[1] The Klein is open to string players between the ages of 15 and 23 who are not under professional management.
[2] The competition was founded in 1985 in memory of Irving M. Klein, an acclaimed cellist and educator.
Each of eight or nine semifinalists, selected in a triple-blind review process from among 110 to 130 applicants, performs a 25-minute recital on the first day.
The performances are open to the public at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and are live-streamed worldwide.
Past winners of the competition:[3] Yeji Lim (violin) Vincent Garcia-Hettinger (cello) Hayoung Choi (violin) Serin Isabelle Park (violin) In the book The Eggnog Chronicles, one fictional character is introduced as "the youngest violinist to win the Irving M. Klein String Competition.