This article needs additional citations for verification .(October 2023) |
The ARD International Music Competition (German: Internationaler Musikwettbewerb der ARD) is the largest international classical music competition in Germany. It is organised by the Bayerischer Rundfunk and is held once a year in Munich, usually in September. Since its inception in 1952, it has become one of the most prestigious classical music competitions. In 1957, it became one of the founding members of the World Federation of International Music Competitions.
A prize at this competition has acted as a springboard for a career. [1] Notable past winners and prize winners include: Yuri Bashmet, Myung-whun Chung, Christoph Eschenbach, Sol Gabetta, Alban Gerhardt, Natalia Gutman, Heinz Holliger, Nobuko Imai, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, Kim Kashkashian, François Leleux, Jessye Norman, Quatuor Ébène, Thomas Quasthoff, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Antoine Tamestit, Christian Tetzlaff, Alexandre Tharaud, Tokyo String Quartet, Mitsuko Uchida and Anne Sofie von Otter. [2] [3]
Between 1947 and 1950, the Radio Frankfurt held a "Young Soloists Competition". The earliest competition discovered two female vocalists who would soon take their place among the international talented: Christa Ludwig and Erika Köth. Instrumentalists included flautist Karlheinz Zöller and pianist Robert-Alexander Bohnke. The newly founded ARD continued the concept of bringing together talented young musicians from the entire globe.
The competition categories change from year to year and include solo instrumentsm voice and chamber ensembles. An emphasis has been placed on modern music, and contemporary composers have regularly been commissioned to write new pieces for this Competition since 2001.
350 to 450 young musicians usually apply each year, out of whom 200 candidates, from 35 to 40 countries, make it past the preliminary round. A large percentage of competitors come from countries other than Germany (up to 86%). [3]
The 2020 edition was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. [4]
Piano competition had been held almost uninterruptedly from 1952 to 1973, except the years 1955 and 1964. It was then held every other year till 1981. It was held consecutively from 1981 to 1983, and then every other year again till 1999. In 1953, three categories were added: violin, flute, violin-piano duo. Violin competition was held every 3 years from 1966 to 1984.
Four categories were added in 1954: voice, oboe, bassoon, clarinet. The voice competition had been held every year from 1954 to 1972. It was then held every two years till 2000. Oboe competition had been held every five years from 1976 to 1996. Bassoon competition had been held six times in the 20th century.
The competition kept expanding categories in the following years, adding piano duo (1955), horn (1956), cello (1957), organ (1957). New categories in 1958 were cello-piano duo, trumpet, and harpsichord, which would only have three additional editions. String quartet competition opened in 1959.
The 1960s saw the first edition of piano trio (1961), viola (1962), trombone (1965), wind quintet (1966). Two categories briefly appeared: string trio (1961, 1969) and piano sight-reading (1963, 1965). Four categories premiered in the 1970s: guitar (1976), percussion (1977), double bass (1979), and recorder, which was only held twice so far (1978, 1988). The first harp competition was held in 1983, as its only edition in the 20th century.
Source Organization
Artistic Directors: Oswald Beaujean and Meret Forster
Managing Director: Elisabeth Kozik
Project Management: Anja Krainz
Public Relations: Ruth Wischmann
Prize money per category [5]
Full lists of winners can be retrieved from the competition's website. [6]
Voice (female)
Violoncello
Organ
Voice (female)
Voice (male)
Viola
Flute
Piano Duo
String Quartet
Violin
Cello
Saxophone
Percussion
Wind Quintet
Bassoon
Oboe
Piano
Piano Trio
Voice (female)
Voice (male)
Double Bass
Clarinet
Trumpet
Viola
Flute
String Quartet
Harp
Violin
Cello
Horn
Piano Duo
Voice/Opera
Voice/Lied
Piano
Wind Quintet
Oboe
Trombone
Percussion
Piano Trio
Viola
Clarinet
Bassoon
String Quartet
Violin
Double Bass
Voice
Flute
Cello
Horn
Piano Duo
Oboe
Organ
Trumpet
Piano
Voice (male)
Voice (female)
Clarinet
String Quartet
Violin
Viola
Bassoon
Piano Trio
Percussion
Violoncello
Wind Quintet
Piano
Voice
Trombone
Piano Duo
Flute
Harp
Horn
Double Bass
String Quartet
Violin
Piano
Guitar
Oboe
Voice
Trumpet
Piano Trio
Viola
Violoncello
Bassoon
Clarinet
Percussion
Emil Grigoryevich Gilels was a Soviet pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest pianists of all time.
Henryk Jan Jabłoński was a Polish historian and politician. After 1948, he became a politician of the ruling Polish United Workers' Party, as well as a historian and professor at Warsaw University. He served as head of state of the People's Republic of Poland between 1972 and 1985.
Ivo Maček was a prominent Croatian pianist, composer, teacher, editor and academician. He was born in Sušak on 24 March 1914 and died in Zagreb on 26 May 2002. On account of his diverse social work, for his work as pianist, composer and editor, he was the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions.
The Geneva International Music Competition is one of the world's leading international music competitions, founded in 1939. In 1957, it was one of the founding members of the World Federation of International Music Competition (WFIMC), whose headquarters are in Geneva.
The Paganini Competition is an international violin competition named after the famed virtuoso and founder of contemporary violin technique Niccolò Paganini. Created in 1954 it has been carried out ever since in the months of September and October. The "Paganini Competition" is one of the most important violin competitions. It is held every two years at "Carlo Felice" theatre in Genoa, Italy. There are three levels of competition: preliminaries, semi-finals, and finals and repertoire that is played includes solo violin, violin and piano accompaniment, and violin and orchestra.
The International String Quartet Competition "Premio Paolo Borciani" was created in 1987 in Reggio Emilia, Italy, and is dedicated to their famous fellow citizen, founder and first violin of the Quartetto Italiano. The promoter and organiser is Fondazione I Teatri in Reggio Emilia; artistic director is Paolo Cantù; founder was pianist Guido Alberto Borciani, Paolo Borciani’s brother. The competition has been a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions since 1991.
The Vlach Quartet is the name of two consecutive classical string quartet musical ensembles, based in Prague, both of which were founded by members of the Vlach family. The original Vlach Quartet was founded by Josef Vlach in 1950 and wound up in 1975. In 1982 the New Vlach Quartet was founded by his daughter Jana Vlachova, with guidance her father, and came to be known as the Vlach Quartet of Prague, and is still active as a musical ensemble.
Tomi Räisänen is a Finnish composer.
David Satian is Armenian contemporary composer, jazz pianist, media producer and entrepreneur.
The International Violin Competition Henri Marteau is a violin competition named after the famous violinist and violin teacher Henri Marteau. It is open to violinists of all nationalities aged under 25 and takes place every three years at Haus Marteau in Lichtenberg, Bavaria and at Freiheitshalle in Hof, Bavaria, Germany.
Gerhard Präsent is an Austrian composer, conductor and academic teacher.
The MA Festival Brugge, short for the festival Musica Antiqua Bruges in Bruges, Belgium, is a festival of early music and historically informed performances, started in 1960. The program includes concerts, master classes, conferences, visits in the region, exhibitions, instrument market, and international competitions that concentrates in a three-year cycle on organ, harpsichord, pianoforte and other period instruments, vocals, and baroque ensembles. The specialised festival is part of the Festival of Flanders.
Sun Ho Lee is a South Korean pianist.
The IBSA Goalball World Championships is an international goalball tournament held every four years, since 1978, between Paralympic Games goalball tournaments. It is organised by the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Goalball Subcommittee.
The International Violin Competition Leopold Mozart in Augsburg is an international violin competition, held every three years in commemoration of Leopold Mozart (1719–1787), the father of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It is the goal of the competition to encourage young violinists and to promote Augsburg's reputation as a German Mozart city. The competition is a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC) in Geneva. It is run by the Leopold Mozart Board of Trustees in cooperation with the city of Augsburg and the Leopold Mozart Center of the University of Augsburg. Further partners are the Bavarian State Ministry for Science, Research and Art, the District of Swabia, Bavarian Radio and the University of Augsburg.
Victoria Audrey Sarasvathi is an Indonesian-German concert classical pianist.
Sung Chang is a South Korean concert pianist. He attracted international attention when he became the youngest ever to win the Nagoya International Piano Competition in Japan.
The Mendelssohn Scholarship, awarded by the Prussian State from 1879 to 1936, was revived in 1963 by the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation. The Foundation awards the Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Prize once a year per competition opened to particularly talented students at one of the 23 recognised music academies in Germany.
Wolfram Schmitt-Leonardy is a German classical pianist and professor of piano.