PIANO! 2023
PIANO! is a piano competition at the highest international level, with a top-class jury and attractive cash and non-cash prizes. Winning prizes here can open the way to a professional career. All this is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Münster Foundation of Sparda-Bank West, which is committed to the regional promotion of culture in general and young talent in particular.
In 2023, the PIANO! Piano Competition opens its doors to talents from all over Germany and brings them to Münster. This is an excellent opportunity for the best pianists to compete and grow in the competition - and an absolute highlight for the audience!
Until July 9, young pianists can apply for participation with a video, and the best from this preliminary round will be invited to Münster. For the first time, there will also be a separate competition round for amateurs from Münsterland. All information about participation, prizes and the jury can be found in the announcement or under amateur competition.
The first round of the competition on Friday, September 8, and the final round on Saturday, September 9, will take place all day in the concert hall of the Musikhochschule. The final round of the Amateur Competition will be held on Sunday, September 10, at 11:00 a.m. in the Academy of Music.
The winners of the main competition and the first-place winners of the amateur competition will present representative excerpts from their competition programs at the winners' concert and award ceremony. The concert will take place on Sunday, September 10, at 5:00 p.m. in Lecture Hall H1 and will be broadcast live via YouTube.
Admission is always free!
Announcement Main Competition
The PIANO! Piano Competition will take place from September 8 - 10, 2023 in Münster, Germany and is open to pianists from all over the world aged 18 - 36.
AGE LIMIT
Eligible to participate are those born after 08.09.1987 and before 08.09.2005.APPLICATION
Applications must be submitted via the online application portal of the Münster University of Music. The application deadline is July 9, 2023 and you will receive feedback by August 10, 2023 as to whether you will be invited to the competition. The pre-selection jury will decide on admission to the competition. A maximum of 20 - 24 pianists* will be invited.The application fee is 100 EUR. Payment is made during the application process via the online portal. The application fee will not be refunded. Participation fee can be waived for those who are from Ukraine and do not have sufficient financial means in the wake of the Russian war of aggression. Please contact the competition secretariat for this purpose.
The application must be accompanied by:
- Your curriculum vitae (PDF)
- The link to your pre-selection video (e.g. YouTube link)
- Scan of an identification document (ID card / passport)
- a current, high-resolution portrait photo, which may be used free of charge in any form in connection with PIANO! as well as naming the photographer/originator
- the exact specification of your competition profile
PRIZES
1st prize: 5.000 EUR & CD production
2nd prize: 3.000 EUR
3rd prize: 2.000 EURIn addition, the prize winners will be offered concert engagements.
PROCEDURE
09.07.2023 - Application deadline
10.08.2023 - Announcement of the invited candidates07.09.2023 - Enrollment
08.09.2023 - 1st round (full day)
09.09.2023 - Final round (full day) - 6 to 8 participants10.09.2023 - winners concert (17:00) with award ceremony
COMPETITION REPERTOIRE
The competition repertoire must be stated in full with the application and cannot be changed after the application deadline. The repertoire is deliberately free and should give you room for artistic self-presentation.Video selection (min. 20 minutes, max. 30 minutes)
- one virtuoso etude by Frédéric Chopin
- one virtuoso etude of free choice
- any movement of a sonata from the classical period (incl. Franz Schubert)
- one work of free choice
The etudes of the pre-selection may not be repeated in the later competition program.
1st round (max. 20 minutes)
- two virtuoso etudes of free choice
- further works of free choice
Final round
Conception of a 60-minute recital including the compulsory piece: Franz Schubert Allegretto C minor D915.Works already played in previous rounds may not be repeated.
The program should be based on a coherent concept, which will be considered by the jury. Participants are free, but not obliged, to explain the concept in writing or orally.
JURY
Georges Ammann, Gábor Farkas, Michael Keller, Till Schoneberg, Katherine Vickers, Peter von WienhardtPre-selection jury: Michael Keller, Peter von Wienhardt
TRAVEL AND FOOD EXPENSES
The competition does not cover travel or meal expenses.PRACTICE FACILITIES AND INSTRUMENTS
During the competition, sufficient practice facilities will be available on the premises of the Münster University of Music. The competition rounds will take place in the concert hall of the Münster University of Music. There you will have the choice of two different Steinway D grand pianos.LEGAL PROCESS AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION
With the application, the respective candidate fully accepts the conditions of participation as well as all decisions of the jury. These decisions do not require any justification. Legal recourse is excluded.MEDIA EXPLOITATION
The PIANO! competition will be exploited in the media on numerous channels. The competition and its organizers have the right, without payment to the participants, to make sound, video and photo recordings, including a live stream, throughout the competition, especially during the musical performances, and to commission third parties to make them. These recordings may be used without restriction, including for advertising purposes, without limitation as to content, space or time.Announcement Amateur Competition
For the first time, amateurs from the Münsterland region can also apply for participation in a separate competition round with a video. The best from this preliminary round will be invited to Münster. The final round of the amateurs will take place publicly on September 10 at 11:00 a.m. in the concert hall of the Musikhochschule. The competition will end on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. with a large joint prize-winners' concert in Auditorium H1, which will also be broadcast live via YouTube.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Anyone who is not a full-time pianist or musician is eligible to participate. There is no age limit.APPLICATION
Applications must be submitted via the online application portal of the Münster University of Music. The application deadline is July 9, 2023 and you will receive feedback by August 10, 2023 as to whether you will be invited to the competition. The pre-selection jury will decide on admission to the competition. A maximum of 4 - 6 participants will be admitted.The application fee is 100 EUR. Payment is made during the application process via the online portal. The application fee will not be refunded. Participation fee can be waived for participants who are from Ukraine and do not have sufficient financial means in the wake of the Russian war of aggression. Please contact the competition secretariat for this purpose.
The application must be accompanied by:
- Your curriculum vitae (PDF)
- The link to your pre-selection video (e.g. YouTube link)
- Scan of an identification document (ID card / passport)
- a current, high-resolution portrait photo, which may be used free of charge in any form in connection with PIANO! as well as naming the photographer/originator
- the exact specification of your competition profile
PRIZES
- 1st prize: 2.000 EUR
- 2nd prize: 1.000 EUR
- 3rd prize: 500 EUR
As well as participation in the winner's concert of PIANO! 2023 with awarding of the prize.
PROCEDURE
09.07.2023 - Application deadline
10.08.2023 - Announcement of the invited candidates10.09.2023 - Final round (from 11:00 a.m.)
10.09.2023 - Winners concert (17:00) with award ceremonyCOMPETITION REPERTOIRE
The competition repertoire must be stated completely with the application and cannot be changed after the application deadline. The repertoire is deliberately free and should give you room for artistic self-presentation.Video selection (max. 20 minutes)
- one virtuoso etude of free choice
- further works of free choice
The program of the pre-selection may not be repeated in the later competition program.
Final round (approx. 20 minutes)
A program of your choice.JURY
Georges Ammann, Gábor Farkas, Michael Keller, Till Schoneberg, Katherine Vickers, Peter von WienhardtPre-selection jury: Michael Keller, Peter von Wienhardt
TRAVEL AND FOOD EXPENSES
The competition does not cover travel or meal expenses.PRACTICE FACILITIES AND INSTRUMENTS
During the competition, sufficient practice facilities will be available on the premises of the Münster University of Music. The competition rounds will take place in the concert hall of the University of Music Münster. There you will have the choice of two different Steinway D grand pianos.LEGAL PROCESS AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION
With the application, the respective candidate fully accepts the conditions of participation as well as all decisions of the jury. These decisions do not require any justification. Legal recourse is excluded.MEDIA EXPLOITATION
The PIANO! competition will be exploited in the media on numerous channels. The competition and its organizers have the right, without payment to the participants, to make sound, video and photo recordings, including a live stream, throughout the competition, especially during the musical performances, and to commission third parties to make them. These recordings may be used without restriction, including for advertising purposes, without limitation as to content, space or time.Contact
PIANO! is organized by:
Münster University of Music
Department 15 of the University of Münster
Ludgeriplatz 1
48151 MünsterCompetition Office: piano-competition@uni-muenster.de
Promotion of culture and talent
The competition is made possible and funded by the Münster Foundation of Sparda-Bank West. It is committed to promoting art, culture and education in general and young talent in particular. The University of Music would like to express its sincere thanks for the generous support and the accompanying appreciation of its level of performance!