Launched as a philanthropic initiative from the Pehlivanian family, in honor of soprano Dame Arpiné Pehlivanian, the competition welcomes artists at different stages of their careers.

Submissions close on February 25, 2026. To apply, click here. From there, the competition follows a three-step structure with several live orchestra rounds.

The Global Pre-Selection will see live auditions in 15 cities worldwide, including London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Oslo, Ljubljana, Milan, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, and Taipei. Each city includes a designated local jury alongside George Pehlivanian. Those who cannot travel for valid reasons can submit a video.

From these auditions, up to 144 conductors are invited to the Preliminary Round, held from November 7–9, 2026, and conducted with two pianos. This stage is adjudicated by a special jury of five international conductors: Hossein Pishkar, Rodolfo Barráez, Ibrahim Yazici, Christopher Chen, and George Pehlivanian. From this, 18 finalists are chosen.

The orchestral phase of the competition, from November 10–14, is heard by an international jury consisting of Bill Chandler, Cristina Rocca, Henry Fogel, Marlene Brüggen, Lawrence Foster, Maja Kojc, Umberto Fanni, Ruben Jais, Robert Gilder, Alessandro Ariosi, and George Pehlivanian.

The final week is built around repertoire-based rounds with two partner ensembles: the POA Festival Orchestra and the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra. Finalists will progress through Stravinsky, Mozart, opera, concerto, and symphonic programs.

The event will culminate with a public Final Concert and Awards Ceremony on November 14, 2026.

The PICC is awarding a total of $75,000 in cash prizes to selected winners and finalists, including a $50,000 Grand Prize.

In addition to financial awards, selected conductors receive guest conducting engagements with partner orchestras, potential assistant conductor or guest invitations with partner opera houses, a recording project with the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra through the Orchestra Prize, and personal mentorship from Maestro George Pehlivanian.

"What inspired me to start this competition is the belief that conductors deserve meaningful opportunities at every stage of their artistic development," George Pehlivanian told The Violin Channel. "Conducting doesn’t follow a single timeline, and it was important to me to create a competition that reflects that reality.”

The competition will also be held alongside a three-day Sustainable Career Development Conference, held from November 7–9, 2026, in Festival Hall Bled and livestreamed worldwide on the official PICC YouTube channel.

Around 30 invited speakers are expected, with names and session titles to be announced closer to the event. The conference will bring together professionals from several parts of the classical music industry: orchestras, festivals, artist agencies, conservatories, cultural networks, social media experts, and the tax and legal sectors. The event will combine keynote talks, focused discussions, and opportunities for reflection. To learn more, click here.

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Dating back to 1933, when the first Liszt Competition was held under the direction of Ernő Dohnányi and won by the legendary Annie Fischer, the event celebrates the enduring legacy of Franz Liszt.

The updated jury includes Olga Kern, János Balázs, Barry Douglas, Jan Jiracek von Arnim, and György Vashegyi.

The submission deadline is April 15, 2026. To apply, click here. The results will be announced on May 1, 2026.

The competition begins with an online preselection round, in which the jury will choose twelve competitors based on submitted video recordings.

Pianists must perform from memory and present one Liszt étude, selected from among the Études d’exécution transcendante, Grandes études de Paganini, or Zwei Konzertetüden – along with freely chosen original works or transcriptions.

The First Round (September 14–15, 2026) will feature twelve competitors performing a programme that also pays tribute to the 100th anniversary of composer György Kurtág through selected pieces from Játékok (Games). The Semi-Final (September 17, 2026) will challenge six pianists to perform Liszt’s grand transcriptions, paraphrases, and original masterworks such as the Hungarian Rhapsodies, Mephisto Waltz, or Années de pèlerinage.

Finally, three pianists will advance to the Grand Final (September 19, 2026), performing Liszt’s Sonata in B minor and one of his great concert works — either the Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major, Piano Concerto No. 2 in A major, or Totentanz. The Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by György Vashegyi, will accompany the finalists in this culminating event.

All competition rounds will be streamed on The Violin Channel!

The Franz Liszt International Piano Competition offers a €35,000 First Prize, a €18,000 Second Prize, and a €9,000 Third Prize.

In addition, special prizes include concert engagements, professional recording opportunities, and performance invitations from leading cultural institutions.

"Each performance pays homage to Liszt’s genius — his boundless creativity, technical brilliance, and visionary spirit that continue to shape the world of piano music today."

The post Applications Open for Hungary's 2026 Franz Liszt International Piano Competition appeared first on World's Leading Classical Music Platform.

Applicants are invited to submit videos between January 1 and February 28, 2026. Click here to read all application rules. To apply, click here.

“Every Quadrennial is an exciting opportunity to search the world for the latest great talents,” says IVCI Executive Director Glen Kwok. “The Indianapolis is proud of its extraordinary list of distinguished Laureates spanning the last four decades and looks forward to adding six new discoveries to the list after the 12th Quadrennial. The Indianapolis is far more than a competition; it is a career-launching opportunity with significant post-competition career management and mentorship.”

The IVCI will award over $350,000 worth of prizes, including the opportunity for a Laureate to have four-year access to a violin from the IVCI collection, including the “ex-Gingold” 1683 Stradivari violin. The top three Laureates will also receive career management and international concert engagements for four years.

In addition, the Gold Medalist will receive a Carnegie Hall recital debut, website development and maintenance for four years, and a recording contract. The cash prizes for the top six Finalists are: Gold Medalist ($75,000), Silver Medalist ($30,000), Bronze Medalist ($15,000), Fourth Place Laureate ($10,000), Fifth Place Laureate ($8,000) and Sixth Place Laureate ($6,000).

This year's commissioned composer is Jessie Montgomery, who will compose a new work for the Semi-Final round. “It is an honor to continue the legacy of impactful composers in service of our country’s most outstanding showcase of talented violinists," says Montgomery. "I take on this work with profound admiration for competitors of the past, present and future, and look forward to hearing the music come alive through various interpretations.”

In the final round of the competition, the finalists will perform with the East Coast Chamber Orchestra in the Classical Finals, and then with the Indianapolis Symphonyunder conductor Leonard Slatkin.

Previous winners include VC Artists Sirena Huang and Augustin Hadelich, Richard Lin, Jinjoo Cho, and Clara-Jumi Kang.

The post Applications Closing for 2026 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis appeared first on World's Leading Classical Music Platform.

This year, the competition will be held under the auspices of the Piccolo Violino Magico Competition and its head, Domenico Mason.

The first round will take place via video recording sent by the candidate. The second round will take place in San Vito al Tagliamento and will be accompanied by piano, with each candidate playing in a duo with another.

In the final round, candidates will play in a duo with a singer nominated by the organisation, plus with the Orchestra of Accademia d’archi Arrigoni.

First Prize is worth €5,000, Second Prize is €2,000, and Third Prize is €1,000.

The 2026 jury members include Anton Sorokow, Mami Teshigawara, Marco Serino, Michael Guttman, Silvia Marcovici, Sunny Lee, and Domenico Mason.

To register, email info@ilpiccoloviolinomagico.it. Applications must include the following:

• Proof of the candidate’s age (photocopy of birth certificate or passport).
• A short curriculum vitae (studies, places, professors, qualifications and titles obtained, professional activities)
• Two recent photographs of excellent quality (HD) and free of copyright: one portrait and one in a playing position with the violin.
• An un-edited video recording containing the program required for the First Round, including the date and place of recording.

Registrations must be received by April 17, 2026.

To read the competition rules in full, click here.

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Winners were announced after the competition's Grand Final, where all three finalists performed with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Joshua Tan at the National University of Singapore.

In addition to the three top prizewinners, the following special prizes were awarded:

• Fourth Prize: Karisa Chiu (USA)
• Fifth Prize: SongHa Choi (South Korea)
• Sixth Prize: Qingzhu Weng (China)
• Best Performance of Bach: Zou Meng (China)
• Best Performance of Ysaÿe: Zou Meng (China)
• Best Performer of Commissioned Work Supported by Kris Foundation: Michael Germer (Denmark)
• Chamber Music Prize Supported by Ms. Vivien Goh: Georgii Moroz (Ukraine)
• Goh Soon Tioe Violin and Piano Recital Prize: Zou Meng (China)

Twenty-nine candidates competed in the 2026 edition of the competition, which offered $110,000 USD in cash prizes. The prizewinners will also receive concert engagements with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, Macao Orchestra, and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, as well as three-year loans of fine violins from the Rin Collection.

"The overall level of excellence and artistry among candidates was higher this time round compared to previous editions," said jury member Paul Roczek, Professor Emeritus of violin at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg. "The differences between competitors were minimal; each demonstrated exceptional skill and finesse in their performance. As a result, the competition came down to nuances in technique, considerations of musical interpretation across diverse cultures and traditions, and, ultimately, the players’ ability to engage the audience."

“What has been most moving in this year’s edition is seeing young artists who do more than play beautifully,” said Qian Zhou, the competition's Artistic Director and chair of the jury. “On stage, they shone not just as competitors, but as musicians with individuality, sensitivity, sincerity and true virtuosity – exactly the qualities SIVC seeks to nurture.”

The post Winners Announced At 2026 Singapore International Violin Competition appeared first on World's Leading Classical Music Platform.

Applicants are invited to submit videos until February 28, 2026. Click here to read all application rules. To apply, click here.

“Every Quadrennial is an exciting opportunity to search the world for the latest great talents,” says IVCI Executive Director Glen Kwok. “The Indianapolis is proud of its extraordinary list of distinguished Laureates spanning the last four decades and looks forward to adding six new discoveries to the list after the 12th Quadrennial. The Indianapolis is far more than a competition; it is a career-launching opportunity with significant post-competition career management and mentorship.”

The IVCI will award over $350,000 worth of prizes, including the opportunity for a Laureate to have four-year access to a violin from the IVCI collection, including the “ex-Gingold” 1683 Stradivari violin. The top three Laureates will also receive career management and international concert engagements for four years.

In addition, the Gold Medalist will receive a Carnegie Hall recital debut, website development and maintenance for four years, and a recording contract. The cash prizes for the top six Finalists are: Gold Medalist ($75,000), Silver Medalist ($30,000), Bronze Medalist ($15,000), Fourth Place Laureate ($10,000), Fifth Place Laureate ($8,000), and Sixth Place Laureate ($6,000).

This year's commissioned composer is Jessie Montgomery, who will compose a new work for the Semi-Final round. “It is an honor to continue the legacy of impactful composers in service of our country’s most outstanding showcase of talented violinists," says Montgomery. "I take on this work with profound admiration for competitors of the past, present and future, and look forward to hearing the music come alive through various interpretations.”

In the final round of the competition, the finalists will perform with the East Coast Chamber Orchestra in the Classical Finals, and then with the Indianapolis Symphony under conductor Leonard Slatkin.

Previous winners include VC Artists Sirena Huang and Augustin Hadelich, Richard Lin, Jinjoo Cho, and Clara-Jumi Kang.

The post Applications Closing for 2026 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis appeared first on World's Leading Classical Music Platform.

Held from May 27 to June 4, 2026, the upcoming edition will see the initial round candidates compete at the Salle Bourgie and Maison symphonique de Montréal for prizes of over $150,000.  

This year, CMIM has selected 24 competitors aged between 16 and 30 from a pool of 250 applications from violinists from across 37 countries.

The 2026 violin participants are as follows:

• Seoyeon Baik (South Korea, 18)
• Thomas Briant (France, 24)
• Bade Dastan (Belgium/Turkey, 18)
• Laurel Gagnon (U.S., 30)
• Michael Germer (Denmark, 23)
• Yuki Hirano (Japan, 21)
• Sara Isabelle Ispas (Australia/Romania, 22)
• Amia Janicki (Austria/Switzerland, 28)
• Lorenz Karls (Sweden, 24)
• Sijun Kim (South Korea, 23)
• Hyun Jae Lim (South Korea, 27)
• Chiara Sannicandro (Germany/Italy, 28)
• Tsukushi Sasaki (Japan, 25)
• Justin Saulnier (Canada, 20)
• Paloma So (Canada/Hong Kong)
• Charlotte Spruit (The Netherlands)
• Koshiro Takeuchi (Japan)
• Hannah Tam (Hong Kong)
• Belle Ting (Canada)
• Sara Watanabe (Japan)
• Dayoon You (South Korea)
• Yume Zamponi (Italy/Japan)
• Aozhe Zhang (China
• Shaoheng Zhong (China)

The chosen finalists will perform with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM) and conductor Sascha Goetzel on June 4, 2026, at the Maison symphonique in Montreal.

Chaired by jury president Lucie Robert, the 2026 jury will comprise Ju-Young Baek, Glenn Dicterow, Simin Ganatra, Yuzuko Horigome, Régis Pasquier, Barry Shiffman, and Pavel Vernikov. 

“The CMIM offers audiences the extraordinary opportunity to discover the best young violinists of the new generation,” said Executive Director Chantal Poulin. “Everything is in place to foster great performances on our stages. We invite music lovers in Montréal to save the dates for this remarkable international celebration of excellence and virtuosity.”

The post Concours Musical International de Montréal Announces 2026 Violin Participants  appeared first on World's Leading Classical Music Platform.

The 2027 jury will comprise Christoph Poppen (president), Nora Chastain, Harald Eggebrecht, Feng Ning, Ida Kavafian, Daniel Stabrawa, Friederike Starkloff, Ulf Wallin, and Tianwa Yang.

All applications are to be submitted by July 31, 2026, at this link.

"A competition like this thrives on its spirit, its concept, and its authenticity, which is conveyed to the participants and radiates a sense of uniqueness," Markus Klein, President of the Guadagnini Foundation, told The Violin Channel.

"Promoting the talent of young musicians is the idea that frames everything we do in Stuttgart. It begins with the application, continues with the appreciative competition atmosphere, and is reflected in social media campaigns after the competition, in which all participants are featured. We also support the first prize winner in their artistic development over the three years until the next competition, in particular through numerous concert engagements. In addition, the perfect connection and professional cooperation between the partners, whether it be the University of Music and Performing Arts or the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra, are strong pillars of this competition."

To apply, an application video may be recorded in three takes. The pieces themselves must contain no cuts, and the required repertoire includes:

1. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

One of the sonatas KV 454, KV 481 or KV 526

(1st and 2nd movements respectively)

2. Niccolò Paganini
Two caprices from: 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, Op. 1

After the application video, the competition will consist of three rounds. The first two rounds take place with a piano accompaniment, while the final will be accompanied partially by the Cuarteto Arriaga de Banco de España and partially by the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Michał Nesterowicz.

"We are very pleased that we received a large number of applications for the first two competitions and that the level of the candidates reflected our own ambition to be ranked among the most important international violin competitions," Klein continued. "Another contributing factor is that our jury is always made up of violin personalities of the highest international reputation, which, in addition to the exclusive prize money and the offer of a Guadagnini violin from 1746 on loan, is of inestimable value to the candidates, who have the opportunity to present themselves to these personalities and benefit from their expertise.  Our cooperation with VC, which above all enables us to livestream worldwide with an enormous reach, as well as other media partnerships, also contributed to the Stuttgart International Violin Competition establishing itself internationally from the very beginning and very soon becoming a member of the WFIM."

For more details, please visit: https://www.guadagnini-foundation.com/competition-terms/

The winner of the second 2024 edition was violinist Anna Im. Below, she performs Eugène Ysaÿe's Caprice d’après l’Étude en forme de Valse, Op. 52 No. 6 de Saint-Saëns:

The post Applications Open for Germany's Stuttgart International Violin Competition appeared first on World's Leading Classical Music Platform.

German luthier Andreas Hampel was awarded First Prize as well as the special Audience Prize for his viola. Polish luthier Piotr Pielaszek received Second Prize and a special prize from the luthiers' jury, and joint Third Prize was awarded to France's Marcus Klimke and Germany's Jonathan Magerl, both of whom also received special prizes from the members of the Orchestre de Paris.

The competition's jury of musicians also awarded a special prize to Japanese luthier Kenichi Hiratsuka. 

Sixty-three makers submitted instruments to the competition, the third edition of the Philharmonie de Paris Concours de Lutherie and the first dedicated to the viola.

The instruments were evaluated by a luthier panel composed of Jonathan Marolle, Ibiza Avalos, and Riccardo Angeloni, as well as a musicians' panel comprising Pauline Sachse, Miguel da Silva, and Ana Bela Chaves. During the semifinal and final rounds of the competition, the instruments were played by members of the Orchestre de Paris.

In addition to the main division, the competition also hosted a category for young luthiers. In this "talents of tomorrow" category, the First Prize was awarded to a cohort of students at the École Nationale de Lutherie de Mirecourt, including Sarah Chouvet, Simon Florent, Anne Cécile Guzzle, Noé Petiot, Sacha Procacci, and Zi Hui Wong.

Another cohort from the institution, comprising Fanney Comte, Nino Dupierris, Ondine Gentled, Matthias Hardy, Claire Szymczak, and Thomas Vibert, received the Second Prize.

The Third Prize and a special prize of the luthier jury was given to Laura Gartmann and Thibault Jaberg of the Schweizer Geigenbauschule Brienz.

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Dedicated to Wind Quintet, the CIMCL’s 21st edition will be held from April 14–18, 2026, in Lyon, France, and will be streamed LIVE on The Violin Channel.

12 woodwind quintets have been selected to participate in the next international chamber music competition in Lyon. They are:

• Boreas Ensemble, Barcelona
• Quintette Chego, Paris
• Colares Ensemble, Londres
• Ensemble Miro, Paris, Lyon, Geneva
• Quintette Grenade, Paris
• Quintette Linaria, Paris
• Lumas Winds, Londres
• Quantum Quintet, Lübeck
• Quintetris, Lyon
• Rudi Quintet, Rudolstadt
• UT Kwintet, Amsterdam
• Vienta Quintet, Vienne

The recitals will take place at Lumière University on the banks of the Rhône on April 15 and 16, and the finals will be at the Salle Molière on April 18. Finalists will perform with harpist Sophie Bellanger in Ravel’s Ma Mère l’Oye, Shostakovich’s 24 préludes op.34, and Debussy’s Children’s Corner.

The prize pool is valued at over €18,000, and involves additional concert engagements at the La Belle Saison, Résidence Académie Villecroze, Palazzetto Bru Zane, Les Concerts de Poche, Festival Radio France de Montpellier-Occitanie, France musique Le Live, and many more.

The 2026 jury comprises Philippa Davies, Pascal Moraguès, Alexei Ogrintchouk, and Milena Viotti.

Previous winners of the CIMCL include the Hermès Quartet, Messiaen Trio, Duo Moine ou Voyou, Van Baerle Trio, Hanson Quartet, and the Ouranos ensemble, among others.

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The competition was designed to provide opportunities and recognition for non-professional adult pianists from around the world. Open to pianists aged 35 and over, the competition consisted of seven days of performances, symposia, and social events.

The last edition of the Amateur Piano Competition was held in Fort Worth, Texas, in October 2022. Jon Lee, 41, a software engineer from the United States, was named the winner of the Richard Rodzinski First Prize, while Michael Slavin and Xavier Aymonod were named Second and Third Prize winners, respectively. The competition also offered three Jury Discretionary Awards as well as an Audience Prize.

Prior to the 2022 edition, the Cliburn Amateur Piano Competition was held eight times in 2016, 2011, 2007, 2004, 2002, 2000, and 1999.

News of the retirement of the Amateur Piano Competition coincides with the announcement of the Cliburn International Conducting Competition. The inaugural conducting competition will take place in June 2028 at the Rice University Shepherd School of Music in Houston, Texas, with a jury chaired by conductor Marin Alsop.

The post The Cliburn Amateur Competition Retires After 27 Years appeared first on World's Leading Classical Music Platform.

The competition comprises one pre-selection round, in which competitors submit recordings that will be judged blind. There will then be between one and two live rounds that will take place in Hong Kong, at the Hong Kong City Hall and Tsuen Wan Town Hall.

The competition is divided into five different age categories: 0-8, 9-11, 12-14, 15-17, and 18-23. There are also two chamber music categories, for ages 0-12 and 13-23. Cash prizes are available for all categories, and the senior individual category offers $3000 to its winner, as well as a PIRASTRO Violin Perpetual Set Mittel and rosin, and an App-Voucher from G. Henle Verlag etc. The full list of prizes is available here.

Repertoire requirements for the pre-selection round differ by category, and the full requirements can be found here. Recordings for the pre-selection round must be received on or before February 9, 2026. The results of the pre-selection will be announced on February 16, 2026.

In 2026, the jury will comprise Kirill Troussov (Chair), Feng Jia, Florian Leonhard, Huang Yi,Kara Nam, Qian Zhou, Robin Wilson, Savva Fatkulin, Sergei Dogadin, Sha Xiaocai, Sunny Lee and Takashu Shumizu.

You can find out more about the HKIYMC on the competition website.

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First prize with €25,000 went to Alexander Kashpurin, who was also awarded the €2,000 Audience Award. Second prize with €12,000 went to Thomas Kelly, and the €8,000 third prize was awarded to Kang Tae Kim. 

The finalists performed Liszt’s First or Second Piano Concerto with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Stéphane Denève. The final round of the competition is now available to watch here on The Violin Channel! 

As the Grand Prize winner, Kashpurin will be performing a concert at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. 

The three laureates will also receive an extensive Career Development Program, involving professional coaching, website and press kit development, album recording opportunities, and continuing mentorship. 

Chaired by Cynthia Wilson, the international jury comprised Andrea Bonatta, Suzana Bartal, Mariam Batsashvili, Severin von Eckardstein, Janina Fialkowska, Saskia Giorgini, Pierre van der Westhuizen, and Yingdi Sun. 

The jury described Kashpurin as a pianist with “a completely unique view on everything he touches,” playing “as if he had written the music himself,” and that it was “moving to see someone so in love with the music.”

A graduate of St. Petersburg Music Lyceum and the Rimsky-Korsakov St. Petersburg State Conservatory, Alexander Kashpurin also studied at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo, Belgium, in 2021-2022.

His accolades include prizes at the International Čiurlionis Piano Competition in Lithuania, Russian Music Piano Competition, and the ‘Les Étoiles Du Piano’ competition in France.

He also has degrees in conducting and leads his own orchestra, Infinitum, which is featured on his debut album "In Search of Eternity." He is currently the musical director Replica Theater.

The post Russian Pianist Alexander Kashpurin Wins Liszt Piano Competition Utrecht 2026 appeared first on World's Leading Classical Music Platform.

Tune in at 2 PM (ET) on January 24 to watch the competition's final round live on The Violin Channel!

The three finalists are:

• Thomas Kelly
• Kang Tae Kim
• Alexander Kashpurin 

Finalists were selected by the competitions' international jury, which consists of Andrea Bonatta, Suzana Bartal, Mariam Batsashvili, Severin von Eckardstein, Janina Fialkowska, Saskia Giorgini, Pierre van der Westhuizen, Yingdi Sun and chair Cynthia Wilson.

The winner of the Grand Prize will perform on January 25 at the Concertegebouw in Amsterdam. They will also receive an extensive Career Development Program, which consists of professional coaching, website and press kit development, album recording opportunities, and continuing mentorship.

Additionally, the competition offers the following cash prizes:

• First prize: €25,000
• Second prize: €12,000
• Third prize: € 8.000
• Audience prize: €2,000

The post Finalists Announced At 2026 Liszt Piano Competition Utrecht appeared first on World's Leading Classical Music Platform.

This year’s competition received 225 applications from around the world, from which 16 conductors have now been selected. 

Representing 13 different nationalities, the 2026 candidates are as follows:

• Doğa Çetin, 25 | Turkey
• Nefeli Chadouli, 32 | Greece
• Soo Jin Chung, 30 | Canada
• Mariana Corichi Gómez, 26 | Mexico 
• Lamar Elias, 26 | Palestine
• Sunwoo Jeong, 23 | South Korea
• Sukjong Kim, 33 | South Korea
• Oksana Krotyk, 26 | Ukraine
• Jiajing Lai, 34 | China
• Polina Lebedieva, 24 | Ukraine
• Alizé Léhon, 27 | France
• Noemí Pasquina, 39 | Spain
• Lea Ray, 28 | Germany
• Jessica Rivero Altarriba, 31 | Cuba
• Molly Turner, 28 | U.S.
• Öykü Yanık, 24 | Turkey

For the initial rounds of the competition, competitors will be performing with the Paris Mozart Orchestra. The final will be performed with the Orchestre de Paris. 

The first prize winner will receive €20,000, second prize is €10,000, and third place is €5,000. Among other awards include the  European Concert Hall Organisation Prize and the ARTE Prize. 

Additionally, finalists of the competition will take precedence in participating in the 2026 La Maestra Academy, a two-year program offering professional support on an international level.   

Chaired by Oksana Lyniv, the 2026 international jury will comprise Claire Gibault, Wayne Marshall, Vineta Sareika, Matías Tarnopolsky, Fabienne Voisin, and Philipp von Steinaecker. 

The competition is co-directed by Claire Gibault, artistic director of the Paris Mozart Orchestra, and Olivier Mantei, general manager of the Philharmonie de Paris. 

More on each of the candidates can be found here.

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