2-578: The Michael Hill International Violin Competition is a biennial music competition for violinists aged between 18 and 28. It was founded by Michael Hill in 2001 as the Michael Hill World Violin Competition. Hill remains a major sponsor, claiming that "It is my dream that New Zealand will one day become a much more balanced society with not just wonderful sport – but also wonderful classical music." In 2004,
4-657: The event became a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions . The event is held in New Zealand , with the first two semi-final rounds of competition conducted in Queenstown and the third and final rounds held in Auckland . There is a total prize pool of NZ$ 100,000, with the winner receiving $ 40,000. In 2009, the events gained about $ 500,000 worth of sponsorship. Special guests at
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