomo Mintz. 

In Australia, he studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Birch made his concerto debut at 12 with Mozart’s Third Violin Concerto and has since appeared with ensembles in the United States including the Los Angeles Virtuosi Orchestra. His awards include prizes at the London Grand Prize Virtuoso Competition and ISA Young Musician of the Year, alongside scholarships to programs such as the Aspen Music Festival and the Perlman Music Program.

Birch’s fellow semifinalists include violinists, cellists and a violist from Canada, the United States, South Korea and Hong Kong. They will compete for a top prize of $5,000, alongside performance opportunities with ensembles including the Peninsula and Santa Cruz Symphonies and the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra.

Founded in 1986 by the California Music Center, the Klein competition has helped launch the careers of leading string players including Jennifer Koh and Vadim Gluzman.