A total of 43 competitors from 12 countries will participate in the 41st International Jeunesses Musicales Competition, which will be held from March 20 to 29, competition's officials announced at a press conference in the Belgrade City Assembly on Wednesday.

City Culture Secretary Ivana Avzner expressed satisfaction that one of Belgrade's 11 major musical events has entered its fifth decade of existence and continuously attracts a large number of both local and foreign young musicians.

“A total of 13 Serbian violinists and 30 young musicians from 12 European and world countries will take part in the 41st International Jeunesses Musicales Competition. Another important detail is that Japan's young violinists will attend the competition in spite of the terrible misfortune that hit their country,” Avinzer said.

Competition Director Predrag Milojkovic said that the international jury will comprise eminent international violinists, including Edward Zienkowski (Austria/Poland), Irina Bochkova (Russia), Dimitris Semsis (Greece), Angel Stankov (Bulgaria) and Serbia's Aleksandar Pavlovic, Marija Jokanovic and Sreten Krstic.

Young cellist Shim Joon Ho, the winner of the last year's competition, will perform at the opening ceremony. The entrance will be free of charge during the ten days of the festival.