Competition & Application

Entry is open regardless of nationality or residence and must use the entrant’s true identity. Age is calculated as of January 1 of the year of the final. A legal guardian must provide required consent for entrants under 18.

Amateur groups are for entrants who do not primarily work in the entered discipline and do not meet professional-group eligibility. Professional A is for ages 13–17. Professional B is mainly for students normally aged 17–25 pursuing a music-related bachelor’s, master’s or equivalent non-terminal professional degree; enrolled students over 25 may apply with proof of enrolment. Professional C covers advanced professional training or practice, including relevant master’s graduates and those pursuing or holding music-related terminal degrees such as DMA, DM or PhD.

A 17-year-old eligible for both A and B must select one group based on enrolment and training, without duplicate entry in the same category. Ensembles use the oldest member’s age; groups with a professionally qualified member may not enter amateur divisions. Each different discipline requires separate eligibility, repertoire and fee review.

Amateur entrants select one piece; professional entrants select two, preferably demonstrating contrasting styles or abilities. One sonata or concerto movement may count as one piece. Suite selections, arrangements, transpositions and original works must be declared.

Timing runs from first to last note and includes changes between pieces, excluding entry, bows and tuning. Jurors may stop an overlong performance; completed material remains assessable but completeness may affect the score. Repeats may be omitted without damaging structure; arbitrary internal cuts are prohibited.

Instrumental solos and classical singing normally follow the work’s original accompaniment, except unaccompanied originals. Backing tracks for popular singing and original vocal works must be lawfully obtained, purely instrumental and contain no substitute singing or lead-vocal line. Solo piano and professional classical singing normally require memorization; chamber music, ensembles, collaborative piano, original vocal works and other established exceptions may use scores.

Entrants must secure lawful rights to scores, lyrics, arrangements and accompaniment and provide materials for jury reference as required. The same repertoire may be used in preliminaries and finals. Final repertoire changes require approval within the specified deadline.

Collaborative piano assesses the entered pianist’s collaborative ability. Collaborators must register and consent; the pianist determines the age group. Original vocal compositions must be the entrant’s own work, supported by a score or melody-and-harmony description, lyrics, recordings and an originality declaration. The composer or a designated registered singer may perform.

Required materials include the application form, identity and date-of-birth evidence, applicable professional credentials, repertoire, preliminary video or regional-round evidence and, where applicable, guardian consent, originality declarations and authorizations. Ensembles must list all members and instruments or voice parts. Channels, formats, deadlines and fees will be announced for the edition. Incomplete materials after the deadline mean the application is incomplete.

Recordings must be made within the designated period. Pieces may be recorded separately but each must be continuous, complete and synchronized. Editing, splicing, speed alteration, pitch correction, replacement audio or generative alteration of the performance is prohibited. A fixed camera must clearly show the face, hands and performance; collaborators must be identifiable.

Videos must not announce names, schools or teachers or include related identifying introductions, watermarks or subtitles. File and link specifications follow the edition announcement.

Preliminaries use numbered adjudication, concealing non-musical identity information where feasible. Meeting the published standard places an entrant in the candidate pool; final advancement depends on standard, entries and live capacity. No uniform advancement percentage applies. A waiting list may be used in notification order.

Categories are scored out of 100. Preliminary and final scores are separate; final awards primarily reflect the final performance rather than an automatic sum. First, second, third, merit and special awards may be offered. Names, numbers, minimum standards, certificates, trophies, prizes and performance opportunities depend on the official edition announcement. Awards may be withheld and need not be equally numerous in every group.

False identity, age or qualifications, substitute performers, fabricated recordings, unauthorized repertoire or personnel changes, infringement, harassment or interference may lead to explanation requests, deductions, disqualification or withdrawn awards. The affected person should have an opportunity to respond before a decision.

Evidence-supported written objections to verifiable procedural facts—including identity, category, repertoire, timing or score aggregation—must be submitted within five working days of result notification. The committee responds within ten working days of receiving complete materials, explaining extensions for complex cases. Artistic judgment and independent scores are not re-assessed merely due to personal preference. Confirmed entry or calculation errors will be corrected and affected parties notified.

Stage amounts, currencies, payees and refund conditions and deadlines will be announced for the edition. If a stage is cancelled without being held, its collected entry fees must be refunded. Withdrawal, visa and travel cases follow the refund policy disclosed at application. Travel, accommodation, accompaniment and other non-competition costs must identify their separate provider and scope.