DATE
The 3rd International Piano Competition for Young Pianists Kronberg will take place on April 02-04, 2027.
The three-day auditions will take place from Friday, 9 am - 7 pm, Saturday, 9 am - 7 pm and Sunday, 9 am - 2 pm in the Carl-Bechstein-Saal of the Casals Forum, Beethovenplatz 1, 61476 Kronberg/Ts.
The subsequent prizewinners' concert including award ceremony begins on Sunday, 04.04.2027 at 5 pm. Duration approx. 3 hours.
CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION
All pianists are eligible to enter the competition if they are male or female on the day the competition begins:
- have reached the age of 6 and
- have not yet reached the age of 20 are eligible to participate.
Young people who are enrolled full-time in a music degree program are excluded from the competition. Junior students are permitted.
People who have had a continuous teaching relationship, publicly or privately, with a member of the jury in the last 2 years are excluded from participation.
The competition is open to the public in all its parts. The collection and processing of personal data is essential for the planning and implementation of the competition. The organizer assures compliance with corresponding data protection regulations.
Private video and audio recordings are not permitted during the competition. The organizer will make image and sound recordings, the rights of use of which each participant transfers to the organizer free of charge. Fee claims are inadmissible.
Each participant in the competition will receive a professional, free audio and video recording of their performance at the competition. The recording of the prizewinners will be posted online after approval by the prizewinners or their legal guardians.
The organiser is not liable for personal injury or property damage that occurs in connection with the competition events.
In the event of differences of opinion, the text of the German-language invitation to tender shall apply.
DIGITAL PRELIMINARY ROUND
Admission to the competition
Admission to the competition is via a digital pre-selection. Registration is open from 01.10.2026 to 16.01.2027. Three jury members will decide on admission based on the videos submitted >> to the jury's procedure.
The results of the digital preliminary round will be published on 13.02.2027, the day of admission, under "Results".
All participants will also be informed of the publication by e-mail.
>> Instructions for recording the application videos
The decisions of the jury are final and incontestable.
The jury is looking forward to every video that is submitted and would like to thank all the young pianists! They highly value the commitment and joy of playing the piano!
Due to the time limit of the competition, a pre-selection by the digital preliminary round is necessary. Approximately 60 participants can be admitted. A rejection therefore in no way means that the talent and pianistic abilities of the applicant are called into question!
Each participant will receive a certificate of participation.
Repertoire of the digital preliminary round
The repertoire requirements for the digital preliminary round are identical to the repertoire requirements for the competition . The following repertoire requirements therefore apply to the digital preliminary round:
>> to the repertoire requirements
The repertoire played in the digital preliminary round and the competition may be the same/identical, but other works/contributions from the required epochs may also be chosen for the presence round of the competition!
The video must be uncut, but there may be breaks of any length between the individual works/contributions, taking into account the repertoire requirements.
Age groups, duration, repertoire
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| # |
Age group
|
Duration
|
Repertoire
|
|---|---|---|---|
1 |
AG I: born 2020/2021 |
5-10 minutes |
at least two contributions (complete works/movements/pieces) from at least two epochs |
2 |
AG II: born 2018/2019 |
5-10 minutes |
at least two contributions (complete works/movements/pieces) from at least two epochs |
3 |
AG III: born 2016/2017 |
10-15 minutes |
at least three contributions (complete works/movements/pieces) from at least two epochs |
4 |
AG IV: born 2014/2015 |
10-15 minutes |
at least three contributions (complete works/movements/pieces) from at least two epochs |
5 |
AG V: born 2012/2013 |
15-20 minutes |
at least three contributions (complete works/movements/pieces) from at least three epochs.NEW: One of these three contributions must be from the Baroque or Classical period.
|
6 |
AG VI: born 2010/2011 |
15-20 minutes |
at least three contributions (complete works/movements/pieces) from at least three epochs.NEW: One of these three contributions must be from the Baroque or Classical period.
|
7 |
AG VII: born 2007 (after 04.04.2007)/2008/2009 |
20-25 minutes |
at least three contributions (complete works/movements/pieces) from at least three epochs.NEW: One of these three contributions must be from the Baroque or Classical period.
|
The repertoire selection should include original literature – no arrangements – and a variety of eras.
Transcriptions of Liszt, Rachmaninoff etc. are of course permitted and belong to the original literature.
Epochs are defined as:
a) Baroque
b) Classical
c) Romantic/Late Romantic
d) Impressionism
e) Expressionism/Modernism
The pieces should correspond to the ability and musical understanding of the participants and be selected in a contrasting and varied manner.
Playing from memory is not compulsory and will not be included in the evaluation. If sheet music is required, it must be played from original sheet music.
The order of the participants is determined by their age, with the youngest starting.
For contemporary compositions, two copies must be provided to the jury for the duration of the performance without being requested.
If the maximum playing time is exceeded, the jury is entitled to stop the performance. The minimum playing time must not be less than the minimum time.
The repertoire can be changed by the participants until 06.03.2027. The change must be submitted in writing. After this date, a change no longer has to be accepted.
The use of copies of protected works/protected editions is prohibited in compliance with copyright law, unless the rights holder has determined otherwise.
A page turner will not be provided by the organizer.
It is recommended that participants bring their own pedal raisers. Two pedal raisers can be borrowed from the organizer by prior arrangement:
COMPETITION PROCEDURE
Procedure
The competition begins with age group I and ends with age group VII.
On the day of their performance, participants must register at the registration table in front of the Carl Bechstein Hall of the Casals Forum at least 1 hour before their own audition time. There they will be registered and informed about the performance schedule, their performance space and any changes. A schedule with rehearsal and recording times will be sent by email in advance. Each participant will have 45-75 minutes to practice before the performance.
From Thursday morning, 6 practice rooms with C. Bechstein grand pianos will be available. During the breaks in the competition, the C. Bechstein Concert D 282 grand piano can be tried out on stage. Detailed information can be found in the timetable, which will be published in the week before the competition.
Participants must be in front of the Carl Bechstein Saal, the venue of auditions, at least 5 minutes before the audition time. In order to have more peace and quiet, they can stay a few meters away in the corridor reserved for the artists and their families/teachers until then.
Throughout auditions , participants will be offered free drinks and snacks at the artists' table.
Announcement of Results
At the end of each day, the results of the completed age groups will be announced in the Carl Bechstein Saal and published on the website as a download.
Following the announcement of the results, the participants will have the opportunity to have a discussion with the jury.
A jury member is assigned to each participant for the consultation when the results are announced. This member can provide comprehensive advice, as each juror writes down the thoughts and feedback of the other jurors in the jury's consultation rounds and communicates these to the participants during the consultation. Which juror can best advise which participant is decided in the jury's consultation rounds.
The special prizes will be awarded on Saturday for age groups I to VI and on Sunday for all age groups at the
results announcement. Detailed information can be found in the schedule, which will be published on the day of admission, 08.02.2025.
Additional Program
During the three days of the competition, there will be a free, exciting and varied supporting program for the participants and their families. A wonderful opportunity to make friends, socialize and learn a lot about music while having lots of fun. learn a lot about music.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
- Artistic interpretation
- Sound quality
- Playing technique
- Stylistics
- Fidelity to the text
- Musical understanding
- Stage presence
- Personality
- Originality
- Development potential
- Difficulty and mastery of the piece
POINT SYSTEM
The assessment will be based on the internationally proven point system:
- Prize: 25/24 points
- Prize: 23/22 points
- Prize: 21/20 points.
- participated with excellent success: 17 - 19 points
- participated with good success: 14 – 16 points
- participated with success: 11 – 13 points
- participated: up to 10 points
Code of ethics of the jury
Our jurors are highly committed to promoting young talent. The musical, pianistic and personal development of the participants is equally important to them, as they are aware of the importance of personality, charisma and self-confidence for an artistic statement.
PRIZES AND PRIZE-GIVING CEREMONY
AWARD CEREMONY
All Prize winners will be honored for their extraordinary achievements during the Prize winners' concert. Each participant will receive a certificate.
All competition participants receive free admission for themselves and one accompanying adult.
The decisions of the jury are final and incontestable.
The jury may award prizes in one category more than once or not at all. All prizes will be presented during the Prize Winners' Concert at the Awards Ceremony. It is expected that the prizes will be received personally by all prize winners. The respective prize money will be transferred to an account to be specified.
Important information for the winners of the first prizes and special prizes
Participation in the prizewinners' concert is obligatory for the winners of the first prizes, otherwise they lose their right to the prize awarded to them Prize. It is free of charge.
If possible, the special prizewinners will also play in the prizewinners' concert. However, there is no entitlement to participation; the jury decides on participation.
SPECIAL PRICES 2025
The special prizes for the 2027 event will be announced in summer 2026.
1
arteMusica Foundation
A scholarship of €300 per month from July 2025 to June 2026 inclusive, sponsored by the arteMusica Foundation.
2
Sound & Video Pro
A professional sound and video recording for about 30 minutes of program worth € 5,000 for a selected winner of AG VI or VII. The recording, production time approx. 6 hours, will take place in the Carl-Bechstein-Saal of the Casals Forum 2025 or 2026 by arrangement.
3
IKAM Exceptional Talent Award
An 8-9-day participation in the master classes of the International Piano Academy Murrhardt including accommodation worth € 1,200. The special prize is awarded to a particularly talented pianist aged 16 and over. Donated by Balancement - Alexandra Messerschmidt.
4
MK Talent Award
A master class or consultation with Prof. Matthias Kirschnereit including overnight accommodation worth €600. The special prize is awarded to a particularly talented musician up to the age of 16.
5
CS Talent Award
A master class with Prof. Claudia Schellenberger including accommodation for a total of 5 individual lessons in 2025 worth €600. The special prize will be awarded to a particularly talented student up to the age of 16.
6
Best International Pianist
Worth € 1,500 for the best international pianist. Donated by the orthodontist Dr. Thomas Banach (Königstein Ts.).
7
Best interpretation of a work from the classical period
worth 500 €. Sponsored by "Hansen & Heinrich AG"
8
Best interpretation of a work by a female composer
worth 500 €
9
Sheet music vouchers from the Bärenreiter publishing house
Music vouchers from the renowned Bärenreiter publishing house for those who did not win prizes.
All pianists taking part in the follow-up concerts will receive a fee and their expenses will be covered on a pro rata basis.
10
Weilburg Castle Concerts
A concert in the 2026 festival season at the Weilburg Castle Concerts, performed by selected two to four prizewinners from AG V, VI and VII. Sponsored by Hansen & Heinrich AG.
11
Barbara and Dr. Hans-Werner Dildei Art & Cultural Foundation
Two concerts in the exhibition and concert series ART & MUSIC - Encounters. Sponsored by the "Barbara and Dr. Hans-Werner Dildei Art & Culture Foundation"
- on Tuesday, 29.04.2025 at 7 pm for selected award winners of AG I - V, Taunussparkasse Bad Homburg.
- on Tuesday, 09.09.2025 at 7 pm for selected award winners of AG V, VI and VII, Taunussparkasse Bad Homburg.
-for invited guests only-
12
Augustinum special prize
Two concerts in the Augustinum senior citizens' residence, Bad Soden-Neuenhain. Sponsored by Hansen & Heinrich AG.
- on Sunday, 06.04.2025 at 5 p.m. for selected award winners of AG I to V.
- on Sunday, 16.11.2025 at 5 pm for selected award winners of AG V, VI and VII.
Time for your questions!
If you or your students would like to participate in the competition but still have questions, e.g. about the repertoire, the conditions of participation, the registration or digital preliminary round, you can contact the artistic director, Ulrike Danne-Feldmann.
She appreciates your interest and will be happy to answer your questions!