5th International Strings & Chamber Music Competition

Live: December 5, Online: December 6-8; Deadline for applications – December 2, 2024

The Live Competition will be held in Romania, at the House of Culture Câmpina, starting with 10:30 a.m.

The Winners of the Competition: https://festivaluldearte.com/2024/12/08/winners-from-7-countries-5th-international-strings-chamber-music/

Here you can see the list of competitors: https://festivaluldearte.com/2024/12/06/competitors-5th-international-strings-chamber-music/

Fill in the Annex 1 form here: https://forms.gle/6HbJ2k1VH78sPso17

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AGE GROUPS:

The International Strings & Chamber Music Competition of the Festival 4 Arts is addressed to children, youngsters, and adults, as follows:

• Group I – children under 9 years of age
• Group II – children aged between 9 and 11 years
• Group III – children aged between 12 and 14 years
• Group IV – youth aged 15 to 17 years
• Group V – youth aged between 18 and 20 years
• Group VI – adults older than 20 years (No age limitation)

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.  

CATEGORIES AND SECTIONS:

The International Strings & Chamber Music Competition of the Festival 4 Arts includes 2 categories, each with 7 sections, and each section with 6 age groups.

The categories are:

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

The sections are:

1. Violin
2. Viola
3. Cello
4. Double bass
5. Harp
6. Guitar
7. Ensembles

MUSICAL PIECES REQUIRED:

a) Groups I-VI – two pieces/études for online and maximum two pieces/études for live;

b) Chamber music ensembles –maximum two pieces or parts of the works;

c) Amateurs (regardless of age) – maximum two pieces of their choice, and the interpretation may be done on scores.

All pieces must be performed from memory, for professionals, except for chamber ensembles and double bassists. Amateurs, double bassists and chamber ensembles can perform the pieces by reading the score.

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

TIME LIMITATION REQUIREMENTS:

a) Groups I and II – 10 minutes (comprising the 2 pieces);

b) Groups III and IV – 20 minutes (comprising the 2 pieces);

c) Groups V and VI – 30 minutes (comprising the required pieces).

By the maximum timing we do not impose a lower limit, but only an upper one. Therefore, competitors must not exceed the maximum timing, but may perform pieces shorter than the required maximum time of performance.    

Technical details FOR ONLINE:

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.

Recordings with computerized accompaniment (made electronically) and audio processing of the recording are not allowed.

The video 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.

PARTICIPATION RULES:

For General Rules, click: https://festivaluldearte.com/2022/10/20/general-rules-for-participation-in-the-international-contest/

Article 1 – General conditions

1.1 The participants in this contest are obliged to comply with the terms written in the Rules & Regulations of The International Strings & Chamber Music Competition of the Festival 4 Arts, 5th Edition.

Article 2 – Specific conditions for the International Strings & Chamber Music Competition

2.1 The video sent in the conditions of the present Rules & Regulation of The International Strings & Chamber Music Competition of the Festival 4 Arts, will be accompanied, compulsory, by Annex 1 – Registration coupon 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 in the same day when you send the video and the proof of payment made in that same day, 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, Violin, Group I). 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. 35 EURO, if the registration is made by October 31;
2. 45 EURO, if the registration is made between November 1 – December 2.

For ensembles:

1. 25 Euro / member x number of members of the ensemble, if the registration is made by October 31;
2. 35 Euro / member x number of members of the ensemble, if the registration is made between November 1 – December 2.

Registration is done only after sending the video (for online participants) and the proof of payment of the participation fee (in one email), as well as completing Annex 1.

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:

The fee is not refundable.

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

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

Article 3 – Competition period

3.1 The 5th edition of The International Strings & Chamber Music Competition  of the Festival 4 Arts takes place according to the following calendar:

a) September 26 – December 2 – Registration of competitors, receipt and evaluation of videos. The videos will be sent only during the registration period for the competition.

b) December 3 – 4 – Programming publication of videos on the YouTube channel for December 5, after 20:00 EET:  https://youtube.com/c/Festivaluldearte;

c) December 5 –  Live competition for violin, viola, cello, guitar and chamber music;

d) December 6 – 8 – publishing the list of online competitors and the links to YouTube on the festival website https://festivaluldearte.com/; public vote, the judging the online competitors by the Jury, for each category/section/age group. The Jury will not be influenced by the public vote;

e) December 8, after 20:00 EET – Winners announcement and Online Laureates Gala (premiere broadcast on YouTube).

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.

Article 4 – Winners announcement

The contest’s winners will be announced on December 8th, 2024, after 20:00 EET, on the website of the Festival 4 Arts – https://festivaluldearte.com/.

Article 5 – The Jury

The Jury has 16 members, as follows:

Violin: Prof. Magdalena Ursu (”Dinu Lipatti” National College of Art), Prof. Alexandra Acatincăi (”George Enescu” National College of Music Bucharest), Prof. Doina Elena Zaharia (”George Enescu” National College of Music Bucharest), Aron Cavassi – concert violinist

Viola: Prof. Vladimír Bukač (Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles), Prof. Dr. Camelia Vodă (”George Enescu” National College of Music Bucharest)

Cello: Prof. Jan Ickert (HfMDK Frankfurt), Prof. Hermina Noemi Marin (”George Enescu” National College of Music Bucharest)

Double Bass: Prof. Univ. Cătălin Rotaru (USA), Arthur Popescu – concert double bassist (Switzerland)

Harp: Prof Dr. Chaerin Kim (USA), Prof. Dr. Miruna-Elena Vidican (”George Enescu” National College of Music Bucharest)

Guitar: Prof. Dr. Stan Zamfirescu (”George Enescu” National College of Music Bucharest), Prof. Mircea Oaneș (”George Enescu” National College of Music Bucharest)

Chamber Music: Ștefan Aprodu – concert violonist, composer and conductor (Germany), Prof. Hermina Noemi Marin (”George Enescu” National College of Music Bucharest)

The biographies of the jury members can be found by clicking on their name.

The jury will decide, 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. 

Article 6 – Prizes of the The International Strings & Chamber Music Competition

6.1 All participants in the contest will get 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 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/trophies (Grand Prix – the value depends on the number of participants), promotion on the festival’s YouTube channel and on Facebook, inviting the winners to give recitals at the “Geo Bogza” House of Culture in Câmpina, Romania. 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 at Câmpina in the summer of 2025. 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.

6.3 All the data mentioned above can be modified, the contest organizers having the obligation to announce in advance on the festival website any possible changes in the contest rules.

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

Article 7 – Judging Criteria

The jury will pay special attention to the quality of interpretation, respect for the musical text in the stylistic context of the compositional period, expressiveness, and interpretive personality in approaching the musical-artistic discourse