The Tibor Varga International Violin Competition was created in 1967, and since 1976 has been a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC).
 
From its inception, the Tibor Varga International violin Competition has been considered one of the most important contests of the genre, and enjoys world-wide renown. The periodical Classica (Paris, February 2002) lists the Competition among the most prominent competitions in the world, alongside the Tchaikovsky in Moscow, the Queen Elizabeth in Brussels, and the Niccolo Paganini in Genoa.
From 1967 to 2008, the Tibor Varga International Violin Competition had taken place annually without any interruption. Since 2008, the competition has taken place each two years. Thousands of candidates from all continents have participated, and more than 100 laureates (pdf - 21Ko) include artists well-known today in international musical life, such as Mirijam Contzen, Latica Honda-Rosenberg, Jean-Jacques Kantorow, Boris Kuschnir, Ji-Yoon Park, Vadim Repin, and Alexandru Tomescu.
 
Maintaining a strong tradition from the first year of its existence, the Tibor Varga International Violin Competition offers top prize-winners the opportunity to perform before an international public as soloists with orchestra in a gala concert. Other prize-winners have the opportunity to perform before a sensitive, discerning public in recitals organized in Switzerland and abroad.
 
During numerous editions and in co-operation with Radio Suisse Romande - Espace 2, contemporary works have been commissioned especially for the Tibor Varga International Violin Competition. These compositions were given in world premières by the winners of the "Special prize for the best execution of the required contemporary work". Such performances include: