December 23, 2023 -January 3, 2024, Deadline for applications – December 21, 2023

You can see the list of the winners and their links to YouTube here:

You can see the list of competitors and their links to YouTube here:

Fill in the Annex 1 form here: https://forms.gle/ejAsGJjdv6cGzQ4U9

OR download, fill in and email:

ORGANIZERS:

Best Bridge Services SRL in partnership with the company Time4Events SRL, Câmpina City Hall, Municipal House of Culture “Geo Bogza”, Câmpina Philharmonic Society, Câmpina National Center for Tourist Information and Promotion

CATEGORIES AND SECTIONS:

The categories of the Xmas Carols & Sacred Music Contest are:

• Professionals (those in vocational education or music schools)
• Amateurs (those who study in a private system or as a secondary instrument)

The sections are:

• Section A – Soloists – vocal (a cappella or accompanied) and/or instrumentalists – all age groups
• Section B – Ensembles (voice and / or instruments) – all age groups
• Section C – Choirs – regardless of age groups

AGE GROUPS:

The 4th International Xmas Carols & Sacred Music Performance Competition, of the Festival 4 Arts is addressed to children, youngsters, and adults, as follows:

• Group I – children aged 6 years or less
• Group II – children aged between 7 and 12 years
• Group III – youth aged between 13 and 18 years
• Group IV – youth aged between 19 to 24 years
• Group V – adults older than 24 years (No age limitation is imposed)

The age must be reached by the start date of the competition. Each competitor will participate in a single age group, but can participate in several sections, paying the fee for each.  

The competition is open to professionals (those in vocational education or music schools) and amateurs (those who study as a secondary instrument or in a private system).

PIECES REQUIRED for Xmas Carols & Sacred Music Competition:

Groups I-III will perform a maximum of 2 (two) carols and / or songs dedicated to Christmas. They can be sung in any language the contestant wants and can belong to the universal Christian tradition. They will be recorded on a single video of up to 10 minutes.

Groups IV, V and the Choirs (regardless of the age group of the members) will perform a minimum of 2 (two), a maximum of 3 (three) carols, songs and / or sacred music. They will be recorded on a single video of up to 15 minutes.

By the maximum timing we do not impose a lower limit, but only an upper one.

The pieces will be recorded on a single video. It will be sent as a link to YouTube, where it was, prior to submission, published as unlisted, or as a file via WeTransfer (or similar platforms) to the e-mail address: festivaluldearte@gmail.com .

PARTICIPATION RULES:

1. General Conditions

1.1 The participants in this contest are obliged to comply with the terms written in the Rules & Regulations of International Xmas Carols & Sacred Music Competition of the Festival 4 Arts, 4th Edition and with the General Rules presented here.

2. Conditions for participation in the competition

2.1 The videos sent in the conditions of the present Rules & Regulation of International Xmas Carols & Sacred Music Competition of the Festival 4 Arts, will be accompanied, compulsory, by Annex 1 – Registration slip completed, dated, and signed. By signing it, the competitor / guardian acknowledges and agrees with Annex 2 – PUBLICATION RIGHT AGREEMENT and Annex 3 – Parental agreement to participate in the contest for minor participants;

2.2 Annex 1 will be completed on the same day or sent along with the video, at the email address: festivaluldearte@gmail.com. The message’s subject must be the surname, name, category, section, and age group in which the competitor participates (example: Smith John – Professionals, Soloists, Group I, respectively Ensemble X – Amateurs, Group III). Failure to comply with this mandatory requirement, as well as some omissions in the form, will lead to automatic disqualification;

2.3 Competitors will send the video-recordings having read the “PUBLICATION RIGHT AGREEMENT”;

2.4 Competitors must pay the fee of:

For soloists:

1.  25 euros, if the registration is done by December 1, 2023;
2. 35 euros, if the registration is done between December 2 – 19, 2023;
3. 40 euros, if the registration is done between December 20 – 21, 2023.

Registration is done only after sending the registrations and the proof of payment of the participation fee (in one email), and filling out the Annex 1 form.

For ensembles:

1. 18 euro / member x number of members of the ensemble, if the registration is done by December 19, 2023;
2. 25 euro / member x number of members of the ensemble, if the registration is done between December 20 – 21, 2023;

Registration is done only after sending the registrations and the proof of payment of the participation fee (in one email), and filling out the Annex 1 form.

For choirs:

1. 110 euro, if the registration is done by December 19, 2023 (the amount is unique, regardless of the number of members);
2. 120 euro, if the registration is done between December 20 – 21, 2023 (the amount is unique, regardless of the number of members).

Registration is done only after sending the registrations and the proof of payment of the participation fee (in one email), and filling out the Annex 1 form.

The participation fee will be paid by bank transfer to the account of Best Bridge Services SRL opened at ING Bank, Bucharest, IBAN: RO22INGB0000999903782351, CUI: 7524371, RO22INGB0000999903782351 (SWIFT Code: INGBROBU). The payment order must include: Participant’s Name, Section and Age Group.

or

By PayPal:

Participation fee for soloists

The fee is not refundable.

40,00 EUR

Participation fee for ensembles / member

The contesting ensembles must consist of 2 or more competing members. The payment must include all members of the ensembles. The fee is not refundable.

25,00 EUR

Participation fee for choirs

The contesting choirs must consist of more than 15 competing members. The fee includes all members of the choir. The fee is not refundable.

120,00 EUR

The fee is not refundable.

Proof of payment of the participation fee and the videos will be sent by email at festivauldearte@gmail.com , in the same time as the completed Annex 1.

2.9 Competitors can participate in the solo and ensemble section, with the fee payment for each of them.

3. Competition period of the Xmas Carols & Sacred Music Competition

3.1 The second edition of the International Xmas Carols & Sacred Music Competition  of the Festival 4 Arts takes place according to the following calendar:

a) November 1 – December 21, 2023 – Registration of competitors, receipt and evaluation of videos. The videos will be sent only during the registration period for the competition, namely starting with November 1st and no later than December 21st, 2023, at 23:59;

b) December 22 – 23, 2023 – Publication of all videos on the YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/Festivaluldearte and on festival’s site https://festivaluldearte.com/

b) December 23, 2023 – January 2, 2024 – Public vote and the judging by the Jury for each category/section/age group. The Jury will not be influenced by the public vote;

c) January 3, 2024 – Winners announcement and Laureates Online Gala

3.2 The competition period, respectively all the dates mentioned above, may be modified, the organizers having the obligation to announce in advance on the aforementioned web page any possible changes in the competition regulations.

4. Technical details

The videos sent as files must be in .avi, .wmv, .mov or .mp4 format. The recordings must be clear in both image and sound, made without disturbances, background noise etc. The device must be positioned so that the whole body of the performer and the instrument are visible, and the footage is landscape.

Make sure you have the consent of the accompanying musician to appear on the recording.

Where necessary, the accompaniment can be provided by any means available to the competitor. Although „live” ensemble recordings are preferred, „record session” recordings on Zoom-type platforms are also accepted. Audio processing of the recording are not allowed.

The videorecording must contain all the contest pieces.

Please dress in a neat and proper manner. Use of professional cameras or equipment is not a must. Videos taken with simple equipment, such as mobile phones, are enough.

5. The Jury of the Xmas Carols & Sacred Music Competition

The Jury has 6 members, as follows:

For age groups I and II (categories A and B, all sections) and group III, category B, all sections:

Prof. Mărioara Marcu, Prof. Andrei Dănuț, Elvis Buruiană – concert accordionist. (Please, click translate for their Biographies in English)

For age group III, category A and groups IV and V, all categories and sections:

Prof. PhD. Silvia Voinea – President of the Jury, Conf. PhD. Claudia Codreanu, Thomas Paul – tenor (Austria)

The jury will determine, based on a score, the winners of the prizesfor each category, section and age group.

The biographies of the jury members can be found on the festival website.

The jury will determine, based on a score, the winners of the prizes for each category, section, and age group. The decisions of the Jury are unique and final, no appeals are allowed. 

6. Prizes of the International Xmas Carols & Sacred Music Competition

6.1 All participants in the contest will receive participation diplomas posted on the site or submitted online upon request. Depending on the number and value of pupils/students in the contest, their mentors, as well as their piano accompanying professor will be awarded a Diploma of Excellence (on request).

6.2 The competition will have a Trophy, if the Jury appreciates so, in the amount of 150 Euros. Each section may obtain a “Grand Prix”, depending on the appreciation of the Jury, and each age group of each category and section will be awarded the First Prize, the Second Prize, the Third Prize and Mentions. After announcing the winners, we will publish the Laureates Gala.

The prizes will consist of money for Grand Prix only, offered by the company Time4Events, promotion on the festival’s YouTube channel and on Facebook, inviting the winners to give recitals. Expenses for transport, accommodation, and meals for participation in recitals are not reimbursed. Depending on the interest and availability of the winners, the prizes may also include discounts on the participation fee for the Masterclasses organized in the summer of 2024. All winners are invited to register for a Zoom interview in which they can make public their achievements and projects. The interview will be broadcast on the YouTube channel of the Festival (https://youtube.com/c/Festivaluldearte).

The number of prizes will be decided by the Jury, depending on the artistic value of the competitors.

6.4 The decisions of the Jury are unique and final, no appeals are allowed.

7. Judging Criteria

The jury will pay special attention to the quality of interpretation, respect for the musical text, expressiveness and interpretive personality in approaching the musical-artistic discourse, for instrumentalists, and for singers, the jury will pay special attention to the following issues:

• accuracy of interpretation,
• correct vocal range,
• pitch and tone quality,
• diction and elocution,
• voice projection,
• stage presence,
• breath control
• the overall value of the video recording.