Feature Article

5 Top Competitors:
Lessons Learned from Winning and Losing

February 2017

COMpetitions
A Musical America Guide to Top Competitions
 Editor’s Note
Controversial. Grueling. Exhilarating. Heart-breaking. Depending on your point of view,
competitions are either a quick way to separate the merely talented from the extraordinarily
talented, or a complete waste of time, energy, and effort. Either way, there’s no denying that a
competition win can launch a major career.
Such was the case for 24-year-old Beatrice Rana, for whom winning the Silver Medal at the 2013
Van Cliburn International Piano Competition was “life changing,” as she describes it. Rana, who is
based in Italy, is one of the five top artists author John Fleming interviewed for our Competitions Guide feature, Lessons
Learned from Winning and Losing. Each of these candidates is a seasoned competition participant, and we were curious
to know how their individual experiences had affected their career paths.
If for Rana it was winning the Cliburn, for 29-year-old Danish bassoonist Sebastian Stevensson, now principal bassoon of
the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, it was losing the 2013 Munich ARD International Music Competition. “I thought
I had a great chance of winning,” he says, “and then I didn’t even pass the first round. It was hard….I had to reconsider so
many things about my playing.” Calling the loss “a breaking point” in his career, he set about making some changes—like
A Musical America Guide to Top learning to focus not so much on perfect technique as on bringing his own, distinctive interpretation to a work. “I learned
that, if I put everything I have, all my beliefs, in a performance, then whether I win or not is out of my hands.”

COMpetitions Hong Kong native Elim Chan, who will soon be music director of the NorrlandsOperan, was fortunate enough to learn
that lesson during the competition itself. She was auditioning in front of the London Symphony Orchestra at the 2014
Donatella Flick Conducting Competition. “I was scared,” she tells Fleming. “I remember thinking the LSO was so good
already, what would I tell them?” The answer came from one of the players during a break in rehearsals. “Don’t try to
impress us,” he told her. “We’re the LSO. We play for Gergiev and Haitink. Just be yourself up there.” She took his advice
and went on to become the first woman ever to win the Donatella Flick.
In addition to talking with competition winners, we’ve put together a list of some 65 competitions, chosen from our
database of 500, and included such information as eligibility requirements, application deadlines, competition dates,
prizes, and more. Here’s to winning, losing, and learning.
Regards,
Susan Elliott
Editor, Special Reports
Cover photo credit: Beatrice Rana competes in the 14th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition; June 2013. PHOTO: Ralph Lauer.

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions  musicalamerica.com • February 2017

5 Lessons Learned
from Winning and Losing
Top
Competitors

Winning a competition can be a quick launch pad to

Participant, Malko Competition, 2015
Elim Chan
30, conductor
Winner, Donatella Flick Conducting Competition, 2014

Chief Conductor, NorrlandsOperan, Sweden, 2017-18 season

“As a conductor, the moment you walk onstage, you’re being judged by all
the orchestra musicians. You either get them or lose them in five minutes” (not
to mention winning over the jury and the audience).
Such were Elim Chan’s challenges in 2014, enroute to becoming the first
career success and fulfillment—but so can losing. Here female winner of the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition, leading the
London Symphony Orchestra in rehearsal and concert. Born in Hong Kong, Chan
are the stories of five competitors, each now at the top
attended Smith College and the University of Michigan, where she was still in
of his or her field. In our previous Competition Guide, grad school when she entered the Flick. The biennial competition appealed to
By John Fleming
we profiled singer and multiple-competition-winner her because it seeks conductors with little professional experience; the prize is a
Jamie Barton; this time, we turn to instrumentalists chance to gain seasoning as assistant conductor with the LSO for one year. The
players have a say in the result.
John Fleming writes for and a conductor. “It’s important to know what kind of conductor a competition is looking for,”
Classical Voice North
America, Opera News, she says. “I had no professional experience, and that is what the Flick seeks—
and other publications. someone with potential to grow.”
For 22 years, he covered Conductors have an intrinsic problem preparing for a competition. “Violinists
the Florida music scene as or pianists can practice their repertoire hundreds of times,” Chan says. “I couldn’t
performing arts critic of the Tampa Bay Times. do that, because I needed an orchestra to work with.” She got together with
musicians at school to perform works she’d be doing in the Flick, but still, when
A musical america Guide to Top Competitions  musicalamerica.com • February 2017
 5 Top
Competitors
Lessons Learned
from Winning and Losing

she made it to the finals, she was leading much of the repertoire for the first “When you talk to them it’s like getting a lesson with 10 professionals
time with a real orchestra, including Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade and for a fraction of the cost,” he says. “I’ve gotten useful hints on everything from
Stravinsky’s Symphony in Three Movements. Some jurors watched from seats stage presence to nitty-gritty details like intonation or sound production or
in the orchestra as she led rehearsals. “I was scared, of course, before the first ensemble with the piano.”
rehearsal. I remember thinking, what do I say to the LSO? Because they would be
so good already, what do I do?” Lessons learned

The human touch

Austin Larson Memorize. Larson plays everything in competitions from memory, from
standard repertoire such as Mozart horn concertos to Messiaen’s Interstellar Call,
25, French horn
The turning point for Chan came in the break between rehearsals, when a difficult work that requires much extended technique. His advice to young
orchestra members came up to talk with her. She had felt uncomfortable in Winner, International Horn Competition of America players is, “memorize early and memorize often, because if you start early, it gets
slow passages in Scheherazade, thrown by the orchestra playing behind the University Division, 2011 easier. If you start later, it’s a steep learning curve.”
beat. But the musicians encouraged her. “They told me not to wait for them Professional Division, 2015
in slow music, just go ahead and do my thing, and they’d be there for me. A Assistant Principal Horn, Colorado Symphony Sing, then play. With degrees from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and
cellist said, ‘Don’t try to impress us. We’re the LSO. We play for (Valery) Gergiev, Curtis Institute, Larson won the audition to be assistant principal horn with the
we play for (Bernard) Haitink. Just be yourself up there.’ That was the moment “A lot of horn players look upon playing solos with a certain sense of dread, Colorado Symphony in 2014. He finds “a decent amount of overlap” in how he
I started to feel more free.” but I’ve always enjoyed it,” says French horn player Austin Larson. “I’ve always prepares for competitions and auditions. “First, I make sure to sing everything
Chan even took an interpretive risk in conducting Beethoven’s Egmont felt more artistically free.” Certainly more so than when playing orchestral through before I play a note on the horn, and I keep a preparation chart that
overture. “Usually when you hear Egmont, it’s very muscular, but I was looking excerpts for an audition. “With solo repertoire it’s more about putting your allows me to maximize my practice time. For any given competition, I’m going
for a lighter, more mellow sound,” she says. “At first, they weren’t really open to personal stamp on it.” to be preparing from 35 to 45 minutes of music, sometimes more, and that’s a
it, but I just insisted politely, and it worked. All three finalists conducted Egmont, Larson’s preference for solo performance has served him well in lot to keep track of. It’s especially important to know where I’m at with technical
and I think my performance stood out because I got a lot of my ideas in it.” competitions. Most recently, he won the $2,500 first prize in the professional passages that require woodshedding with a metronome to get them up to speed,
In 2015, Chan entered the Malko Competition with the Danish National division of the International Horn Competition of America (IHCA), held at or I can get really bogged down.”
Symphony Orchestra. “My experience there was quite mixed,” she says. “After you the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2015. A participant in IHCA since high
win a competition like the Flick, the pressure becomes double, and I felt I almost school, he has long appreciated its educational focus. Candidates who don’t Visualize. Larson is big on visualization. “That means not only picturing myself
had to win the Malko. This weird expectation was messing with my mind.” She pass on to the next round are encouraged to meet with judges and discuss their in the setting where I’ll be playing but also picturing myself emotionally, as in
was eliminated after the second round, but it was a blip in her burgeoning playing, unlike some competitions that prohibit interaction with the judges. dealing with stage fright. Something that helps is looking at photos of the venue
career, which has included a fellowship with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and you’re going to be playing in. I find it helpful to set the photo of the stage on
conducting the Mariinsky Orchestra in Russia and on tour in Mexico. Chan has “I always imagine myself being as nervous the background of my phone. Whenever I turn my phone on, I’m looking at that
been named chief conductor of Sweden’s NorrlandsOperan for a three-year term as possible and still playing well.” picture and internalizing it. And I always imagine myself being as nervous as
beginning with the 2017-18 season.  possible and still playing well.” 
A musical america Guide to Top Competitions  musicalamerica.com • February 2017
 5 Top
Competitors
Lessons Learned
from Winning and Losing

Being a Cliburn medalist assured her of that: a three-year management

contract was part of placing second in the prestigious quadrennial prize. “I
remember when they announced the six finalists, they immediately asked for
our passports because they were already going to apply for working visas in
the U.S. That’s amazing, no? You really feel that they are working for you, not
just for the competition.” Sebastian
Beatrice Rana A close call
Stevensson
24, piano 29, bassoon
The Cliburn was not all smooth sailing, however: During her performance of
Winner, Montreal International Piano Competition, 2011 Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in the finals, a piano string broke in the third Winner, Gillet-Hugo-Fox International Bassoon Competition, 2014
Silver Medalist, Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, 2013 movement. Potential disaster loomed. “What can you do?” she says, recalling a Winner, Swedish Soloist Prize, 2016
Professional pianist silent prayer that it wouldn’t impact her performance. “You just have to keep Principal Bassoon, Danish National Symphony Orchestra
going and try to do your best. Life onstage is not relaxing. Somehow you
Thanks largely to her Cliburn win, Beatrice Rana is a busy international soloist, have to deal with it.” Sebastian Stevensson has an impressive record in international competitions,
currently gracing major stages in London, Paris, Berlin, and her home base The Cliburn was Rana’s swan song to competitions, since she now but when asked which of them was most helpful to his career, his response is
of Rome. has a career. This season she’s on an international recital tour with Bach’s surprising: “The one that went the very worst,” he says.
“Life changing” is how she describes the impact of winning the Silver Goldberg Variations, and her debut CD—Prokofiev’s Second Piano Concerto It was the 2013 Munich ARD International Music Competition, Germany’s
Medal that came with a $20,000 award. “After the announcement of the prizes, and Tchaikovsky’s First with Antonio Pappano and Orchestra dell’Accademia largest competition, whose instrument categories vary from year to year. The
the next day I got an email from the Cliburn with a list of the engagements I Nazionale di Santa Cecilia—was named recording of the month by ARD had been his very first competition, when he was 21, and that time he
had for the following year. There were many recitals, and soon I was receiving BBC Magazine. had been the youngest candidate to make it to the second round. By 2013, he
invitations from great orchestras to play concertos. I felt that I had reached Rana doesn’t miss the pressure of competitions. “A couple of months ago I not only had more competitions under his belt and had improved as a player,
another dimension of my life.” had a nightmare that I was playing the Cliburn again,” she says. “I woke up and he was principal bassoon with the Danish National Symphony.
It was a dimension that was a long time coming. “My first competition thought, thank God it was a dream.”  “I thought I had a great chance of winning, and then I went there and
was when I was five years old,” she recalls. “My parents are both pianists and didn’t pass the first round,” he says. “It was hard—I probably spent 100 hours
they thought it was a nice opportunity to play for a couple of minutes in front working on a demanding piece commissioned by the competition (Nyx by Evis
of an audience.” She went on to enter and win competitions around the world, Sammoutis) that I never performed—but the experience was also helpful for
although competing was never the point. me. I had to reconsider so many things about my playing. It was a breaking
“I don’t do competitions for the sake of it,” Rana says. “Competitions bring point in my career.”
concerts. That’s what I want to do—be a concert pianist.”

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions  musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 5 Top
Competitors
Lessons Learned
from Winning and Losing

A lesson learned For the ISB competition, held at Colorado State University, Suggs
Stevensson, from a prominent musical family in Sweden, had spent almost researched who was on the jury. “I was going to be playing for an incredibly
a year preparing for the 2013 ARD. “I practiced so much on the competition astute panel of bassists that I’ve watched perform over the years, and followed
repertory and technical passages that I became a bit stiff. I was too focused on YouTube,” he says. “Because there is a lack of repertoire that is idiomatic
on not making mistakes, which is dangerous…. [You should] focus instead for the instrument, I decided I’d present some of my pieces in addition to the
on bringing a special atmosphere or special sound to a piece. That draws the required program.”
listener in, so that, if you do make a mistake it’s not so disturbing. Sam Suggs He chose Daft Punk Chaconne, inspired by French electronic music duo Daft
Punk’s dance hit Around the World; and Concerto After Haydn, his realization
“Also, you have to accept that you make mistakes. I learned that, if I put 26, Double Bass
everything I have, all my beliefs, into a performance, then whether I win or Photo Credit: Ron Cohen Mann of a lost Haydn Concerto for violone, a forerunner of the double bass. “I think
not is out of my hands.” these entirely new pieces were really refreshing to the jury,” he says.
Letting go enabled him to move on to greater success. He won the Winner, International Society of Bassists Solo Competition, 2015
$10,000 first prize in the Gillet-Fox Bassoon Competition in 2014, the New Music/New Places Fellow, Concert Artists Guild Competition, 2016 Upending the jury’s expectations
concluding event of the International Double Reed Society convention when Assistant Professor of Bass, James Madison University For standard repertoire, he looked for relatively unfamiliar works while keeping
it was held in New York City. Performing Hummel’s Bassoon Concerto with the the bass’s physical demands in mind. “Every competitive bassist plays a piece
Orchestra of St. Luke’s was among the prizes. Next came the 2016 Swedish Sam Suggs’s bio describes him as an “omnivorous” musician. “I coined that term by Giovanni Bottesini,” he says, “so I looked for one of his lesser-known works.”
Soloist Prize, winning against a pianist and a violinist in the finals, making for myself to suggest an overarching philosophy that a musician should do a Otherwise, he says, “the judges might have preconceived notions or expectations
him artist-in-residence with the Swedish Radio Broadcasting Union. He also lot of different things and shouldn’t be overspecialized,” he says. “It is meant to of how the work should be performed. They might be thinking, ‘Well, you played
won an audition for principal bassoon of the Munich Philharmonic, a position describe the fact that I will eat anything that comes my way, musically.” it fine, but I’d have done it faster, or slower, or I would have started with the up
he held for a year before deciding he preferred living in Copenhagen. Suggs, who studied at Northwestern and Yale universities and now bow instead of the down bow.’You want them to be thinking of the music you’re
“You have to learn to let go” he says of that competition loss. “That, of teaches at James Madison University, does indeed possess eclectic musical making and not the decisions you’re making.
course, is applicable to a lot of things in life.”   talents. They range from playing jazz piano and accordion to writing a scholarly “That was key for me, to think of the jury not as a panel but as an audience
paper on cadenzas in Mozart piano concertos, but it is as a double bassist/ I needed to engage with.”
composer that he has made his mark in competitions. In 2015, he received the So he ended up with Bottesini’s Gavotte, instead of one of the concertos.
$2,500 Gary Karr Prize for placing first in the International Society of Bassists “I wanted something that the judges wouldn’t have strong opinions on, but
Solo Competition [and was subsequently chosen as New Artist of the Month that also wouldn’t burn my technique too much. Something charming and not
by Musical America]. Then the next year he was named the Concert Artists too much of a strain.”
Guild’s New Music/New Places Fellow at the CAG International Competition. Clearly, it was the right move. 
At both events, he played some of his own compositions.

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions  musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 cmim_MusicalAmerica_17.02_F.qxp_Layout 1 2017-01-13 14:48 Page 1

Competitions The following listings were drawn from the 2017 Musical America Worldwide database.
Note that the majority have first-prize monies of $10,000 and over.
AGO/ECS Publishing Award in Choral Composition.......................... 7 The Mahler Competition............................................................... 30
Altamura/Caruso International Voice Competition.......................... 7 2nd Manhattan International Music Competition......................... 31

$260,000
American Pianists Awards............................................................... 8 Eleanor McCollum Competition..................................................... 31
Banff International String Quartet Competition.............................. 9 Michael Ludwig Nemmers Prize in Music Composition.................. 32
Berliner International Music Competition..................................... 10 MTNA National Student Competitions........................................... 32
Besançon International Competition for Young Conductors.......... 10 NATS Artist Awards (NATSAA)........................................................ 33 IN PRIZES
Blue Danube International Opera Conducting
 Competitions 2017................................................................... 11
NATS Art Song Composition Award............................................... 33
NATS National Music Theater Competition.................................... 33
AND GRANTS
Canadian International Organ Competition................................... 12 NATS National Student Auditions.................................................. 33
Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists........ 12 National Chopin Piano Competition of the USA............................. 34
Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition................. 13 Neue Stimmen International Singing Competition....................... 34
Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition.......................... 14 The New York International Piano Competition............................. 35
Concours musical international de Montréal................................. 14 Osaka International Chamber Music Competition......................... 35
Thomas and Evon Cooper International Competition.................... 15 PianoArts...................................................................................... 36
Discover National Chamber Music Competition............................. 16 Plowman Chamber Music Competition......................................... 37
Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.............................. 16 Queen Elisabeth Competition—Brussels...................................... 37
Fleischmann International Trophy Competition............................. 17 The Queen Sonja Interational Music Competition.......................... 38
Forte International Music Competition.......................................... 17 Rapido! 14-Day Composition Contest............................................ 39
Gawon Award................................................................................ 18 The 15th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano

SCOTT TRESHAM
Marcello Giordani International Voice Competition....................... 18  Master Competition................................................................. 39 KEONWOO KIM
Global Music Awards..................................................................... 19 Schadt String Competition............................................................ 40 1ST PRIZE 2015
2017 Hilton Head International Piano Competition....................... 20 Franz Schubert and Modern Music International Competition...... 41
HKIVS Shlomo Mintz International Violin Competition.................. 20 Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition................. 42
Honens Piano Competition............................................................ 21 The Solti Foundation U.S............................................................... 42
International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition............ 21 Solti International Conducting Competition 2017......................... 43
International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition........................ 22 Sphinx Competition...................................................................... 44 NEW! Aria & Art Song Divisions
The 16th International Edvard Grieg Piano Competition............... 23 Stulberg International String Competition.................................... 44
ELIGIBILITY
International Franz Liszt Piano Competition.................................. 24 Suzhou Jinji Lake International Piano Competition....................... 45 Born January 1, 1983 or later
International Telekom Beethoven Competition Bonn.................... 24 Takamatsu International Piano Competition................................. 46
ONLINE APPLICATION
International Violin Competition of Indianapolis........................... 25 Toru Takemitsu Composition Award 2018...................................... 47
March 15 to December 15, 2017
51st International Vocal Competition ’s-Hertogenbosch................ 26 33rd Valsesia Musica International Competition 2017................... 47
IPCL Percussion Duo Competition 2018......................................... 26 Viotti International Music Competition, Vercelli............................ 48 TRANSPORTATION
AND ACCOMMODATION
Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition........................................... 27 VSA International Young Soloists.................................................. 49 CONCOURSMONTREAL.CA provided by the CMIM
Johansen International Competition for Young Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition............... 49
 String Players (Ages 13-17)...................................................... 28 Wigmore Hall/Kohn Foundation International
Lyon International Chamber Music Competition........................... 28  Song Competition.................................................................... 50
M-Prize Chamber Arts Competition............................................... 29 Young Concert Artists International Auditions.............................. 50

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions  musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 AGO/ECS PUBLISHING AWARD IN ALTAMURA/CARUSO
CHORAL COMPOSITION INTERNATIONAL VOICE COMPETITION
The competition seeks outstanding compositions ELIGIBILITY The competition was founded in 1988 by Carmela ELIGIBILITY
for SATB chorus and organ in which the organ plays The competition is open to all composers except Altamura. Its first president was mezzo-soprano All voice categories may apply; there is no age
a distinctive and significant role; requirements vary. AGO/ECS past winners. Membership in the AGO is Giulietta Simionato. The competition’s philosophy is restriction; applicant must list career activity within
There is a $2,000 cash prize and publication by ECS not required. to use the arts for the improvement of social, ethnic, last five years.
Publishing. cultural, and professional relations in the world. This
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Organ • SATB Chorus year’s winners will go to Europe for performance ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Voice
MAIN OFFICE engagements.
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1260 DETAILS DETAILS
New York, NY 10115 Travel covered? No MAIN OFFICE Travel covered? No
UNITED STATES Frequency Annual 4000 Bergenline Avenue Frequency Biennial
212-870-2310 Cash prizes $2,000 Union City, NJ 07087 Cash prizes $10,000 to $50,000
email website Jury chair(s) Not provided UNITED STATES Additional prize Performances
Jury size 1 to 5 201-863-8724 Additional prize Management
Application deadline July 1, 2018 email website Jury chair Carmela Altamura
Jury size 1 to 5
Application notes Application deadline October 3, 2017
Deadline subject to change.
SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? Auditions: October 25 & 26, 2017
✖ Not open to the public 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Good Shepherd, 152 West 66th Street (between
Amsterdam and Broadway), New York, NY

FINALS (live rounds)

October 28, 2017

COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?

✖ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions  musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 AMERICAN PIANISTS AWARDS AMERICAN PIANISTS AWARDS, cont’d

The American Pianists Awards are held every two ELIGIBILITY Application deadline December 22, 2017 FINALS (live rounds)
years to discover the best young American jazz or By nomination only. Candidates must be: Citizens of Chamber Music Recitals with Pacifica Quartet: April
SEMIFINALS (live rounds) 3-7, 2017 at Christ Church Cathedral, Indianapolis, IN
classical pianists. The innovative competitions span the United States; age 18-30; extraordinary pianists The first juried stage of the American Pianists
13 months and provide a platform to engage artists with the potential to make strong contributions to New Music Recitals: April 3, 2017 at University of
Awards, the Preliminary Round is an anonymous Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN
across varied formats. Winners receive cash and the music profession in general. adjudication of nominees by a distinguished
two years of career advancement valued at over panel of musicians. Five finalists are chosen based Song Recitals: April 6, 2017 at Indiana History
$100,000. ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Piano
upon exceptional technical ability and unique Center, Indianapolis, IN
MAIN OFFICE DETAILS musical personality demonstrated in the nominees’
Travel covered? Yes submitted recordings. Gala Finals: April 7 & 8, 2017 at Hilbert Circle Theater,
American Pianists Association Indianapolis. IN
4603 Clarendon Road, Suite 030 Frequency Biennial
Cash prizes $10,000 to $50,000 The Premiere Series provides the first live juried
Indianapolis, IN 46208 performances of the five American Pianists Awards Live stream: http://www.americanpianists.org/live
UNITED STATES Additional prize Performances
Additional prize Management finalists. Over the course of five months, each finalist COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
317-940-9334 makes an initial appearance on stage in Indianapolis
Additional prize Recording ✔ Semifinals ✖ Semifinals streamed
email website for solo and ensemble performance and completes
Jury chair(s) Not provided ✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
Jury size 11 or more a high school residency.
Social link

s
2017
2015
2017 10.02.2018 – 18.02.2018
2017 IPCL Percussion Duo Competition
conservatoire de la Ville de luxembourg
apply online: AWARDS JuRy

january 15 – 1st prize : 15.000€

2nd prize : 9.000€
- Paul Mootz ( Luxembourg )
- Boris Dinev (Luxembourg/Bulgaria)
march 31, 2017 3rd prize : 5.000€ - Katarzyna Mycka ( Poland )
- Bart Quartier ( Belgium )
www. DeADline foR RegiStRAtion:
15th octobeR 2017
- Philippe Limoge ( France )

neue-stimmen.de
- Matthias Schmitt ( Germany )
www.ipcl.lu - N.N.

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions  musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 BANFF INTERNATIONAL
STRING QUARTET COMPETITION
Since 1983 BISQC has celebrated the art of chamber ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Strings
music while providing career support for emerging
string quartets. Join the most dedicated chamber DETAILS
music audience on the planet for a once-in-a- Travel covered? Yes
lifetime experience. Outstanding music-making, Frequency Triennial NORTH AMERICAN 2018 BIENNIAL
enlightening lectures, passionate discussions, Cash prizes More than $50,000 PIANO COMPETITION & MUSIC FESTIVAL
delicious food, and spectacular mountain vistas Additional prize Performances
await you. Additional prize Recording
Jury chair(s) Not provided
MAIN OFFICE Jury size 6 to 10 10 SEMIFINALISTS
107 Tunnel Mountain Drive Application deadline March 1, 2019
$27,000 in prizes • PianoArts fellowships
PO Box 1020, Station 23 Finalists perform with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Banff, AB T1L 1H5 SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
CANADA August 26 - 31, 2019 COMPETITION
FOR AGES 16-20: APPLICATIONS: DETAILS:
403-762-6231 Eric Harvie Theatre, Banff Centre for Arts and
May 30-June 5, 2018 February 9, 2018 www.PianoArts.org
email website Creativity
(The ten competing quartets perform in all four
ELIGIBILITY preliminary rounds)
• The competition is open to string quartets of all
nationalities whose members are under the age of FINALS (live rounds)
35 on September 1, 2019. September 1, 2019
• First and second prize winners of any previous Eric Harvie Theatre, Banff Centre for Arts and
Banff International String Quartet Competition Creativity
(BISQC) are ineligible to apply.* (Three quartets advance to the finals)
• Quartets may compete in BISQC a maximum of two COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
times only. Quartets that have already competed ✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
twice in BISQC are excluded from participation.* ✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
*For the purposes of rules 2 and 3, a quartet will be Social links
considered the same quartet if 50 percent of the
personnel are returning.

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions  musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 BERLINER INTERNATIONAL BESANÇON INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
MUSIC COMPETITION FOR YOUNG CONDUCTORS
The first Berliner International Music Competition ELIGIBILITY Established in 1951 the Besançon Conducting PRELIMINARIES (live rounds)
offers over €25,000 in prizes, recitals at the Berlin The competition is open to pianists, singers, and Competition is among the most complete Germany: Berlin (Hochschule für Musik “Hanns
Philharmonie; international management; a CD string players up to 35 years old. competitions in the world, covering classical, Eisler”) from 27 April to 2 May 2017
recording; and various gold and silver special Romantic, 20th-century and contemporary music,
awards. The competition winners are selected via ARTISTIC DISCLIPLINES Strings • Voice • Piano oratorio, and opera. Past winners include Alexander Canada: Montreal (Faculté de musique de
video; there is no travel required. Apply online Gibson, Gerd Albrecht, Seiji Ozawa, Michel Plasson, l’Université de Montréal) 4 and 5 May 2017
DETAILS
Travel covered? Yes Zdenek Macal, Sylvain Cambreling, and Yutaka Sado. China: Beijing (Central Conservatory of Music), 8 and
MAIN OFFICE
Manhattan Concert Artists Frequency Annual MAIN OFFICE 9 May 2017
576 Fifth Avenue Cash prizes $10,000 to $50,000 Festival de musique
Additional prize Management France: Besançon (Conservatoire à rayonnement
9th Floor, #903 Concours de jeunes chefs d’orchestre régional du Grand Besançon) from 12 to 15 May
New York, NY 10036 Additional prize Recording 2 rue Morand
Jury chair Teresa Berganza 2017
UNITED STATES 25000 Besançon
email website Jury size 11 or more FRANCE SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
Application deadline January 31, 2017 +33 38 125 0585 1/8 Final Symphonic: Monday 11 Sept., 2:30 pm and
Application notes email website 8 pm (20 candidates maximum)
The final application deadline for late submissions ELIGIBILITY 1/4 Final Opera: Tuesday 12 Sept., 2:30 pm and 8 pm
will be March 15, 2017. The competition is open to candidates of any na- (12 candidates maximum)
SEMIFINALS (live rounds) tionality under the age of 30 on the day of the finale. 1/2 Final Concerto: Wednesday 13 Sept., 2:30 pm (6
Judges will make their selections via video ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Conducting candidates maximum)
submitted by applicants
DETAILS 1/2 Final Oratorio: Wednesday 13 Sept., 8 pm (6
FINALS (live rounds) Travel covered? Yes candidates maximum)
June 14, 2017: Winner will play a recital at the Berlin Frequency Biennial
Philharmonie FINALS (live rounds)
Cash prizes €10,000 to €50,000 Final Symphonic and original piece
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? Additional prize Performances Saturday 16 Sept., 6 pm (3 candidates maximum)
✖ Not open to the public Additional prize Management
Jury chair Leonard Slatkin COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
Jury size 6 to 10 ✖ Semifinals ✖ Semifinals streamed
Application deadline January 20, 2017 ✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
Social links

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 10 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 BLUE DANUBE INTERNATIONAL OPERA CONDUCTING BLUE DANUBE INTERNATIONAL OPERA CONDUCTING COMPETITION 2017
(7TH EDITION), cont’d
COMPETITION 2017 (7TH EDITION) DETAILS SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
The competition comprehensively tests (over ELIGIBILITY Travel covered? No All three rounds take place with the entire opera
three rounds) how well a conductor works with a No age limit. Conductors must submit their CV; Frequency Biennial company: orchestra, choir, soloists, pianists & stage
professional orchestra, choir, and soloists. The jury recent video/audio tapes of opera, symphonic, or Cash prizes None manager and director, at State Opera Rousse,
evaluates the conductor’s ability to rehearse, guide, other conducting; and complete the application Additional prize Performances Bulgaria
and inspire those on stage, both verbally and non- found on the competition’s webpage. Acceptance Jury chair Maestro Niels Muus,
Musik und Kunst FINALS (live rounds)
verbally through gesture and command. Several is based on training and experience appropriate to All three rounds take place with the entire opera
operas in diverse styles are required. the competition. Privatuniversität der
Stadt Wien company: orchestra, choir, soloists, pianists & stage
MAIN OFFICE ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Conducting Jury size 1 to 5 manager and director, at State Opera Rousse,
Blue Danube Musikimpresario GmbH Application deadline June 15, 2017 Bulgaria
Strozzigasse 31 COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
A-1080 Vienna Application notes
60 conductors are accepted and must confirm their ✔ Semifinals ✖ Semifinals streamed
AUSTRIA ✔ Finals ✖ Finals streamed
+4314054030; +436609441659; +436609441658 places with deposits.
email website

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A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 11 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 CANADIAN CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION
INTERNATIONAL ORGAN COMPETITION FOR YOUNG ARTISTS
Competitors from around the world will be meeting DETAILS CIPC for Young Artists is a competition and institute DETAILS
in Montreal for the chance to win prizes totaling Travel covered? Yes that seeks to develop the performance capabilities Travel covered? Yes
over $95,000 USD in cash. They are immersed in Frequency Annual of young piano students, renew their commitment Frequency Quadrennial
an intensive program, with an international jury Cash prizes $10,000 to $50,000 to piano studies, and provide an important learning Cash prizes More than $50,000
and supportive CIOC team, allowing them to leave Additional prize Performances and development experience. Additional prize Performances
Montreal as more confident musicians. Additional prize Management Jury chair Paul Schenly, professor
Additional prize Recording MAIN OFFICE and artist in residence,
MAIN OFFICE Jury chair John Grew, artistic 20600 Chagrin Boulevard, Suite 1110 Cleveland Institute of
606 Cathcart, Suite 335 director, Canadian Shaker Heights, OH 44122 Music
Montréal, QC H3B 1K9 International Organ UNITED STATES Jury size 6 to 10
CANADA Competition 216-707-5397 Application deadline November 1, 2017
514-510-5678 Jury size 6 to 10 email website
email website Application deadline January 30, 2017 SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
ELIGIBILITY June 5-6, 2018, Maltz Performing Arts Center,
ELIGIBILITY SEMIFINALS (live rounds) Open to pianists of any nationality between the Cleveland, OH
The CIOC is open to organists of all nationalities October 14-15, 2017 at Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church ages of 12 and 17. Contestants will participate in
born after October 19, 1982. Candidates must send in Montréal, QC, Canada. two age groups: Juniors (age 12 to 14) and Seniors Six candidates from the Junior Division perform
a completed registration file bearing a postmark (age 15 to 17). Eligibility for the competition, as well 30-minute solo programs
prior to January 30, 2017. Only complete files will FINALS (live rounds) as the age group for each contestant, is determined
be processed. The first prize winner of any previous October 18, 2017 at Notre-Dame Basilica in by the contestant’s age as of June 9, 2018. Six candidates from the Senior Division perform
CIOC competition is ineligible. Montréal, QC, Canada. 45-minute solo programs
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Piano
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Organ COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? FINALS (live rounds)
✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed June 8, 2018, Maltz Performing Arts Center,
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed Cleveland, OH

Social links Three candidates from the Junior Division and three
candidates from the Senior Division perform as
soloists with an orchestra.
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
Social links

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 12 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

FIFTEENTH VAN CLIBURN
INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION
Quadrennial international piano competition
held in Fort Worth, TX. Cash awards:
$50,000/$25,000/$15,000. Winners also receive
three years of artist management services and tour
booking, audio recording and distribution, and
other prizes. The competition will be streamed live Performance Hall, Ft. Worth, TX
online, and a documentary will be produced for PBS 30 competitors perform a 45-minute recital, to
and international distribution. include the commissioned work of four to six
minutes by Marc-André Hamelin
MAIN OFFICE
201 Main Street, Suite 100 Quarterfinal Round, May 29–30, 2017, Bass
Fort Worth, TX 76102 Performance Hall, Ft. Worth, TX
UNITED STATES 20 competitors perform a 45-minute recital
817-738-6536
Semifinal Round, June 1–5, 2017, Bass
email website
Performance Hall, Ft. Worth, TX
ELIGIBILITY 12 competitors in two phases
Age 18 to 30. Applicants must have been born after • Mozart concerto to be selected from a list with
June 10, 1986, and on or before May 25, 1999. First- Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and conductor
prize winners of previous Cliburn Competitions are Nicholas McGegan
not eligible to compete. • 60-minute recital FIFTEENTH

ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Piano FINALS (live rounds)

June 7–10, 2017, Bass Performance Hall, Ft. Worth, TX VA N C L I B U R N
DETAILS Six competitors in two phases
Travel covered? Yes • Piano quintet selected from a list with Brentano I N T E R N AT I O N A L
Frequency Quadrennial String Quartet
Cash prizes $10,000 to $50,000 PIANO
• Concerto with Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Additional prize Performances and conductor Leonard Slatkin COMPETITION
Additional prize Management
Additional prize Recording COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
Jury chair Leonard Slatkin, ✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed MAY 25–JUNE 10, 2017 • FORT WORTH, TEXAS USA • BASS PERFORMANCE HALL
conductor and music ✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
director of the Detroit
PAST COMPETITION WINNERS L E O N A R D S L AT K I N , J U R Y C H A I R M A N
Symphony Orchestra
2013 Vadym Kholodenko (Gold Medalist) MEMBERS OF THE JURY: ARNALDO COHEN (BRAZIL), CHRISTOPHER ELTON (UNITED KINGDOM),
and the Orchestre
2013 Beatrice Rana (Silver Medalist) MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN (CANADA), JOSEPH KALICHSTEIN (ISRAEL / UNITED STATES), MARI KODAMA (JAPAN),
National de Lyon ANNE-MARIE MCDERMOTT (UNITED STATES), ALEXANDER TORADZE (GEORGIA / UNITED STATES)
2005 Joyce Yang (Silver Medalist)
Jury size 6 to 10
2001 Olga Kern (Gold Medalist)
Application deadline October 13, 2016
1966 Radu Lupu (Gold Medalist) CLIBURN.ORG I 817.738.6536
SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
Social links NOW BOOKING 2017 WINNERS. CONTACT SANDRA DOAN AT SDOAN@CLIBURN.ORG
Preliminary Round, May 25–28, 2017, Bass

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 13 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 CONCERT ARTISTS GUILD CONCOURS MUSICAL
VICTOR ELMALEH COMPETITION INTERNATIONAL DE MONTRÉAL
The CAG Victor Elmaleh Competition is held ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES Strings • Voice • All solo The Concours musical international de Montréal Application notes
annually for solo instrumentalists and chamber instruments and chamber ensembles (CMIM) seeks to discover and support young Voice 2018: December 15, 2017; Piano 2017: January
ensembles performing classical and non-traditional singers, violinists, and pianists who demonstrate 14, 2017. (The piano application deadline has
repertoire. Prizes include a $5,000 first prize; DETAILS exceptional mastery of their art. It’s the only passed; interested future applicants are referred to
BMI Commissioning Prize; Sylvia Ann Hewlett Travel covered? No international competition in North America to be the competition website.)
Adventurous Artist Prize; and more than 40 Frequency Annual held annually and to present three disciplines in a
Cash prizes None three-year rotation. SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
performances with leading orchestras, concert
Additional prize Performances Piano 2017, Bourgie Concert Hall, Montreal, Canada
series, and festivals.
Additional prize Management MAIN OFFICE • May 6, 2017 - 2 PM and 7:30 PM
MAIN OFFICE Jury chair(s) Not provided JMC/CMIM offices • May 7, 2017 - 2 PM and 7:30 PM
850 7th Avenue, PH-A Jury size 6 to 10 305 Mont-Royal Avenue East
Montreal, QC H2T 1P8 Voice 2018, Bourgie Concert Hall, Montreal, Canada
New York, NY 10019 Application deadline April 14, 2017
CANADA • June 1, 2018 - 2:30 and 7:30 PM
UNITED STATES
212-333-5200 Application notes 514-845-4108 Maison symphonique, Montreal, Canada
email website The earlybird deadline is March 31, 2017 email website • June 4 & 5, 2018 - 7:30 PM
ELIGIBILITY SEMIFINALS (live rounds) ELIGIBILITY FINALS (live rounds)
The suggested age limit for instrumentalists is October 2017 in NYC, exact dates and locations TBA Piano age limit: 30 years old or younger on May 1, Piano 2017, Maison symphonique, Montreal, Canada
30, and 35 for singers. Instrumentalists over 30 FINALS (live rounds) 2017. • May 9, 2017 - 7:30 PM
and singers over 35 must include a statement October 2017 in NYC, exact dates and locations TBA Voice age limit: 35 years old or younger on January • May 10, 2017 - 7:30 PM
explaining why they consider themselves to be 1, 2018.
in the early stages of a professional career. The COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? Violin age limit: 29 years old or younger on January Voice 2018, Bourgie Concert Hall, Montreal, Canada
suggested average age limit for ensembles is 30 ✖ Semifinals ✖ Semifinals streamed 1, 2019. • June 3, 2018 - 3 PM
(including ensembles with one singer), and 35 for ✔ Finals ✖ Finals streamed
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES Strings • Voice • Piano Maison symphonique, Montreal, Canada
vocal ensembles. Ensembles with an average age Social links • June 7, 2018 - 7:30 PM
higher than suggested must include a statement DETAILS
explaining why they consider themselves to be Travel covered? Yes COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
in the early stages of a professional career. No Frequency Annual ✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
individual member of an instrumental ensemble Cash prizes More than $50,000 ✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
may be over age 35, and no individual member of Additional prize Performances Social links
a vocal ensemble may be over age 40. Ensembles Additional prize Management
should have been in existence with the same Jury chair André Bourbeau,
membership for at least 12 months prior to the président of the jury
competition. For more information on eligibility, and president of CMIM
please visit our website. Jury size 6 to 10
Application deadline December 15, 2017

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 14 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

THOMAS AND EVON COOPER
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
Oberlin Conservatory and the Cleveland Orchestra
collaborate on this international competition for
THE THOMAS & EVON
musicians ages 13-18, alternating violin and piano.
Total cash awards amount to $40,000. First prize is
$20,000 in cash with performance of a full concerto
COOPER
INTERNATIONAL
with the Cleveland Orchestra and a four-year full-
tuition scholarship to Oberlin Conservatory. Application deadline May 1, 2017
Application notes Online application

COMPETITION
MAIN OFFICE
Oberlin Conservatory of Music SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
77 West College Street Recital: July 15-17;
Oberlin, OH 44074 Concerto: July 18
UNITED STATES
440-775-8044
Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Warner Concert Hall
[Live webcast] Violin 2017 July 13-22
email website
FINALS (live rounds)
ELIGIBILITY
Open to musicians between the ages of 13 and 18
Recital: July 19
Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Warner Concert Hall
For ages 13-18
at time of competition, and who have not been
awarded one of the top three prizes in a previous
Concerto: July 21
Severance Hall, Cleveland, OH
FIRST PRIZE $20,000
Cooper Competition. Applicants must provide:
letter of recommendation from their current
Live streamed audio on WCLV 104.9 FM
$40,000 in total cash prizes
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
teacher; $100 entrance fee; completed application
form; DVD or other video format of continuous ✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed Travel assistance available
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
unedited performances of prescribed pieces.
PAST COMPETITION WINNERS
Finals with The Cleveland Orchestra
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE
2017: Violin; 2018: Piano 2010 George Lee (age 14, USA), piano
2011 Sirena Huang (age 17, USA), violin
Broadcast live on WCLV 104.9 FM
DETAILS 2012 Leonard Colafelice (age 16, Italy), piano
Travel covered? Yes 2013 Kyumin Park (age 16, South Korea) and William
Frequency Annual Ching-Yi Wei (age 18, Taiwan), violin—tied for First Application deadline: May 1
Cash prizes $10,000 to $50,000 Prize
Jury chair Gregory Fulkerson, 2014 Tony Yike Yang (age 15, Canada), piano
More information at www.oberlin.edu/cooper
director, Cooper 2015 Gallia Kastner (age 18, USA) and Belle Ting

ROGER MASTROIANNI
International (age 15, Taiwan), violin—tied for First Prize
Violin Competition; 2016 Ryota Yamazaki (age 17, Japan), piano
professor of violin, Sirena Huang,
Social links 2011 First Prize.
Oberlin Conservatory
Jury size 6 to 10

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 15 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 DISCOVER NATIONAL CHAMBER MUSIC COMPETITION FISCHOFF NATIONAL CHAMBER MUSIC COMPETITION
The Discover National Chamber Music Competition ELIGIBILITY Founded in 1973 by Joseph E. Fischoff and fellow DETAILS
is designed to provide an educational as well as The competition is open to chamber ensembles in members of the South Bend Chamber Music Travel covered? No
a competitive experience for young chamber 12th grade and younger. Ensembles may consist of Society, the competition provides an innovative way Frequency Annual
ensembles. Overall winning ensembles will each 3 to 8 musicians. Ensembles may use no more than of encouraging young people to pursue chamber Cash prizes $10,000 to $50,000
receive a cash prize of $1,000 and will perform on a one piano. music study and performance. Additional prize Performances
winners’ recital in March. Jury chair(s) Not provided
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES MAIN OFFICE Jury size 11 or more
MAIN OFFICE Strings • Voice • Brass • Percussion • Woodwinds 303 Brownson Hall Application deadline March 1, 2017
878 Lyster Road Notre Dame, IN 46556
Highwood, IL 60040 DETAILS UNITED STATES SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
UNITED STATES Travel covered? No 574-631-0984 May 12-14, the University of Notre Dame, South
847-926-9898 Frequency Annual email website Bend, IN.
email website Cash prizes None
Additional prize Performances ELIGIBILITY FINALS (live rounds)
Jury chair(s) Not provided Please see the following for a complete description: May 14, the University of Notre Dame, South Bend,
Jury size 1 to 5 www.fischoff.org/competition/entering-the- IN.
Application deadline February 1, 2017 competition. • Three ensembles from the Senior Wind Division,
Senior String Division, and Junior Division will
FINALS (live rounds) ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Chamber Music compete in the Final Rounds.
February 2017, Bennett Gordon Hall, Ravinia • The three gold medalists from each division will
Festival, Highland Park, IL perform in a Grand Prize Concert immediately
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? following the awards ceremony.
✖ Semifinals ✖ Semifinals streamed COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
✔ Finals ✖ Finals streamed ✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
Social links ✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
Social links

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 16 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 FLEISCHMANN INTERNATIONAL TROPHY COMPETITION FORTE INTERNATIONAL MUSIC COMPETITION
Each year some of the finest amateur choirs DETAILS Forte International Music Competition is open DETAILS
are selected to compete for the Fleischmann Travel covered? No to piano, strings, woodwinds, brass, and voice. Travel covered? No
International Trophy, one of Europe’s most Frequency Annual Eligibility ranges from ages 4 to 35. Participants Frequency Annual
prestigious choral prizes. Judged by a panel Cash prizes None in the final round receive valuable feedback from Cash prizes None
of eminent musicians and choral experts, the Additional prize Recording judges and a variety of prizes including a $1,000 Jury chair(s) Not provided
competition is presented in a concert format and Jury chair(s) Unknown as of yet Platinum Award. Jury size 1 to 5
features music from Renaissance to contemporary Jury size 1 to 5 Application deadline November 5, 2017
and compositions from each choir’s home country. Application deadline October 31, 2017 MAIN OFFICE
2733 Cropsey Avenue Application notes
MAIN OFFICE Application notes Brooklyn, NY 11214 Early bird deadline, Oct. 15; late fee deadline,
Civic Trust House Successful applicants will be notified by fax or email UNITED STATES Nov. 15.
50 Pope’s Quay, Cork within two weeks of the closing date. 718-755-2110
IRELAND email website SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
+353 21 421 5125 FINALS (live rounds) December 2017, New York
email website The competition occurs on the Saturday of the ELIGIBILITY Note: Competitors can also participate online in the
Festival in Cork’s City Hall, which happens annually Ages 4 to 35 Preliminary & Semi-final rounds of the competition.
ELIGIBILITY on the five days before the May Bank Holiday See website for more details.
Open to any choir of international standing weekend. ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES
(except specifically children’s choirs); minimum 20, Strings • Voice • Woodwinds • Brass FINALS (live rounds)
maximum 60 voices. Requirements include a 10- to COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? February 2017, Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, 154
12-minute a cappella program of three to four ✖ Semifinals ✖ Semifinals streamed West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019
contrasting works. See website for additional details. ✔ Finals ✖ Finals streamed
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Voice Social links ✖ Semifinals ✖ Semifinals streamed
✔ Finals ✖ Finals streamed
Social links

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 17 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 MARCELLO GIORDANI
GAWON AWARD INTERNATIONAL VOICE COMPETITION
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Gawon ELIGIBILITY In 2011, the Marcello Giordani Foundation estab- ELIGIBILITY
International Music Society presents the Gawon The Gawon Award is open to artists of any lished the first annual Marcello Giordani Voice Com- Competition is open to singers of all nationalities
Award every two years, offering a $10,000 cash prize nationality between the ages of 17 and 30. petition in Italy. In 2013 and 2014, the Italy compe- between the ages of 21 and 35. Based on
to a promising pianist. The Society’s advisory board, tition was joined with competitions in the United applications, up to 125 young artists will be invited
consisting of internationally acclaimed pianists, ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Piano States. This year will mark the third U.S. edition. to participate in the competition. There is no
reviews the application package and provides jury DETAILS application or registration fee.
members. MAIN OFFICE
Travel covered? Yes 1600 Elizabeth Avenue ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Voice
MAIN OFFICE Frequency Triennial Charlotte, NC 28204
Sambo Hills 102 Cash prizes $10,000 to $50,000 UNITED STATES DETAILS
Pyungchang 12 Gil 8-21 Additional prize Performances 704-332-7177 Travel covered? No
Jongno-Gu, Seoul 03009 Jury chair Oksoo Han, chair, email website Frequency Biennial
KOREA Gawon International Cash prizes $10,000 to $50,000
+82 2 379 5698 Music Society Additional prize Performances
email website Jury size 1 to 5 Jury chair Marcello Giordani
Application deadline December 31, 2017 Jury size 1 to 5
Application deadline March 15, 2017
Application notes
An 80-minute recording of the applicant’s solo SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
recital program of pieces from different periods will Preliminaries: April 24, 25
be reviewed by the jury. Supporting documents of Semifinals: April 26
past musical activities and records are required for Belk Theater, Charlotte, NC
jury’s review, together with recommendations from
acclaimed musicians. FINALS (live rounds)
Finals: April 28
FINALS (live rounds) Belk Theater, Charlotte, NC
There is no live performance competition.
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? ✔ Semifinals ✖ Semifinals streamed
✖ Not open to the public ✔ Finals ✖ Finals streamed

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 18 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

GLOBAL MUSIC AWARDS
The Global Music Awards is a well-known interna-
tional showcase for original music, unique voices,
and emerging artists. It has a large international fol-
lowing. Entries go through a multi-layered judging
process including listener impact, technical quality,
• Chamber Music • Classical • Classical Crossover
uniqueness, and styling. All first-level judging is
• Experimental • Jazz • Indie Country & Pop
conducted by Global Music’s in-house profession-
• Instrumental • Live Performance • Operatic Music
als. All the entries recommended for Gold, Silver,
• Original Score/Sound Track Movie & TV • R&B &
and Bronze Medals are carefully screened by Global
Soul • Sound Editing/Sound Mixing • Symphonic
Music Awards Founder and CEO Thomas Baker,
Music • Vocal Group • World Music & Beats
Ph.D., who has more than a dozen years in film and
music, having produced an award-winning televi- DETAILS
sion series in cooperation with the University of Travel covered? No
California and created the Accolade Competition, Frequency Quarterly
Indie Fest, and the Best Shorts Competition. Entries Jury chair Thomas Baker, Ph.D.
judged to be potential Gold Medal winners may be Jury size 1 to 5
sent to outside judges for additional review. Global Application deadline Quarterly: March 13;
Music Awards maintains consistency across judging June 5; September 4;
categories and keeps high standards in our music November 20, 2017
talent competition. The judging process is strictly Cash prizes None
merit based and does not consider size of fan base, Other prizes Details for each of the
popularity, or record sales. following awards can be found here
Feature Display in Billboard Magazine Prize
MAIN OFFICE
• Mentoring Prize • Disc Makers’ Hit Single Package
7946 Ivanhoe Avenue, Suite 201
Prize • MusicalAmerica.com Artist Showcase page
La Jolla, CA 92037
UNITED STATES Other honors include:
858-779-1420 Gold Medal Winner: Award of Excellence
email website Silver Medal Winner: Outstanding Achievement
Bronze Medal Winner: Finalist
ELIGIBILITY
Open to all artists and composers. Submissions Global Music Awards has three special honors:
may be of any genre, any length. We look for • Odyssey Award
artists and composers with outstanding emotional • Humanitarian Award
communication, the ability to transcend, to make • Heretic Award
the listener experience something that is new and
compelling. We want to be surprised and moved by COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
what we hear. ✖ Not open to the public

ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES Social links

Conducting • Piano • Strings • Voice • Band

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 19 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 2017 HILTON HEAD HKIVS SHLOMO MINTZ
INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN COMPETITION
First Prize: $10,000, engagement with the Hilton DETAILS The HKIVS Shlomo Mintz International Violin DETAILS
Head Symphony Orchestra (in addition to the final Travel covered? Yes Competition is created to offer all violin students the Travel covered? Yes
rounds) and additional performance opportunities Frequency Annual opportunity of participating in a great competition, Frequency Annual
at other venues. Second Prize: $5,000. Third Prize: Cash prizes $10,000 to $50,000 with minimum cost and minimum investment of Cash prizes $10,000 to $50,000
$3,000. Two other finalists each receive $1,000. Additional prize Performances time. A new competition for a new generation! Jury chair Shlomo Mintz
Sascha Gorodnitzki Memorial Prize $1,000. Peter Jury chair Janice Weber, Piano Jury size 11 or more
Takacs Classical Sonata Prize $500. Department, Boston MAIN OFFICE Application deadline April 15, 2017
Conservatory at HMC Office
MAIN OFFICE Berklee Block B, 1st floor FINALS (live rounds)
2 Park Place, Suite 300/301 Jury size 1 to 5 New Bridge, Guangzhou Ideal Building Junior Finals (live in Beijing): July 22, 2017
Hilton Head Island, SC 29928 Application deadline September 30, 2016 South Bridge Road (Guangzhou) Senior Finals (live in Beijing): July 23 & 24, 2017
UNITED STATES CHINA Gala Concert and Prize Ceremony: July 25, 2017
843-842-5880 Application notes China +86 (0) 20 89629897 803 / Int. +34 607249734 Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, China
email website Applications now closed. email website
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
ELIGIBILITY SEMIFINALS (live rounds) ELIGIBILITY ✖ Semifinals ✖ Semifinals streamed
Pianists ages 13 to 17 Round I: March 6 and 7, 2017 Open to all violinists between ages 7 and 17 (Junior) ✔ Finals ✖ Finals streamed
Round II: March 8 and 9, 2017 and 18 to 27 (Senior), whatever their nationality.
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Piano All 20 competitors play recitals in Rounds I and II, See rules and regulations for more details. Social links
Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Hilton Head, SC
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Strings
FINALS (live rounds)
March 11, 2017
Three finalists play a concerto movement with the
Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, First Presbyterian
Church, Hilton Head, SC
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
Social links

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 20 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 HONENS INTERNATIONAL HANS GABOR BELVEDERE
PIANO COMPETITION SINGING COMPETITION
Canada’s Honens Piano Competition takes place DETAILS Since 1982 the International Hans Gabor Belvedere DETAILS
every three years and awards $100,000 (CAN) and an Travel covered? Yes Singing Competition has remained one of the Travel covered? No
artist development program valued at a half-million Frequency Triennial world’s best networked singing competitions with Frequency Annual
dollars. Honens prepares its laureates for the rigors Cash prizes More than $50,000 qualifying rounds in more than 70 cities worldwide Cash prizes €10,000 to €50,000
and realities of professional careers in music and Additional prize Performances each year. The singers are judged by a panel of Additional prize Performances
creates opportunities for growth and exposure. Additional prize Management artistic and casting directors from the world’s most Jury chair(s) Not provided
Additional prize Recording prestigious opera houses. Jury size 11 or more
MAIN OFFICE Jury chair(s) Not provided Application deadline June 1, 2017
888 10th Street SW Jury size 6 to 10 MAIN OFFICE
Calgary, AB T2P 2X1 Application deadline October 31, 2017 International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Application notes
CANADA Competition The competition is divided into international
403-299-0130 SEMIFINALS (live rounds) Seidengasse 32/3/52 qualifying rounds on all continents and three final
email website August 30 to September 3, 2018 1070 Vienna rounds (subdivided into “1st round”, “semifinals” and
Jack Singer Concert Hall at Arts Commons, Calgary, AUSTRIA “finals”), which will take place this year in Moscow,
ELIGIBILITY Canada +43 681 8188 3593 Russia. Please note the different application
Pianists of all nationalities, ages 20 to 30 on email website deadlines of the qualifying rounds on the
August 30, 2018, may apply. Honens Laureates and FINALS (live rounds) competition website.
professionally managed artists may not apply. September 6 and 7, 2018 ELIGIBILITY
Jack Singer Concert Hall at Arts Commons, Calgary, Singers (males/females) of all nationalities are SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Piano Canada invited to enter the competition, born in or later June 29 – July 6, 2017
than 1985. Enrollment, 1st rounds, and semifinals
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? See the rules on our website for more details. Helikon Opera, Moscow, Russia
✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Voice FINALS (live rounds)
July 6, 2017
Social links Finals with orchestra
Helikon Opera, Moscow, Russia
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
Social links

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 21 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 INTERNATIONAL FRYDERYK CHOPIN INTERNATIONAL FRYDERYK CHOPIN PIANO COMPETITION, cont’d

PIANO COMPETITION SEMIFINALS (live rounds)

April 13-24, 2020, Warsaw
The competition was established in 1927 and is held ELIGIBILITY
FINALS (live rounds)
every five years. Previous Chopin Competitions Pianists ages 16 to 30
October 1-23, 2020, Warsaw
winners sit on the jury.
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Piano
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
MAIN OFFICE
DETAILS ✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
ul. Tamka 43
Travel covered? Yes ✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
00-355 Warszawa
POLAND Frequency Quinquennial
Social links
48 22 44 16 142 Cash prizes More than €50,000
email website Additional prize Performances
Additional prize Recording
Jury chair Prof. Katarzyna
Popowa-Zydron
Jury size 11 or more
Application deadline December 1, 2019

BLUE DANUBE INTERNATIONAL OPERA The Suzhou Symphony Orchestra announces the First Jinji

CONDUCTING COMPETITION 2017 Lake International Piano Competition, to take place at the
Grand Theatre in the Suzhou Culture and Arts Centre.
(7th Edition) Talented pianists of all nationalities are invited to apply.
13-29 July International adjudication panel headed by Chairman of the
Die Entfuehrung aus dem Serail / Samson et Dalila / Madama Butterfly Jury, Mr. Dominique Merlet

STATE OPERA ROUSSE (Bulgaria) Over 50,000 USD in prize money

OPERA CONDUCTING MASTERCLASSES 2017 Recital and concert appearance in China and Europe for
3-13 April - Die Entfuehrung aus dem Serail / Samson et Dalila / Madama Butterfly first place winner
11-23 September - Eugene Onegin / Der fliegende Hollaender / La Traviata
Application deadline: July 1, 2017

For more information, please visit www.suzhousso.com

info@musikimpresario.com
Tel: +436609441659 or +4314054030

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 22 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 THE 16TH INTERNATIONAL
EDVARD GRIEG PIANO COMPETITION
The competition will take place at Troldhaugen, DETAILS INTERNATIONAL
Grieg’s picturesque home in Bergen, Norway, Travel covered? No MUSIC COMPETITION
Manhattan International Music Competition
September 1-8, 2018. Competitors will live with Frequency Biennial
host families, and those who do not advance to the Cash prizes €10,000 to €50,000
Second Round, Semi Finals, or Finals will perform
at a paid concert in the Bergen area. First prize is
Additional prize
Additional prize
Performances
Recording Piano - Strings - Voice
€30,000. Jury chair(s) Not provided
Jury size 6 to 10 ONLINE APPLICATION - DEADLINE: JUNE 10, 2017
MAIN OFFICE Application deadline April 20, 2018
Edvard Grieg Museum Troldhaugen
Troldhaugveien 65 SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
NO-5232 Paradis – Bergen
NORWAY
1st round, solo piano, September 1-3, 2018
2nd round, solo piano, September 4, 2018
VIDEO SELECTION WINNERS’ RECITALS
+47 55 92 29 92 Semi-final, solo piano & chamber music, September NO TRAVEL REQUIRED
email website 5, 2018
Edvard Grieg Museum Troldhaugen, Bergen, Norway
ELIGIBILITY
The competition is open to pianists of all FINALS (live rounds) OVER $25,000 in PRIZES
nationalities born in the years 1985 to 2001. Piano soloist with The Bergen Philharmonic - RECITALS AT CARNEGIE HALL
Orchestra (cond. Edward Gardner), September 8,
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Piano 2018 Piano, Strings, Voice
Grieg Hall, Bergen, Norway
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? - RECORDING PROJECT
✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed + 1,000 CDS
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed (Distributed Worldwide)
Social links
CARNEGIE HALL
- ARTISTIC MANAGEMENT New York, USA

%FBEMJOF
+VOF


September 2017

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www.manhattancompetition.com

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 23 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL TELEKOM
FRANZ LISZT PIANO COMPETITION BEETHOVEN COMPETITION BONN
Held every three years at TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht, DETAILS The competition focuses on works by Beethoven DETAILS
The Netherlands, the competition is devoted Travel covered? Yes from every phase of his creative life. The picture Travel covered? Yes
entirely to the works of Franz Liszt. It is known Frequency Triennial of his music is rounded off with compositions by Frequency Biennial
for the professional support it offers its laureates, Cash prizes More than €50,000 his predecessors, contemporaries, and successors. Cash prizes €10,000 to €50,000
including a three-year career development program, Additional prize Performances Along with the compulsory pieces, candidates may Additional prize Performances
a CD release, PR package, media training, and 200 Additional prize Management put together a free program to show the jury their Jury chair Prof. Pavel Gililov,
concert engagements in more than 25 countries. Additional prize Recording individual artistic potential. artistic director
Jury chair Joop Daalmeijer Jury size 6 to 10
MAIN OFFICE Jury size 6 to 10 MAIN OFFICE Application deadline May 15, 2017
Ganzenmarkt 14 Application deadline December 1, 2016 c/o Beethovenfest Bonn
3512 GD Utrecht Kurt-Schumacher-Str. 3 SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
THE NETHERLANDS SEMIFINALS (live rounds) 53113 Bonn December 1-9, 2017: Rounds 1, 2, and 3
+31 306966144 October 9-15, 2017: Rounds I, II, III GERMANY Deutsche Telekom Headquarters, Bonn, Germany
email website TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht, The Netherlands +49 228 181 11 181
email website FINALS (live rounds)
ELIGIBILITY FINALS (live rounds) December 9, 2017: Finals with Beethoven Orchestra
The Liszt Competition is open to professional Oct 18 Solo finals ELIGIBILITY Bonn and prize-giving ceremony
pianists of all nationalities between the ages of 19 Oct 21 Finals with the Netherlands Radio Pianists from all nations, as well as stateless persons, Beethoven Hall, Bonn, Germany
and 29 years at the start of the competition, on Philharmonic Orchestra who are between 18 and 32 years old at the time of
October 8, 2017. TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht, The Netherlands the competition are eligible. COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Piano COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Piano ✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed Social links

Social links

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 24 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN
COMPETITION OF
INDIANAPOLIS
The Tenth Quadrennial
Hailed by musicians, media, and critics as one of the
world’s most important competitions for launching INTERNATIONAL
a career, “The Indianapolis” quadrennially attracts
the greatest young talent in the world. For over VIOLIN COMPETITION
OF INDIANAPOLIS
30 years, the competition has searched the globe
for the latest violin sensations to emerge on the
concert scene.
August 31 – September 16, 2018
MAIN OFFICE
32 East Washington Street, Suite 1320 SEMIFINALS (live rounds) Jaime Laredo, Jury President
Indianapolis, IN 46204 September 3-10, 2018: Preliminaries and Semi-
UNITED STATES Finals “The Indianapolis” celebrates
317-637-4574 Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center,
email website Indianapolis, IN
its tenth quadrennial competition
in 2018 and proudly recognizes all Leonidas Kavakos
ELIGIBILITY FINALS (live rounds) Clara-Jumi Kang Marco Rizzi
Applicants must be between the ages of 16 and September 12-15, 2018 of its distinguished Laureates. Stefan Milenkovich Liviu Prunaru
29 during the competition. Specifically, applicants Hilbert Circle Theater, Indianapolis, IN David Chan Robin Sharp Bin Huang
must be born after September 16, 1988, and before Deadline for application: Augustin Hadelich Dami Kim Yura Lee
August 31, 2002. COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? David Kim Svetlin Roussev Yuval Yaron
✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed February 28, 2018 Yuriko Naganuma Barnabás Kelemen
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES Violin ✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed Bella Hristova Ivan Chan Tessa Lark
DETAILS PAST COMPETITION WINNERS
www.violin.org Soyoung Yoon Benjamin Beilman
Travel covered? No 2014 Jinjoo Cho Jinjoo Cho Nai-Yuan Hu Antal Zalai
Frequency Quadrennial 2010 Clara-Jumi Kang Andrey Baranov Judith Ingolfsson
Cash prizes More than $50,000 2006 Augustin Hadelich Jaakko Kuusisto Susie Park
Additional prize Performances 2002 Barnabás Kelemen Haoming Xie Ida Kavafian
Additional prize Management 1998 Judith Ingolfsson Soovin Kim Pavel Berman
Additional prize Recording Mihaela Martin Chin Kim
Jury chair Jaime Laredo, Social links Ye-Eun Choi Frank Huang
president of the jury Ji Yoon Lee Juliette Kang
and artistic director Alina Pogostkina Andrew Haveron
Jury size 6 to 10 Simone Lamsma Yoojin Jang Andrés Cárdenes
Application deadline February 28, 2018 Celeste Golden Boyer Annick Roussin
Virginie Robilliard Sergey Khachatryan
Kyoko Takezawa Ji Young Lim Michiko Kamiya
Martin Beaver Ju-Young Baek Olivier Charlier

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 25 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 51ST INTERNATIONAL VOCAL COMPETITION IPCL PERCUSSION
’S-HERTOGENBOSCH DUO COMPETITION 2018
This is the sole classical vocal competition in The DETAILS The International Percussion Competition Duo, DETAILS
Netherlands that involves opera and oratorio, as well Travel covered? Yes founded in 1989, strives to achieve two main Travel covered? No
as art song for singer-pianist duos. Much attention Frequency Annual goals: to give percussion ensembles the chance to Frequency Triennial
is paid to 20th-century and contemporary music. Cash prizes More than €50,000 compete among themselves, and to demonstrate Cash prizes €10,000 to €50,000
Finals are with symphony orchestra and include Additional prize Performances the various percussion instruments to the public. Jury chair Paul Mootz, artistic
master classes, media training, feedback from jury Additional prize Recording IPCL is a member of the WFIMC. director
members, and career development. Travel funds are Jury chair Nicholas Payne Jury size 6 to 10
possible; accommodation is with host families. Jury size 6 to 10 MAIN OFFICE Application deadline October 15, 2017
Application deadline April 12, 2017 b.p. 406
MAIN OFFICE L-2014 SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
Prins Bernhardstraat 8 Application notes LUXEMBOURG February 15-16, 2018
5211 HE ’s-Hertogenbosch Preliminary Rounds: Auditions via YouTube/DVD email website Conservatoire de la Ville de Luxembourg,
THE NETHERLANDS recording Luxembourg
+31736900999 ELIGIBILITY
email website FINALS (live rounds) Total age of the duo members limited to 60 by FINALS (live rounds)
September 7-16, 2017 February 8, 2018; members must not be born before February 18, 2018
ELIGIBILITY ’s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands February 8, 1982. Conservatoire de la Ville de Luxembourg,
The IVC is open to candidates of all nationalities Luxembourg
age 18 minimum. Singers wishing to take part must COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Percussion Duo
have completed conservatory training or have ✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
reached an equivalent level of training. ✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
Social links ✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
• Age for women: born in 1985 or later
• Age for men: born in 1982 or later Social links
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES
Voice • Opera • Oratorio

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 26 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

JENSEN FOUNDATION
VOCAL COMPETITION
The Jensen Foundation auditions 110 of America’s
most promising young opera singers and chooses
12-15 of them to perform in the finals competition. ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Voice
Singers compete for more than $40,000 in awards,
including $15,000 first place. DETAILS
Travel covered? No
MAIN OFFICE Frequency Annual
220 North Tryon Street Cash prizes $10,000 to $50,000
Charlotte, NC 28202 Jury chair(s) Not provided
UNITED STATES Jury size 1 to 5
704-641-4691 Application deadline March 19, 2017
email website
SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
ELIGIBILITY May 15-18, 2017
To be eligible to you must be a permanent legal Baruch Performing Arts Center, 55 Lexington
resident of the United States between the ages Avenue, New York, NY
of 25 and 35. Previous Jensen Foundation Vocal
Competition award winners (first, second, or third FINALS (live rounds)
place) are not eligible, nor are past or current May 20, 2017
recipients of a contract for a principal role with Baruch Performing Arts Center, 55 Lexington
an OPERA America Budget Level I company or Avenue, New York, NY
its international equivalent. You must submit COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
a completed application and a résumé that ✔ Finals ✖ Finals streamed
demonstrates your active pursuit of a career in
opera by March 19, 2017. PAST COMPETITION WINNERS
2016 Adam Lau (bass)
2015 John Brancy (baritone)
2010 Andrew Garland (baritone)
2009 Anthony Roth Costanzo (countertenor)
2006 Angela Meade (soprano)
Social links

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 27 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 Individual prizes: $1,000 to $10,000 / Total prizes: $67,000

JOHANSEN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION FOR LYON INTERNATIONAL

YOUNG STRING PLAYERS (AGES 13-17) CHAMBER MUSIC COMPETITION
The competition is funded by a charitable trust ELIGIBILITY More than 600 chamber artists have taken part in DETAILS
established by Anna Storch Johansen, who wanted The competition is open to students of violin, viola, the CIMCL. Prize-winning concert is broadcast on Travel covered? No
to encourage young musicians with a significant or cello, who are not younger than 13 or older national France musique radio. A large audience Frequency Annual
cash prize at a time when they need it most. With a than 17 on March 17, 2018, and are not under follows the competition in the most beautiful halls Cash prizes $10,000 to $50,000
total of $67,000 in prizes, there are equal prizes for professional management. A copy of the applicant’s of the city of Lyon. Member of the WFIMC. Additional prize Performances
each instrument. birth certificate or passport is required as proof Additional prize Recording
of age. MAIN OFFICE Jury chairs Reto Bieri, clarinet
MAIN OFFICE 54 rue du 1er mars 1943 (Davos); Yiu Song Lam,
9202 Whitney Street ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Strings 69100 Villeurbanne oboe (Hong-Kong);
Silver Spring, MD 20901 FRANCE Bruno Schneider, horn
UNITED STATES DETAILS +33 6 52 14 80 45
Travel covered? No (Genova); Karl-Heinz
301-825-5515 email website Schütz, flute (Wien);
email website Frequency Triennial
Cash prizes Individual prizes: ELIGIBILITY Bruno Messina,
$1,000 to $10,000 / All nationalities may apply, artists must be 33 director Berlioz
Total: $67,000 years old. Festival (France); Robin
Additional prize Performances O’Neil, bassoon (UK);
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Vincent Lucas, flute
Jury chair(s) Not provided
Trio Violin, Cello and Piano • String Quartet • Duo (Paris); Lencses Lajos,
Jury size 1 to 5
Violin and Piano • Duo Voice and Piano • Duo Cello oboe (Suttgart)
Application deadline December 1, 2017
and Piano • Woodwind Quintet • Brass Quintet Jury size 6 to 10
SEMIFINALS (live rounds) Application deadline January 15, 2017
March 15-16, 2018
Washington, DC Application notes
End of January of each year.
FINALS (live rounds)
March 17, 2018 SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
Washington, DC April 21, 2017: Woodwind Quintet
Université Lumière Lyon 2, Lyon, France
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
✔ Semifinals ✖ Semifinals streamed FINALS (live rounds)
✔ Finals ✖ Finals streamed April 21, 2017: Woodwind Quintet
Opéra de Lyon, Lyon, France
Social links
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
Social link

s
A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 28 musicalamerica.com • February 2017
 M-PRIZE CHAMBER ARTS COMPETITION M-PRIZE CHAMBER ARTS COMPETITION, cont’d

The M-Prize aims to identify and showcase the ELIGIBILITY DETAILS COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
highest caliber of international chamber arts Junior Division: 18 years and under Travel covered? No ✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
ensembles; provide a world-class performance and Frequency Annual ✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
adjudication platform for the chamber arts; launch Senior Division: Median is 35, no individual over Cash prizes More than $50,000
40 years of age; ensembles may include members Additional prize Performances Social links
and advance the careers of chamber ensembles
through prizes, visibility, and professional younger than 19. Jury chair(s) Not provided
development opportunities; and evolve the breadth Jury size 11 or more
Ensembles may not include conductors and
and depth of the chamber arts landscape. Application deadline February 1, 2017
must have 2-10 members with one member per
MAIN OFFICE part. Please see full eligibility requirements at FINALS (live rounds)
University of Michigan School of Music, Theater mprize.umich.edu. May 4, 2017: The M-Prize Winner is selected from
& Dance one of three First Place Laureate Ensembles from the
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES
1100 Baits Drive Senior Division during the Gala Concert.
Strings • Voice • Winds • Open (ensembles of any
Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, MI
instrumentation/genre)
UNITED STATES
email website

Major Event Partners/Organisers

+.,966+/2020,17=
,17(51$7,21$/9,2/,1&203(7,7,21 & Masterclass

APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN

SUBMISSION '($'/,1($35,/
JUNIOR Final - 22 July 2017 | SENIOR Finals - 23 & 24 July 2017
Grand Gala & Prize Ceremony, 25 July 2017
Orchestra of the Central Conservatory of Music of Beijing
Maestro Shlomo Mintz
Chairman
Airfares and Accommodation provided for finalists USA/Israel
Over $60,000 in prizes Violinist/Conductor & Educator

Prof. Tong Wei Dong

[HMM] HKIVS SHLOMO MINTZ Vice-Chairman
China
INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN MASTERCLASS Vice President, Central Conservatory
(Orchestral Department)

-XO\-XO\
Central Conservatory of Music For more information:- http://hmc.hkivs.com
Beijing, China HKIVS Shlomo Mintz International Music Masterclass in Beijijng, July 2017:- http://hmm.hkivs.com

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 29 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 THE MAHLER COMPETITION
The competition is one of the most important DETAILS
WATCH�THE����� events of its kind anywhere in the world. It has
attracted entries from more than 1,600 young
Travel covered?
Frequency
Yes
Triennial

AMERICAN conductors of all nationalities. Only 65 candidates

have been invited to Bamberg and of those barely
Cash prizes
Additional prize
€10,000 to €50,000
Performances

PIANISTS
12 have made it to the finals. Additional prize Management
Jury chair(s) TBA
MAIN OFFICE Jury size 11 or more

AWARDS
Bamberger Symphoniker - Bayerische Application deadline August 31, 2018
Staatsphilharmonie
Mussstrasse 1 Application notes
D-96047 Bamberg Applications will be open in mid-2018, please check
GERMANY our website for further information
+49 951 964 7100
email website SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
2019, Konzerthalle, Bamberg, Germany
ELIGIBILITY
Conductors not older than 35 years on January 1, FINALS (live rounds)
2019. 2019, Konzerthalle, Bamberg, Germany

APRIL���&����|���PM�ET ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Conducting COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?

✔ Semifinals
✔ Finals
✔ Semifinals streamed
✔ Finals streamed
Social links

WWW�AMERICANPIANISTS�ORG/LIVE
Discovering America’s Next Great Pianists!

AmericanPianistsAssociation @APApianists

#AmericanPianistsAwards

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 30 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

2ND MANHATTAN INTERNATIONAL MUSIC COMPETITION ELEANOR MCCOLLUM COMPETITION
The competition is judged from video recordings DETAILS The Eleanor McCollum Competition and Concert DETAILS
and requires no traveling, other than to the Travel covered? Yes of Arias is the primary recruitment tool for the Travel covered? Yes
winners’ concert. The awards include three recitals Frequency Annual Houston Grand Opera (HGO) Studio. Applicants can Frequency Annual
in the 2017-18 season, a CD recording with a Cash prizes $10,000 to $50,000 be considered for the HGO Studio, the Competition, Cash prizes $10,000 to $50,000
complimentary supply of 1,000 CDs, international Additional prize Performances or both, and do not need to be a prize winner to be Jury chair(s) Patrick Summers,
management, and gold and silver special awards. Additional prize Management invited to the Studio. Perryn Leech, and a
Additional prize Recording guest judge
MAIN OFFICE Jury chair(s) Not provided MAIN OFFICE Jury size 1 to 5
Manhattan Concert Artists Jury size 11 or more 510 Preston Street Application deadline September 24, 2017
576 Fifth Avenue, 9th Floor, #903 Application deadline June 10, 2017 Houston, TX 77002
New York, NY 10036 UNITED STATES Application notes
UNITED STATES FINALS (live rounds) 713-546-0227 Applications for the 2017-18 Studio and the
email website Online competition via video. email website 2017 Eleanor McCollum Competition are closed;
Winners’ concert at Carnegie Hall in 2017-18 applications for the 2018-19 Studio and the 2018
ELIGIBILITY ELIGIBILITY Eleanor McCollum Competition will be available in
Pianists, singers, and string performers up to age 35. COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? All classical singers of any age and nationality. The July-August of 2017.
✖ Not open to the public application requests that singers over the age of 30
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES Piano • Strings • Voice explain why the HGO Studio is the next step in their SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
careers. Preliminary auditions will be held in Houston,
Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and New
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Voice York City in November-December 2017. Semifinal
auditions will be held in Houston in January 2018.
FINALS (live rounds)
Final auditions will be held in Houston in late
January 2018, culminating in the Eleanor
McCollum Competition and Concert of Arias on
February 1, 2018.
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
✖ Semifinals ✖ Semifinals streamed
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
Social link

s
A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 31 musicalamerica.com • February 2017
 MICHAEL LUDWIG NEMMERS PRIZE MTNA NATIONAL
IN MUSIC COMPOSITION STUDENT COMPETITIONS
In 2004, the Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music ELIGIBILITY Music Teachers National Association is a nonprofit ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES
at Northwestern University established the Michael Composers must be nominated via letter to the organization of nearly 22,000 independent and Piano • Strings • Voice • Brass • Woodwinds •
Ludwig Nemmers Prize in Music Composition, a Selection Committee, preferably by recognized collegiate music teachers committed to furthering Chamber Music• Composition
biennial award honoring classical music composers authorities in the field including prominent artists, the art of music through teaching, performance,
of outstanding achievement. Northwestern critics, scholars, or administrators. The prize is open composition, and scholarly research. Founded DETAILS
sponsors five Nemmers Prizes, the others being to any living classical composer without regard to in 1876, MTNA is the oldest professional music Travel covered? No
in the fields of economics, mathematics, medical citizenship or institutional affiliation. Nominators teachers’ association in the United States. Frequency Annual
science, and earth sciences. may nominate any number of candidates. The Cash prizes Range from
names of the nominators will not be made public; MAIN OFFICE $100-$5000
MAIN OFFICE however, anonymous nominations will not be 1 West 4th Street, Suite 1500 Jury chair(s) Not provided
Bienen School of Music accepted. Former or present members of the Cincinnati, OH 45202 Jury size 1 to 5
Northwestern University Northwestern University faculty and employees UNITED STATES Application deadline September 13, 2017
Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Center of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra are not 888-512-5278
for the Musical Arts email website SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
eligible. Nominations may be submitted by email The MTNA Student Competitions consist of three
70 Arts Circle Drive to nemmersmusic@northwestern.edu. Email
Evanston, IL 60208 ELIGIBILITY levels: State Competition, Division Competition and
submissions must be emailed from the nominator’s All entrants must be U.S. citizens or hold a U.S. visa National Finals.
UNITED STATES professional affiliation. The winner will receive a
email website or permanent residence (green card) that remains
prize of $100,000 and must be available for a two- to valid throughout the competition year. They must FINALS (live rounds)
three-week residency at Northwestern University study with teachers who are (1) members of MTNA March 17-21, 2018, The 2018 MTNA National
(the weeks may be non-consecutive) and able to or (2) have paid the non-member Teacher Fee of Conference, Orlando, FL
interact with faculty and students. $150. COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Composition Age eligibilities as of January1, 2018: ✔ Semifinals ✖ Semifinals streamed
Elementary Division (ages 5-10); Junior Division ✔ Finals ✖ Finals streamed
DETAILS
Travel covered? Yes (ages 11-14); Senior Division (ages 15-18); Young Social link

s
Frequency Biennial Artists Division (ages 19-26); Chamber Music
Cash prizes More than $50,000 (average age of ensemble must be 18-26)
Jury chair(s) Not provided
Jury size 1 to 5
Application deadline February 1, 2018
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
✖ Not open to the public

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 32 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
OF TEACHERS OF
SINGING COMPETITIONS
MAIN OFFICE clearance; composed within the last two years (after
9957 Moorings Drive, Suite 401 Jan. 1, 2016).
Jacksonville, FL 32257 Frequency Annual
UNITED STATES Cash and other prizes More than $5,000
904-992-9101 Application deadline December 1, 2017
email website
NATS NATIONAL MUSIC THEATER COMPETITION
NATS ARTIST AWARDS (NATSAA) As the first national competition for music theater
The biennial NATS Artist Awards competition is soloists, this competition’s winners are finding
designed to assist singers prepared to launch a success on Broadway and other theaters across the
professional career. country.
NATSAA
ELIGIBILITY ELIGIBILITY NATS Artist Awards
Applicant must be at least 21 but not more than All singers age 20-28 as of September 15, 2017. Competition for Singers
35 years of age as of September 5, 2017; either the Frequency Biennial More than $50,000 in prizes; launching
applicant or his/her teacher for the last year must Cash and other prizes Over $15,000 careers of classical singers since 1955
be a full or associate member of NATS for at least Application deadline September 15, 2017
one year prior to September 5, 2017.
Frequency Biennial FINALS (live rounds)
Cash and other prizes More than $50,000 January 5-7, 2018, in New York City as part of the
Application deadline September 5, 2017 NATS Winter Workshop.
The only national competition
A competition to stimulate the for the music theater soloist
FINALS (live rounds) NATS NATIONAL STUDENT AUDITIONS A national round of evaluation
Originally for classical repertoire only, auditions creation of quality vocal literature
January 5-7, 2018, in New York City, as part of the with more than $35,000 in prizes
NATS Winter Workshop have been expanded to music theater and (in even-
LIVE
numbered years) the Hall Johnson Spirituals. JOURNAL
NATS ART SONG COMPOSITION AWARD
ELIGIBILITY OF SINGING
LEARNING
The NATS Art Song Composition Award program’s
purpose is to stimulate the creation of quality Student singers advance through NATS Regional
The official journal of NATS A dynamic database of voice CENTER
vocal literature through the cooperation of singer Auditions, which take place at varying times since 1944, with a complete and voice science resources
throughout the year. digital library on nats.org for all levels of learning
and composer. The performance of the first-place
winning composition will be premiered at the NATS Frequency Annual View session recordings online
Cash and other prizes Over $35,000 from past NATS conferences
National Conference in Las Vegas, June 22-26, 2018. and workshops
Application deadline April 23, 2017
ELIGIBILITY
Competition is open to any composer. The work FINALS (live rounds)
July 20-21, 2017, at University of Colorado Boulder, as
must be: a song cycle, group of songs, or extended
single song approximately 15 minutes in length; for part of the NATS Summer Workshop in Boulder, CO WWW.NATS.ORG
single voice and piano; to a text written in English, Social link NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF TEACHERS OF SINGING
for which the composer has secured copyright
s
A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 33 musicalamerica.com • February 2017
 NATIONAL CHOPIN PIANO COMPETITION OF THE USA NEUE STIMMEN INTERNATIONAL SINGING COMPETITION
The National Chopin Piano Competition (NCPC) is DETAILS The competition offers master classes and the DETAILS
open to U.S. pianists exclusively. It is held every five Travel covered? No opportunity to concertize, and stays in touch with Travel covered? Yes
years (since 1975), always in Miami, FL. NCPC follows Frequency Quinquennial its finalists through its Creating Careers program, Frequency Biennial
closely requirements and rules of the International Cash prizes More than $50,000 enabling them to access an international network of Cash prizes €10,000 to €50,000
Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Poland. Its top Additional prize Performances theaters, universities, and opera managers. Additional prize Performances
winners are accepted to the Warsaw’s Competition Jury chair(s) TBA Additional prize Management
automatically. Jury size 6 to 10 MAIN OFFICE Additional prize Recording
Application deadline November 4, 2019 Bertelsmann Stiftung Jury chair Dominique Meyer,
MAIN OFFICE Carl-Bertelsmann-Str. 256 director, Vienna State
1440 79th Street Causeway, Suite 117 Application notes 33311 Gütersloh Opera
Miami, FL 33141 This competition is held every five years. GERMANY Jury size 6 to 10
UNITED STATES +49 52 418 181 171 Application deadline March 31, 2017
305-868-0624 SEMIFINALS and FINALS (live rounds) email website
email website Tentative dates for the four live rounds of the PRELIMINARIES
competition are February 15 - 23, 2020. ELIGIBILITY Preliminary rounds from April to August in 24 cities
ELIGIBILITY Venue TBA, Miami, FL Singers of any nationality may enter the competition; worldwide
The National Chopin Piano Competition is open to women up to 28 years of age, born on or after
U.S. pianists exclusively. Eligibility to be determined COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? October 15, 1988, men up to 30 years of age, born on SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
based upon the requirements of the International ✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed or after October 15, 1986. October 8-15, 2017
Chopin Competition in Warsaw. ✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed October 12, 2017 Semifinal concert
ARTISTIC DISCLIPLINE Voice Gütersloh (Stadthalle)
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Piano Social links
FINALS (live rounds)
October 14, 2017 Final concert
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
Social links

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 34 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 THE NEW YORK OSAKA INTERNATIONAL
INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION CHAMBER MUSIC COMPETITION
A first in the world of competitions and a unique ELIGIBILITY The Osaka International Chamber Music ELIGIBILITY
feature of the NYIPC, no participant is eliminated Open to pianists of all nationalities. Applicants must Competition is comprised of Section I, for string Applicants shall be ensembles of musicians of any
throughout the competition. The Foundation be between the ages of 16-21 during the time of the quartet, and Section II for wind ensembles. The Festa nationality whose members are 35 years old or
presents a cash award to each of the contestants competition. section is for other chamber groups, such as piano younger.
not receiving a major prize. The NYIPC includes trio.
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Piano ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE
seminars, master classes, ensemble playing, and
MAIN OFFICE String Quartet • Wind Ensembles (Wind Quintet,
concert and recital appearances. DETAILS 2-2-33, Shiromi Chuo-ku Saxophone Quartet, and Brass Quintet)
MAIN OFFICE Travel covered? No Osaka 540-8510
Frequency Biennial JAPAN DETAILS
The Stecher and Horowitz Foundation
Cash prizes $10,000 to $50,000 81-6-6947-2184 Travel covered? Yes
119 West 57th Street, Suite 1401
Additional prize Performances email website Frequency Triennial
New York, NY 10019
Jury chair(s) TBA Cash prizes More than $50,000
UNITED STATES
Jury size 6 to 10 Additional prize Performances
212-581-8380
Application deadline December 4, 2017 Jury chair Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi
email website
Jury size 11 or more
SEMIFINALS (live rounds) Application deadline October 20, 2016
June 18-20, 2018
Manhattan School of Music, New York, NY SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
May 13-17, 2017
FINALS (live rounds) Izumi Hall, Osaka, Japan
June 21-22, 2018
Manhattan School of Music, New York, NY FINALS (live rounds)
May 20, 2017
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? Izumi Hall, Osaka, Japan
✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
Social links ✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 35 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 PIANOARTS pianoarts, cont’d

Finalists have four rehearsals—with second ELIGIBILITY Application notes COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
pianist, conductor, chamber ensemble, and full For pianists, ages 16-21, of any nationality, living or Preliminary round video submission is due on ✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
orchestra—prior to performing a full concerto with studying full-time in North America. February 23, 2018. ✔ Finals ✖ Finals streamed
the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in the final SEMIFINALS (live rounds) Social links
round. The Artist Training Institute offers contestants ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Piano
The 10 semifinalists will each perform two live non-
classes on engaging audiences with concert DETAILS eliminating recitals:
conversations. During the concurrent festival, each Travel covered? No June 1, 2018: solo recital; June 3, 2018: violin or cello
performs outreach concerts. Frequency Biennial duo with a member of the Milwaukee Symphony
MAIN OFFICE Cash prizes $10,000 to $50,000 Orchestra
2642 North Summit Avenue Additional prize Performances
Jury chair(s) TBA FINALS (live rounds)
Milwaukee, WI 53211 June 5, 2018: Three finalists will perform complete
UNITED STATES Jury size 6 to 10
Application deadline February 9, 2018 concertos with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
414-962-3055
email website

ALTAMURA-CARUSO
INTERNATIONAL VOICE COMPETITION 2017
INTER- CITIES
$30,000 CAsh GrAnts
VSA International
PERFORMING ARTS, INC.
Leonard and Carmela
+ Performances in Us and Abroad Altamura, Founders

Young Soloists
JURY
Winners in ConCerts Carmela Altamura
new York, rome, Katowice, Krakow

Annual Competition
President, Founder/Director, ICPA, Inc.
Lewis Ehlers
Preliminaries: October 18 & 19, 2017 Lombardo & Associates, New York
Finals: October 22, 2017 Roger Malouf, finals judge
Metropolitan Opera
REQUIREMENTS AND APPLICATION Krzysztof Biernacki Musicians ages 14-25 with a disability are invited
www.altocanto.org • icpainc@optonline.net Professor of Voice and Opera, to compete for this award, $2,000, and the
Fax: 201-866-3566 • Tel: 201-863-8724 University of North Florida opportunity to perform at the John F. Kennedy
Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC! KENNEDY-CENTER.ORG/IYS
DEADLINE: OCTOBER 3, 2017
A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 36 musicalamerica.com • February 2017
 PLOWMAN CHAMBER MUSIC COMPETITION QUEEN ELISABETH COMPETITION—BRUSSELS
The Plowman Chamber Music Competition ARTISTIC DISCLIPLINES Established in 1951 on the initiative of Her Majesty DETAILS
celebrated its inaugural year in 2006. It provides Strings • Woodwinds • Brass • Percussion Queen Elisabeth of Belgium as a successor to the Travel covered? Yes
an opportunity for non-professional musicians Eugène Ysaÿe Competition, the Queen Elisabeth Frequency Annual, rotating
to perform in front of an outstanding panel of DETAILS Competition very soon became one of the leading among strings, voice,
nationally chosen judges for the cash awards that Travel covered? No international competitions for violinists, pianists, piano
include a grand prize of $5,000. Frequency Biennial singers, and, in 2017, cellists. Cash prizes €10,000 to €50,000
Cash prizes $10,000 to $50,000 Additional prize Performances
MAIN OFFICE Jury chair(s) Joel Krosnick, cello MAIN OFFICE Additional prize Recording
c/o Odyssey / First Baptist Church (former member, Rue aux Laines, 20 Jury chair Mr. Arie Van Lysebeth,
1112 East Broadway Juilliard String Quartet) B-1000 Brussels Chairman
Columbia, MO 65201-4910 Jury size 1 to 5 BELGIUM Jury size 11 or more
UNITED STATES Application deadline February 20, 2017 +32 2 213 40 50 Application deadline January 10, 2017 (for
573-864-6921 email website cello); applications for
email website Application notes
DVD application is February 13, 2017; February 20 ELIGIBILITY voice will open early
ELIGIBILITY is a late deadline and must be accompanied with a The Queen Elisabeth International Music in 2017.
Open to instrumental ensembles of three to late fee. Competition of Belgium is open to musicians of all SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
six players. Members must be interested in, or nationalities who have completed their training Cello: May 8-20, 2017 at Flagey, Brussels, Belgium
already pursuing a career in music. Ensembles with SEMIFINALS (live rounds) and who are ready to embark upon an international
April 8, 2017 Voice: May 4 and 5, 2018; Violin: May 6-11, 2019
management as of April 8, 2017 are not eligible. career. Age restrictions vary according to discipline;
Piano is the only keyboard instrument eligible and First Baptist Church, Columbia, MO please see website for specifics. FINALS (live rounds)
ensembles can have only one. Groups that require FINALS (live rounds) Cello: May 29-June 3, 2017, with the Brussels
more than five minutes to set-up and tear-down ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES Strings • Voice • Piano Philharmonic at Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels,
April 9, 2017
cannot be accommodated. Missouri Theater, Columbia, MO Belgium
Voice: May 10-12, 2018; Violin May 20-25, 2019
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
✔ Semifinals ✖ Semifinals streamed COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
✔ Finals ✖ Finals streamed ✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
Social links
Social links

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 37 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 THE QUEEN SONJA
INTERNATIONAL MUSIC COMPETITION
Through exposure to an international jury of ELIGIBILITY
influential figures within the opera world, master Singers of all nationalities born after January 1, 1987
classes with award-winning professionals, and
considerable cash prizes, participation in The Queen
may apply for the 2017 competition.
MARCELLO GIORDANI
Sonja International Music Competition offers young
artists a valuable kick-start to their careers.
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Voice
INTERNATIONAL VOCAL COMPETITION
DETAILS
MAIN OFFICE Travel covered? No CONCORSO INTERNAZIONALE DI CANTO LIRICO
Universitetsgaten 14 Frequency Biannual
0164 Oslo Cash prizes €10,000 to €50,000
NORWAY Additional prize
Jury chair(s)
Performances
Not provided
APRIL 24 - 28, 2017
+47 22 99 21 05 BELK THEATER AT
email website Jury size 6 to 10
Application deadline April 1, 2017 BLUMENTHAL PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA
FINALS (live rounds)
HOSTED BY OPERA CAROLINA
August 18, 2017
The Norwegian National Opera & Ballet Awards
Oslo, Norway
1st prize: $10,000
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? Plus the opportunity to perform on the Opera Carolina stage in a leading or supporting role.
✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
2nd prize: $5,000
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
3rd prize: $3,000
Social links

For more information and to Apply Online: operacarolina.org/jobs-auditions

YAP+ supports young artists and does not require an application fee.

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 38 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 RAPIDO! THE 15TH ARTHUR RUBINSTEIN INTERNATIONAL
14-DAY COMPOSITION CONTEST PIANO MASTER COMPETITION
The Rapido! Contest promotes the creation of DETAILS Applications for the 2017 competition are closed. DETAILS
new chamber works and highlights lesser-known Travel covered? No The semifinal and final rounds, consisting of solo Travel covered? Yes
composers. Participating composers write a five- Frequency Biennial recital, chamber music, and orchestral concerts, Frequency Triennial
minute work in just 14 days. The national grand Cash prizes $10,000 to $50,000 take place April 25 - May 11, 2017. The competition Cash prizes $10,000 to $50,000
prize winner receives a cash prize, premieres in five Additional prize Performances offers over $120,000 cash prizes, free hotel Additional prize Performances
cities by five chamber ensembles, and a commission Jury chair Robert Spano, accommodations with a practice piano in each Jury chair Prof. Arie Vardi, pianist,
from the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. composer & conductor room, and partial coverage of flight expenses. conductor and piano
Jury size 1 to 5 pedagogue
MAIN OFFICE MAIN OFFICE Jury size 11 or more
Application deadline May 26, 2017
Atlanta Chamber Players 12 Huberman Street Application deadline October 1, 2016
PO Box 5438 Application notes Tel Aviv 6407510
Atlanta, GA 31107 Registration deadline is May 26, but the composition ISRAEL SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
UNITED STATES period will take place in June (see website for exact 972-3-6856684 Stage I: Recitals (35-40 minutes); Stage II: Recitals
404-594-3445 dates). email website (50-60 minutes)
email website Tel Aviv Museum of Art, 27 Shaul Hamelech
SEMIFINALS (live rounds) ELIGIBILITY Boulevard, Tel Aviv 61332012, Israel
ELIGIBILITY Three semi-finalists for each region will compete in The competition is open to pianists of all
Contest is open to the first 100 online registrants live concerts in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Detroit, and nationalities who are 18 to 32 years of age. FINALS (live rounds)
in each of five regions (West Coast, Midwest, San Francisco with live judging. Stage III: Three concerts: Chamber Music, Classical
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Piano Concerto, Grand Concerto
Southwest, Northeast, Southeast) of any age and
level of experience who are residents or full-time COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? Charles Bronfman Auditorium, 1 Huberman Street,
student residents of one of the 50 United States. ✔ Semifinals ✖ Semifinals streamed Tel Aviv 6407510, Israel
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
Chamber Music Composition Social links ✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
Social links

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 39 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 SCHADT STRING COMPETITION SCHADT STRING COMPETITION, cont’d

Begun in 1997 following a bequest to the Allentown ELIGIBILITY DETAILS SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
Symphony Association from Edwin H. and Leigh W. Candidates should be at least 18 years of age and Travel covered? No Violin, March 2-3, 2018
Schadt, the competition alternates annually among not have their reached 31st birthday by December Frequency Annual Miller Symphony Hall, Allentown PA
violin, cello, and classical guitar. The first prize 18, 2017; they must be a current resident/citizen of Cash prizes None
Additional prize Performances FINALS (live rounds)
includes a cash award of $8,000 and a solo concerto the U.S. Proof of citizenship, student visa, or green Violin, March 4, 2018
engagement with the Allentown Symphony card is required. Competition is not open to prior Jury chair(s) Diane Wittry, music
director Miller Symphony Hall, Allentown PA
Orchestra. first-place winners of the Schadt String Competition.
Jury size 1 to 5 COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
MAIN OFFICE ARTISTIC DISCLIPLINE Strings Application deadline December 18, 2017 ✖ Semifinals ✖ Semifinals streamed
23 North 6th Street ✔ Finals ✖ Finals streamed
Allentown, PA 18101 Application notes
UNITED STATES Violin: December 2017; Cello: December 2018; Social links
610-432-7961 x206 Classical Guitar: December 2019
email website



 
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CHAMBER MUSIC
April 8 & 9, 2017 COMPETITION
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GRAZ / AUSTRIA




  INFORMATION
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A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 40 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 FRANZ SCHUBERT AND MODERN MUSIC
("80/
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
*/5&3/"5*0/"- The competition is unique in its combination of
traditional and contemporary music, such that
DETAILS
Travel covered? No
1*"/0
$0.1&5*5*0/ both participants and audience can get in touch Frequency Triennial
with both genres. The contemporary pieces are the Cash prizes €10,000 to €50,000
CJFOOJBM
results of composition competitions established Additional prize Performances
particularly for this event. Additional prize Management
Additional prize Recording
MAIN OFFICE Jury chair(s) Not provided
Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Jury size 6 to 10
Leonhardstraße 158010 Application deadline October 5, 2017
A-8010 Graz
AUSTRIA SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
September 2018 email website February 24 and 25, 2018: Trio for Piano, Violin and
Seoul, Korea ELIGIBILITY
Violoncello
MUMUTH (House of Music and Music Drama), Graz/
The competition is international and open to Austria
candidates born after February 28, 1982.
February 25, 2018: Duo for Voice and Piano (Lied)
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES Palais Meran, Graz/Austria
Strings • Voice • Duo for Voice and Piano (Lied) • Trio February 25, 2018: String Quartet
for Piano, Violin, and Violoncello • String Quartet Theater im Palais (T.i.P.), Graz/Austria
FINALS (live rounds)
February 27, 2018
Duo for Voice and Piano (Lied)
Trio for Piano, Violin and Violoncello
String Quartet
GAWON AWARD MUMUTH (House of Music and Music Drama), Graz/
(Prize of US $ 10,000) Austria

Application Deadline : The end of December (every odd year) COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
Oksoo Han, Chairman ✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
Gawon International Music Society Social links
www. gawonaward.com

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 41 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 SHANGHAI ISAAC STERN
INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN COMPETITION THE SOLTI FOUNDATION U.S.
The second biennial Shanghai Isaac Stern DETAILS The competition was established to honor the DETAILS
International Violin Competition (SISIVC), Shanghai’s Travel covered? Yes memory of legendary conductor Sir Georg Solti Travel covered? No
world-class violin competition, will be held in the Frequency Biennial and his dedication to helping young artists. Awards: Frequency Annual
autumn of 2018 in Shanghai, China. The competition Cash prizes More than $50,000 $25,000 Solti Conducting Fellow—includes door- Cash prizes $10,000 to $50,000
has a grand prize of $100,000 USD. Additional prize Performances opening introductions, including Lyric Opera of Jury chair(s) Elizabeth Buccheri,
Jury chair(s) Vera Tsu Weiling & Chicago and Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and chair, Artistic and
MAIN OFFICE David Stern ongoing professional mentoring—and the Solti Awards Committee
No. 1380 Middle Fuxing Road Jury size 11 or more Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award (amount Jury size 1 to 5
Shanghai Application deadline TBA varies). Application deadline January 15, 2017
CHINA
email website SEMIFINALS (live rounds) MAIN OFFICE SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
Semifinals dates and venues (in Shanghai) are to be 1555 Sherman Avenue, Suite 310 No live rounds
ELIGIBILITY determined. Check website for details periodically. Evanston, IL 60201
The competition is open to participants between UNITED STATES FINALS (live rounds)
the ages 18 and 32. FINALS (live rounds) 847-448-8329 No live rounds
Finals dates and venues (in Shanghai) are to be email website
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Strings determined. Check website for details periodically. COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
ELIGIBILITY ✖ Not open to the public
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? Applicants must be: immersed in developing a
✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed Social links
career as a symphonic/operatic conductor; a citizen
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed or permanent resident of the U.S.; no more than 38
Social links years of age as of January 15, 2017. The award will
be based on: professional experience in conducting;
demonstration of advanced technique; written
proposal for use of the funds (see website for
details).
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Conducting

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 42 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 SOLTI INTERNATIONAL SOLTI INTERNATIONAL CONDUCTING COMPETITION 2017, cont’d

CONDUCTING COMPETITION 2017 Jury chair(s) Renowned conductors SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
and representatives of October 8-10, 2017
Filharmonia Hungary is happy to announce the Solti ELIGIBILITY several world-famous Competitors will be expected to conduct one of the
International Conducting Competition SICC, which Only applicants born after 1 January 1979 will be musical institutes five arias or five concertos from pre-selected lists,
will be taking place in October and December 2017 accepted. Completed application forms and other Jury size 6 to 10 and one of the three symphonies.
in Hungary. The competition will receive wide media requested documents can be submitted by email to Application deadline May 1, 2017
FINALS (live rounds)
coverage and provide an excellent opportunity for solticompetition@filharmonia.hu. See website for
Application notes December 15, 2017
young conductors to prove their talent. complete list of documents required for entry.
Application fees: Competitors will be expected to conduct one of six
MAIN OFFICE ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Conducting Early bird February 28, 2017: 190 EUR pre-selected symphonic works
52. Felsomalom Street March 1 to May 1, 2017: 350 EUR
DETAILS Application fees must be paid by bank transfer to COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
7626 Pecs
Travel covered? No Filharmonia Hungary’s bank account number. Early ✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
HUNGARY
Frequency Annual bird applicants not selected to participate will be ✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
+36 72 891 400
email website Cash prizes €10,000 to €50,000 reimbursed 100 EUR. Others not selected will be Social links
Additional prize Performances reimbursed 200 EUR.

FORTY-FOURTH ANNUAL
MTNA
FISCHOFF 2017–18 Music Teachers National Association
NATIONAL CHAMBER Student Competitions
The MTNA student competitions provide educational experiences and recognize
MUSIC COMPETITION exceptionally talented young artists and their teachers in their pursuit of musical excellence.
The three-tiered MTNA competitions begin at the state level. First-place winners of each
state’s competition advance to a division competition. Division winners compete in the national
May 12-14, 2017 finals at the MTNA National Conference in Orlando, Florida, March 17–21, 2018.
DeBartolo Performing Arts Center The competitions are divided into five age groups: Elementary (ages 5–10; composition only),
University of Notre Dame Junior (ages 11–14), Senior (ages 15–18) and Young Artist (ages 19–26) and
Chamber Music (average age 18–26).

Entry Deadline: March 1 Competitions include Composition, Brass, Piano, String, Voice, Woodwind and Chamber Music.

www.fischoff.org The deadline to apply for the 2017–2018 MTNA student competitions is
September 13, 2017. For more information, visit www.MTNA.org

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 43 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 SPHINX COMPETITION STULBERG INTERNATIONAL STRING COMPETITION
The Sphinx Competition offers young Black and DETAILS Established in 1975, the Stulberg is one of the DETAILS
Latino classical string players a chance to compete Travel covered? No longest-standing string competitions in the country. Travel covered? No
under the guidance of a renowned panel of judges. Frequency Annual Its uniqueness stems from its focus on young string Frequency Annual
Its primary goals are to encourage, develop, and Cash prizes $10,000 to $50,000 musicians, strong reputation, and high caliber of Cash prizes $10,000 to $50,000
recognize classical music talent in the Black and Additional prize Performances judges. Additional prize Performances
Latino communities. Additional prize Management Jury chair(s) Not provided
Jury chair(s) Not provided MAIN OFFICE Jury size 1 to 5
MAIN OFFICE Jury size 6 to 10 359 South Kalamazoo Mall, Suite 14 Application deadline February 1, 2017
400 Renaissance Center, Suite 2550 Application deadline November 7, 2017 Kalamazoo, MI 49007 (February 1, 2018 for
Detroit, MI 48243 UNITED STATES next year’s
UNITED STATES Application notes 269-343-2776 competition)
313-877-9100 x719 Sphinx.FluidReview.com email website
email website SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
SEMIFINALS (live rounds) ELIGIBILITY May 13, 2017: 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
ELIGIBILITY February 1, 2018 The Stulberg International String Competition is Dalton Center Recital Hall, Western Michigan
The competition is open to all Junior High, High open to students of violin, viola, cello, or double University, Kalamazoo, MI
School, and College-age Black and Latino string FINALS (live rounds) bass from around the world. Applicants must be
players residing in the U.S. February 4, 2018 under the age of 20 on January 1, prior to that year’s FINALS (live rounds)
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? competition. Proof of birth date will be required if May 13, 2017: 7:30 p.m.
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Strings selected as a semifinalist. Current students of that Dalton Center Recital Hall, Western Michigan
✔ Semifinals ✖ Semifinals streamed
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed year’s judges are not eligible to apply. University, Kalamazoo, MI

Social links ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Strings COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?

✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
Social links

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 44 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 SUZHOU JINJI LAKE
INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION
In its inaugural season, the Suzhou Symphony DETAILS
Orchestra will host and present the first piano Travel covered? Yes
competition and festival of its kind in the area. Frequency Annual
Dynamic Suzhou welcomes talented pianists from Cash prizes More than $50,000
all over the world to come and create a new chapter Additional prize Performances
of music history in this ancient city. Jury chair Dominque Merlet
Jury size 6 to 10
MAIN OFFICE Application deadline July 1, 2017
1 Guanfeng Street, SIP
Suzhou SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
CHINA November 7-8, 2017
email website Suzhou Culture and Arts Center, Suzhou, China
ELIGIBILITY FINALS (live rounds)
Open to pianists of all nationalities born after November 11-12, 2017
bleckanzeige17:09 21.01.2017 16:14 Uhr Seite 1
November 2, 1989, and on or before November 2, Grand Theater, Suzhou Culture and Art Center,
2001. Suzhou, China
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Piano COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
✔ Semifinals ✖ Semifinals streamed
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed

INTERNATIONAL
SINGING COMPETITION
FOR YOUNG
OPERA SINGERS 2017
about 70 qualifying rounds
worldwide – jury members of the
most important opera houses –
many engagements –
www.belvedere-competition.com final rounds 2017 in Moscow, Russia

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 45 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

TAKAMATSU INTERNATIONAL
PIANO COMPETITION
The Takamatsu International Piano Competition
is an artistic event that provides a forum to bring
together top musicians from all over the world.
Encouraging young people to pursue their dreams
and goals of self-development, the competition ELIGIBILITY
also aims to foster a new culture of music in the Applicants must have been born between January
local area. 1, 1983 and January 1, 2003.
MAIN OFFICE ARTISTIC DISCLIPLINE Piano
Central Bldg, Annex 3rd Floor
4-12 Kamei-cho DETAILS
Takamatsu, Kagawa 760-0050 Travel covered? Yes
JAPAN Frequency Quadrennial
+81-87-812-5583 Cash prizes $10,000 to $50,000
email website Additional prize Performances
Jury chair Shuku Iwasaki, pianist
Jury size 11 or more
Application deadline September 20, 2017
SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
Round I: March 14-16, 2018; Round II: March 17-18,
2018; Round III: March 20-21, 2018
Sunport Hall Takamatsu (Takamatsu, Japan)
FINALS (live rounds)
March 24, 2018
Sunport Hall Takamatsu (Takamatsu, Japan)
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
PAST COMPETITION WINNERS
Pavel Gintov (Ukrane)
Alexander Yakovlev (Russia)
Chloe Jiyeong Mun (South Korea)
Social links

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 46 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 TORU TAKEMITSU 33RD VALSESIA MUSICA
COMPOSITION AWARD 2018 INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION 2017
Cash award of 3 million JPY each year. The judge DETAILS Valsesia Musica competition (former Viotti Valsesia) DETAILS
may withhold the prize. The composers whose Travel covered? Yes started in 1981 to promote young talented Travel covered? No
works are selected to be performed will be invited Frequency Annual musicians as well as Valsesia, the greenest valley Frequency Annual
to attend. Cash prizes $26,193 (approximate) in Italy. It is divided in different sections: violin and Cash prizes €10,000 to €50,000
Jury chair Unsuk Chin orchestra, piano, and voice. There is also a juniors’ Additional prize Recording
MAIN OFFICE Jury size 1 to 5 competition. Jury chair(s) TBD
3-20-2 Nishi Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku Application deadline September 29, 2017 Jury size 1 to 5
Tokyo 163-1403 MAIN OFFICE Application deadline May 5, 2017 (violin and
JAPAN Application notes Corso Roma orchestra); September
+81 3 5353 0770 Please submit two copies of the bound score, 35I - 13019 Varallo (VC) 27, 2017 (voice)
email website together with a completed entry form. Mailed Piedmont
entries must be received by the above date. Receipt ITALY SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
ELIGIBILITY of entries on the last day will close at 6:00 p.m. +39.0163.560020 May 26-30, 2017: Violin and orchestra
Any person, regardless of nationality, who is not (Japan time). email website Teatro Civico in Varallo (VC) Italy
over 35 years old at the end of the year his/her October 17-21, 2017: Voice
application is submitted. FINALS (live rounds) ELIGIBILITY Teatro Civico in Varallo (VC) Italy
May 27, 2018 Open to violinists, singers, and pianists from all over
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Composition Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall, Tokyo, Japan the world up to 37 years old. FINALS (live rounds)
Violin and orchestra: May 20, 2017
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES Strings • Voice • Piano Voice: October 21, 2017
✖ Semifinals ✖ Semifinals streamed
✔ Finals ✖ Finals streamed COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
✔ Semifinals ✖ Semifinals streamed
✔ Finals ✖ Finals streamed
Social links

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 47 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

VIOTTI INTERNATIONAL MUSIC COMPETITION, VERCELLI VIOTTI INTERNATIONAL MUSIC COMPETITION, VERCELLI, cont’d

The Viotti International Music Competition, ELIGIBILITY Jury chair Pietro Borgonovo, COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
established in Vercelli in 1950 by Joseph Robbone, The 68th Gian Battista Viotti International Music artistic director ✔ Semifinals ✖ Semifinals streamed
is one of the most prestigious Italian music Competition 2017 is open to pianists of all Jury size 6 to 10 ✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
competitions and its prize-winners often achieve nationalities who were born after October 21, Application deadline July 21, 2017 (piano);
late July, 2018 (voice) Social links
major careers. Alternating between piano and voice, 1986. The age limit for the singers of the Viotti
it is renowned for its high standards, awards, and Competition 2018 is 30 (women) and 32 (men). SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
prestigious jury. October 12-18
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES Piano • Voice
MAIN OFFICE City Theater of Vercelli, Vercelli, Italy
Via Monte di Pietà 39 DETAILS
Travel covered? No FINALS (live rounds)
13100 Vercelli October 21, 2017: Final with orchestra
ITALY Frequency Annual
Cash prizes €10,000 to €50,000 City Theater of Vercelli, Vercelli, Italy
+39.0161.255.575
email website Additional prize Performances

June 17–22, 2018

The 9th NYIPC
$67,000 in prizes
New York City
Johansen International New York International Ages 16–21

COMPETITION Equal awards for violin, viola, and cello Piano Competition® Application Deadline:
December 4, 2017
for Young String Players (Ages 13–17) Performance opportunities
including t
No elimination of any contestant Ensemble Prizes
Winners’ Recital in Washington, DC; throughout the Competition $6,000

March 14–17, 2018

1st Prize $10,000
concerto appearances; and more t
Open to pianists of all nationalities 2nd Prize $6,000
Best performance of
commissioned work

Washington, DC
t
Prizes and Awards totaling $50,000 3rd Prize $3,000 $1,500
4th Prize $2,000
t
Concert and Recital Appearances Finalist Award to each of
the remaining contestants
Sponsored by the t
Seminars and Master Classes $1,000
Friday Morning Music Club Foundation, Inc.
tion Egg by The
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: p eti oF
Contact: om a
Application deadline: December 1, 2017

ber
THE STECHER AND HOROWITZ FOUNDATION

The
johansencomp@gmail.com

gé
mpetition
301-825-5515 119 West 57th Street, Suite 1401 New York, New York 10019, U.S.A.

Created for
To apply, go to: http://www.fmmc.org/competitions/ Tel: (+1) 212 - 581-8380 Fax: (+1) 212 - 581-4186

o Co
https://app.getacceptd.com/jic

The
johansen-international-competition/2018-jic/

an
info@stecherandhorowitz.org www.stecherandhorowitz.org Facebook.com/NYIPC
Ne Pi
wY
ork International

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 48 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 VSA WIGMORE HALL
INTERNATIONAL YOUNG SOLOISTS INTERNATIONAL STRING QUARTET COMPETITION
Each year outstanding young musicians with ELIGIBILITY The Wigmore Hall International String Quartet ELIGIBILITY
disabilities from around the world receive the VSA Musicians with disabilities between the ages of 14 Competition is one of the best and most prestigious All members of quartets wishing to apply must
International Young Soloists Award, $2,000, and the and 25. quartet competitions in the world. Held under the be under 35 at the date of the final round of the
opportunity to perform at the Kennedy Center for auspices of Wigmore Hall, the leading U.K. venue competition.
the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES Strings • Voice • All for chamber music, the competition attracts the
instruments, genres best young quartets and offers excellent career ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE String Quartet
MAIN OFFICE development opportunities to prize winners.
2700 F Street NW DETAILS DETAILS
Washington, DC 20566 Travel covered? Yes MAIN OFFICE Travel covered? No
UNITED STATES Frequency Annual Wigmore Hall Frequency Triennial
202-416-8822 Cash prizes None 36 Wigmore Street Cash prizes €10,000 to €50,000
email website Additional prize Performances London W1U 2BP Additional prize Performances
Jury chair(s) Not provided UNITED KINGDOM Jury chair John Gilhooly OBE,
Jury size 1 to 5 +44 2072588244 director, Wigmore Hall
Application deadline February 8, 2017 email website Jury size 6 to 10
Application deadline October 13, 2017
FINALS (live rounds)
Select winners will perform at the Kennedy Center SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
in Washington, D.C. on May 25. April 14, 2018: Wigmore Hall
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? FINALS (live rounds)
✖ Semifinals ✖ Semifinals streamed April 15, 2018: Wigmore Hall
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
Social links ✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 49 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 WIGMORE HALL/KOHN FOUNDATION YOUNG CONCERT ARTISTS
INTERNATIONAL SONG COMPETITION INTERNATIONAL AUDITIONS
The competition celebrates the art of the song ELIGIBILITY Young Concert Artists Inc. is a non-profit DETAILS
recital and honors the Lied’s place at the heart of All singers and accompanying pianists must be organization dedicated to discovering and Travel covered? No
the genre. The competition has grown in status and under age 33 at the date of the final round of the developing the careers of extraordinary classical Frequency Annual
prestige since its founding in 1997 and continues competition. musicians. The sole criteria are exceptional Cash prizes None
to attract international singers and pianists keen to musicianship, virtuosity, and individuality. The Additional prize Performances
embark on significant recital careers. ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Voice
musicians compete against a standard of excellence Additional prize Management
DETAILS not each other. There is no limit to the number of Jury chair Susan Wadsworth,
MAIN OFFICE
Travel covered? No winners. director, Young
Wigmore Hall
Frequency Biennial Concert Artists, Inc.
36 Wigmore Street MAIN OFFICE
Cash prizes €10,000 to €50,000 Jury size 11 or more
London W1U 2BP 250 West 57th Street, Suite 1222
Jury chair John Gilhooly OBE, Application deadline September 1, 2017 for
UNITED KINGDOM New York, NY 10107
director, Wigmore Hall live auditions;
0207 258 8244 UNITED STATES
Jury size 6 to 10 September 15, 2017
email website 212-307-6656
Application deadline March 24, 2017 for CD auditions
email website
SEMIFINALS (live rounds) Application notes
ELIGIBILITY For live or CD applications received by August 15,
September 5, 2017: Wigmore Hall
Applicants at the very beginning of a musical career, the entrance fee is $65; thereafter the entrance fee
FINALS (live rounds) who offer repertoire within the categories listed, is $85.
September 7, 2017: Wigmore Hall provide two appropriate letters of recommendation,
and are not under U.S. management. SEMIFINALS (live rounds)
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? November 2017, New York, NY
✔ Semifinals ✔ Semifinals streamed ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES Strings • Voice • Brass
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed • Woodwinds • Chamber Ensembles FINALS (live rounds)
November 2017, New York, NY
COMPETITION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
✖ Semifinals ✖ Semifinals streamed
✔ Finals ✔ Finals streamed
Social links

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 50 musicalamerica.com • February 2017

 MORE
ON THE
WEb
In addition to the Competitions featured in this special report, the Musical America database of more than
Advertiser Index
Altamura-Caruso Internation Voice Competition.......................................36
Stephanie Challener
Publisher and Managing Editor
450 music competitions worldwide is free of charge for the month of February 2017! Susan Elliott
American Pianists Awards.........................................................................30 Editor, MusicalAmerica.com News and Special Reports
A Musical America Guide to Competitions What Do the Judges Look For? Blue Danube International Opera Conducting editor@musicalamerica.com
Our Special Report on the top competitions   Competition 2017 (7th Edition)...........................................................22 Joyce Wasserman
Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists...................45 Senior Account Manager
in the world. Why Competitions Matter (or Not)
Van Cliburn International Piano Competition............................................13 732-851-6988 ß jwasserman@musicalamerica.com
Concours musical international de Montréal . ............................................ 6 Frances Wan
5 Top Competitors: Lessons Learned from Win a Contest, Get a Gig? The Thomas and Evon Cooper International Competition.........................15 Design Director | Database Publishing Specialist
Winning and Losing Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.........................................43 Howard Roth
Choosing the Best Competition for Gawon International Piano Comptition.....................................................41 Business Consultant
Jamie Barton: Competitor Extraordinaire YOU 2017 Marcello Giordano International Voice Competition.........................38
Sedgwick Clark
Global Music Awards.................................................................................19 Features Editor, Musical America Directory
HKIVS Shlomo Mintz International Violin Competition.............................29
Confessions of a Seasoned Jurist A List of Competitions You May Not Robert E. Hudoba
International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition........................45
Know About Manager of Listing Services
10th International Competition Franz Schubert and Modern Music.........40 listings@musicalamerica.com
International Violin Competition Indianapolis...........................................25
Carolyn Eychenne (Europe)
IPCL Percussion Duo Competition................................................................ 8
Advertising Sales Representative
Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition......................................................27 33.1.39.58.14.01 ß carolyn@eychenne.me
Johannsen International Competition for Young String Players................48
Andrea Rancati (Italy)
The Kennedy Center VSA Advertising Sales Representative
  International Young Soloists Annual Competition...............................36 39.02.703.00088 ß arancati@rancatinet.it
2nd Manhattan International Music Competition.....................................23
In The Next Issue… Music Teachers National Association.........................................................43
National Association of Teachers of Singing..............................................33
Debra Kraft
Account Coordinator
dkraft@musicalamerica.com
Neue Stimmen............................................................................................. 8
FESTIVALS The New York International Piano Competition.........................................48
PianoArts..................................................................................................... 9 PUBLISHED BY
A 2017 Summer Guide Plowman Chamber Music Competition....................................................40
Coming 4 April 2017 Rapido! 14-Day Composition Contest........................................................29
Schadt String Competition.......................................................................... 9
Questions? Email info@musicalamerica.com Solti International Conducting Competition 2017.....................................11
Stulberg International String Competition................................................11 Performing Arts Resources, LLC
PO Box 1330, Hightstown, NJ 08520
Suzhou Jinji Lake International Piano Competition...................................22
609-448-3346 ß info@musicalamerica.com
Takamatsu International Piano Competition.............................................46

A musical america Guide to Top Competitions 51 musicalamerica.com • February 2017