SEVEN YEARS AFTER A TRAGIC ACCIDENT on his family farm left Augustin Hadelich severely burned and facing months of painful recovery, the 22-year-old winner of the Seventh Quadrennial International Violin Competition of Indianapolis performed brilliantly in the event that is known as the Olympics of violin competitions.

The competition, held September 1–17, featured 51 participants, ages 16–27, hailing from 22 countries. For his efforts, Hadelich received $30,000; a 24-carat gold medal; the four-year loan of the 1683 ex-Gingold Stradivari violin and Tourte bow; a Naxos label compact disc recording contract; a gold Fleur-de-Lys bow made by Berg Bows; and more than 40 concert engagements, including a domestic and international tour entitled “Pure Gold” with Chinese pianist Yingdi Sun, winner of the 2005 International Franz Liszt Piano Competition of Holland.

Hadelich, and his deeply emotive playing, dominated the competition. In addition to winning the overall event, he took the best performance of the commissioned work by Bright Sheng, “A Night at the Chinese Opera;” the best performance of a Beethoven sonata; the best performance of a Sonata other than Beethoven (he played a terrific Bartók Solo Sonata); the best performance of solo Bach; the best encore; the best classical concerto; and the best romantic concerto.

Hadelich, born in Italy of German parents, is not only a brilliant violinist, but also a pianist and a composer, though he has been devoting most of his time lately to playing the violin. He holds a graduate degree from the Juilliard School, where he has studied with Joel Smirnoff. His other teachers have included Uto Ughi, Christoph Poppen, Igor Ozim, Norbert Brainin of the Amadeus Quartet, and many others.

The silver medal went to Dutch violinist Hilde Simone Lamsma, 20, and the bronze medal was presented to American violinist Celeste Golden, 22. Lamsma also won the award for best performance of an Ysaÿe sonata and a Paganini caprice.

The second place title carries $15,000 in prize money and the third place is awarded $10,000.

Semi-finalist and 22-year-old American violinist Eunice Keem won a special prize for best performance of a Paganini caprice.

In addition, laureate placements were awarded to 21-year-old Korean violinist Yura Lee, the fourth-place laureate; Ye-Eun Choi, 18, of Korea, the fifth-place laureate; and Bella Hristova, 20, of Bulgaria, the sixth-place laureate.