List of classical music competitions

European Classical music has long relied on music competitions to provide a public forum that identifies the strongest players and contributes to the establishment of their professional careers. This is a list of current competitions in classical music, with each competition and reference link given only once. Many offer competitions across a range of categories and in these cases they are listed under "General/mixed". Competitions with age restrictions are listed under "Young musicians".

Chamber music

• Asia-Pacific Chamber Music Competition, for piano trios and string quartets, in Melbourne, Australia, every four years ^{[1] [2]}
• Franz Schubert and Modern Music Competition, voice and piano duo, piano trio, Graz, Austria, every three years ^[3]
• Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition (Indiana, US)
• International Chamber Music Competition Hamburg for piano trios and string quartets (Hamburg, Germany) ^[4]
• International Shostakovich Chamber Music Competition (Moscow, Russia) ^[5]
• Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, held in Melbourne, Australia, every four years ^{[2] [6]}

Choral/voice

Candlelight Master
Young Boy Singing (1650)

• Australian Singing Competition (Sydney, Australia) ^[7]
• Bampton Classical Opera Young Singers' Competition (UK) ^[8]
• BBC Singer of the World competition (Cardiff, Wales) ^[9]
• Boris Christoff International Competition for Young Singers (Sofia, Bulgaria) ^[10]
• Concurs Internacional de Cant Francesc Viñas (Barcelona, Spain)
• International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition (Leipzig, Germany)
• Neue Stimmen International Singing Competition (Gütersloh, Germany) ^[11]
• International Stanisław Moniuszko Vocal Competition (Warsaw, Poland)
• International Stasys Šimkus choir competition (Klaipėda, Lithuania) ^[12]
• International Tchaikovsky Competition (Moscow, Russia)
• International Vocal Competition 's-Hertogenbosch ('s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands)
• Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award ^[13]
• The Klaudia Taev Competition for Young Opera Singers (Pärnu, Estonia).
• Marilyn Horne Song Competition, competition for classical singers and piano accompanists since 1997.
• Queen Elisabeth Music Competition (Brussels, Belgium)
• Queen Sonja International Music Competition (Oslo, Norway)

Composition

Laurent de La Hyre
Allegorical Figure of Music

• Gaudeamus International Composers Award (Netherlands) ^[14]
• George Enescu International Competition (Composition section) (Bucharest, Romania) ^[15]
• International Composers Festival, Hastings and Bexhill, East Sussex, United Kingdom ^[16]
• International Uuno Klami Composition Competition (Kotka/Kouvola, Finland) ^[17]
• Masterprize International Composing Competition ^{[18] [19]}
• Queen Elisabeth Music Competition (Brussels, Belgium) ^[20]
• 60x60 – International (New York, US)
• Tōru Takemitsu Composition Award (Tokyo, Japan) ^[21]

Conducting

Conductor Tetiana Kalinichenko

• Cadaqués Orchestra International Conducting Competition (Spain) ^[22]
• Donatella Flick Conducting Competition (UK)
• Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition (Germany)
• International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors (France)
• Jorma Panula Conducting Competition (Finland)
• Leeds Conductors Competition (UK)
• Nicolai Malko Competition For Young Conductors (Denmark) ^[23]
• Sir Georg Solti International Conductors' Competition (Germany) ^[24]
• The Grzegorz Fitelberg International Competition for Conductors (Poland) ^[25]
• Tokyo International Music Competition for Conducting (Japan)

General/ mixed

• EUROPAfest (Bucharest, Romania)
• Long-Thibaud-Crespin Competition (previously International Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition; Paris, France)
• Nishinihon International Music Competition (Fukuoka, Japan)
• Mykola Lysenko International Music Competition (Kyiv, Ukraine)
• Windsor Festival International String Competition (Windsor, UK)

Instrumental

Bartolomeo Bettera Still Life with Musical Instruments and Books

• ARD International Music Competition (Munich, Germany)
• Gaudeamus Competition (Netherlands) ^[26]
• International Joseph Joachim Violin Competition Hanover
• International Performers Competition Brno (Brno, Czech Republic) ^[27]
• Leos Janacek International Competition (Brno, Czech Republic) ^[28]
• Montreal International Music Competition (Montreal, Canada)
• Mykola Lysenko International Music Competition (Kyiv, Ukraine)
• Queen Elisabeth Music Competition (Brussels, Belgium) ^[29]
• TROMP international music competition & Festival (Eindhoven, Netherlands) ^[30]
• Frauchi International Competition and Festival (Moscow, Russia) ^[31]

Large Ensembles

Part of the autograph score for Applicatio in C major, BWV 994 by Johann Sebastian Bach

Piano/keyboard

Piano in the foyer of Tutzing castle

Maurizio Balzola at the piano

• Anton Rubinstein Competition (Dresden, Germany) ^[32]
• Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition (Tel Aviv, Israel) ^[33]
• Ciutat de Carlet International Piano Competition (Valencia, Spain) ^[34]
• Clara Haskil International Piano Competition (Vevey, Switzerland) ^[35]
• Cleveland International Piano Competition (Cleveland, US) ^[36]
• Concours Géza Anda (Zurich, Switzerland) ^[37]
• Dallas International Piano Competition (Dallas, US) ^[38]
• The Dranoff International Two Piano Foundation (Dallas, US) ^[39]
• Epinal International Piano Competition (Epinal, France) ^[40]
• EPTA - International Piano Competition Svetislav Stančić (Zagreb, Croatia) ^[41]
• Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition (Bolzano, Italy) ^[42]
• George Enescu International Competition (Piano section) (Bucharest, Romania) ^[15]
• Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition (Salt Lake City, US) ^[43]
• Hamamatsu International Piano Competition (Hamamatsu, JP) ^[44]
• Hilton Head International Piano Competition (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, US) ^[45]
• Honens International Piano Competition (Calgary, Canada) ^[46]
• International Chopin Piano Competition (Poland) ^[47]
• International Ettore Pozzoli Piano Competition (Seregno, Italy) ^[48]
• International Franz Liszt Piano Competition (Utrecht, Netherlands) ^[49]
• International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition (organ; Leipzig, Germany) ^[50]
• International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs (Paris, France) ^[51]
• International Tchaikovsky Competition (Russia) ^[52]
• ISANGYUN Competition (Tongyeong, South Korea) ^[53]
• José Iturbi International Piano Competition (Los Angeles, US) ^[54]
• Kissingen Piano Olympics (Kissinger Klavierolymp, Bad Kissingen, Germany) ^[55]
• Lagny-sur-Marne International Piano Competition (Lagny, France) ^[56]
• Leeds International Pianoforte Competition (Leeds, UK) ^[57]
• Maria Canals International Music Competition (Barcelona, Spain) ^[58]
• Mykola Lysenko International Music Competition (Kyiv, Ukraine)
• Paloma O'Shea International Piano Competition (Santander, Spain) ^[59]
• Panama International Piano Competition (Panama City, Panama) ^[60]
• Peabody Mason International Piano Competition (Boston, US) ^[61]
• Petr Eben International Organ Competition (Opava, Czech Republic) ^[62]
• Pilar Bayona Piano Competition (Spain) ^[63]
• Queen Elisabeth Music Competition (Belgium) ^[64]
• Ricard Viñes International Piano Competition (Lleida, Spain) ^[65]
• Sendai International Music Competition (Sendai, Japan) ^[66]
• St Albans International Organ Competition (St Albans, UK) ^[67]
• Sussex International Piano Competition (Worthing, UK) ^[68]
• Sydney International Piano Competition (Sydney, Australia) ^[69]
• Valencia International Piano Competition Prize Iturbi (Valencia, Spain) ^[70]
• Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (Fort Worth, US) ^[71]
• World International Piano Competition (Santa Fe, US) ^[72]
• Silicon Valley Open Doors International Piano Competition (San Francisco, California)

String instruments

Lady Blunt Stradivari violin (1721)

• Carl Flesch International Violin Competition (London, UK; 1945–1992) ^[73]
• Carl Nielsen International Music Competition (Odense, Denmark)
• Città di Brescia International Violin Competition (Brescia, Italy)
• Dallas International Violin Competition (Dallas, US)
• George Enescu International Competition (Violin, Cello section) (Bucharest, Romania) ^[15]
• Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition (Poznań, Poland)
• International Arthur Grumiaux Competition for Young Violinists (Brussels, Belgium) ^[74]
• International Brahms Competition (Pörtschach am Wörthersee, Austria) ^[75]
• International Fritz Kreisler Competition (Vienna, Austria)
• The International Harp Contest in Israel (Jerusalem, Israel)
• International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition (Helsinki, Finland)
• International Tchaikovsky Competition (Moscow, Russia)
• International Violin Competition Henri Marteau (Lichtenberg and Hof, Germany) ^[76]
• International Violin Competition of Indianapolis (Indianapolis, US)
• International Violin Competition Leopold Mozart in Augsburg (Augsburg, Germany)
• ISANGYUN Competition (Tongyeong, South Korea) ^[53]
• Klein Competition (San Francisco, US) ^[77]
• Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition (Isle of Man, UK)
• Maurice Vieux International Viola Competition (France)
• Michael Hill International Violin Competition (New Zealand)
• Moscow International David Oistrakh Violin Competition (Moscow, Russia)
• Mstislav Rostropovich International Cello Competition (Paris, France) ^[78]
• Mykola Lysenko International Music Competition (Kyiv, Ukraine)
• Paganini International Competition (Genoa, Italy)
• Primrose International Viola Competition (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
• Queen Elisabeth Music Competition (Belgium)
• Sendai International Music Competition (Sendai, Japan)
• Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition (Shanghai, China)
• Singapore International Violin Competition (Singapore)
• USA International Harp Competition (Bloomington, Indiana, US)
• Windsor Festival International String Competition (Windsor, UK) ^[79]
• Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists (Richmond, VA, US in 2021) ^[80]

Woodwind instruments

Bassoon (made by Fox)

• BBC Young Musician of the Year (UK)
• Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition (Indiana, US)
• Gregynog Young Musicians Competition (Wales, UK) ^[81]
• International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition (Leipzig, Germany)
• International Russian Rotary Children Music Competition (Russia) ^[82]
• International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians (Moscow, Russia) ^[83]
• Jeunesses Musicales International (Various) ^[84]
• New York International Piano Competition (New York, US) ^[85]
• Prague Spring International Music Competition (Prague, Czech Republic) ^[86]
• Sydney Eisteddfod (Sydney, Australia)

Young musicians

• ABC Young Performers Awards (Sydney, Australia) ^[87]
• International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians (Russia)
• Eurovision Young Musicians (Europe)
• Thomas & Evon Cooper International Competition (Oberlin College, US)

See also

• European Union of Music Competitions for Youth
• List of Recipients of the Terence Judd Award
• World Federation of International Music Competitions
• Category:Classical music awards

References

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External links

• List of Classical Music Competitions at MusicaNeo
• Directory of International Piano Competitions
• Musicalchairs.info List of Competitions
• ClassicalNet: Festivals, Competitions, Concerts & Concert Venues
• World Federation of International Music Competitions
• List of all flute laureates