5th International Online Piano & Pipe Organ Competition takes place between March 27th – April 2nd, 2025, Deadline for applications – March 25, 2025
To participate in the 5th International Online Piano and Organ Competition fill in Annex 1 online: https://forms.gle/bcmP5mDSry9yG68P7
Age groups for the 5th International Piano & Organ Competition
The 5th International Piano & Pipe Organ 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 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 categories, paying the fee for each.
CATEGORIES:
The International Online Piano & Pipe Organ Competition of the Festival 4 Arts includes 5 categories, each with the 6 age groups.
The categories are:
- Professional piano (those in vocational education or music schools)
- Amateur Piano (those who study the piano as a secondary instrument or in a private system)
- Accompaniment (piano may accompany any instrument or voice)
- Pipe Organ - main instrument
- Pipe Organ – complementary instrument
- Ensembles (piano 4 or 6 hands)
MUSICAL PIECES REQUIRED:
a) Groups I – V: two pieces (one of them can be étude) from two different music eras;
b) Group VI (piano and organ as main instrument): three pieces – one baroque, the second classic or romantic, the third modern;
c) Amateurs and ensembles (regardless of age): one piece, maximum two pieces of their choice, and the interpretation may be done from scores;
d) For complementary organ: a piece of their choice, from scores;
e) For accompaniment (regardless of age): only one piece of their choice, from scores.
The professional soloists will perform all the pieces from memory, excluding the organ players, who can play on scores.
The recordings will be submitted as a link to YouTube, where it was previously published as unlisted, or as a file via WeTransfer (or a similar platform) to the e-mail address: festivaluldearte@gmail.com.
TIME LIMITATION REQUIREMENTS:
a) Groups I and II will send a recording of maximum 10 minutes;
b) Groups III and IV will send a recording of maximum 20 minutes;
c) Groups V and VI will send a recording of maximum 30 minutes.
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.
PARTICIPATION RULES:
1. General conditions
The participants in this contest are obliged to comply with the terms written in the Contest Rules & Regulations of The 5th International Piano & Pipe Organ Competition of the Festival 4 Arts, March 27 – April 2, 2025, registration deadline March 25, 2025.
2. Specific conditions for the International Online Piano & Organ Competition
2.1 The videos sent in the conditions of the present Rules & Regulation of The International Online Piano & Pipe Organ 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 filled out in the same day you send the link to YouTube or the recordings and the proof of payment to the email address: festivaluldearte@gmail.com. The message must have as subject the first name, family name, category and age group in which it participates (example: John Smith – Piano Professionals, Group I). Failure to meet this mandatory requirement, as well as some omissions in the forms 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 and accompaniment:
- 20 euros if the application is made until January 25;
- 29 euros if the application is made between January 26 – February 20;
- 36 euros if the application is made between February 21 – March 20;
- 48 euros if the application is made between March 21 – 25.
For ensembles:
- 10 euro / member x number of members of the ensemble, if the application is made until January 25 – the amount will be paid for all member
- 17 euro / member x number of members of the ensemble, if the application is made between January 26 – March 20 – the amount will be paid for all members;
- 24 euro / member x number of members of the ensemble, if the application is made between March 21 – 25 – the amount will be paid for all members;
The participation fee is related to the period when the video is submitted.
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, Category and Age Group.
The participation fee is not refundable for any reason.
or
By PayPal:
Participation fee for soloists
For participants abroad, it is easier to pay the participation fee through PayPal. The fee is not refundable.
48,00 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.
24,00 EUR
Proof of payment of the participation fee and the link / videos will be sent by email or WeTransfer (or similar platforms), at the same time as the completed Annex 1.
2.5 Competitors can participate in the solo and ensemble categories, with the fee paid for each category.
3. Competition Period
3.1 The 5th International Piano & Pipe Organ Competition of the Festival 4 Arts takes place according to the following calendar:
a) January 12 – March 25 – Registration of competitors, receiving and evaluation of videos. The applications will be sent only during the registration period, namely starting with January 12 and no later than March 25, at 23:59 h;
b) March 26 – 27 – uploading the videos on the YouTube channel of Festival 4 Arts / Festivalul de arte –https://youtube.com/c/Festivaluldearte and publication of all videos on the festival’s website https://festivaluldearte.com/, using YouTube links;
b) March 27 – 31 – Public vote and the videos’ judging by the Jury, for each category and age group (which is separate from the public vote);
c) April 1st – Winners announcement in the evening (EET);
d) April 2nd – Laureates Gala (premiere on YouTube), in the evening (EET), as well, and announcement of the Festival 4 Arts Trophy winner.
3.2 The competition period, respectively all the dates mentioned above, may be modified, the organizers of the competition having the obligation to announce in advance on the aforementioned web page any possible changes in the competition regulations.
4. Technical Details
The recordings sent via WeTransfer (or similar platforms) must be in .avi, .wmv .mov or .mp4 format. The videos 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.
Audio processing is not allowed.
The video recording 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 5th International Piano & Pipe Organ Competition
The jury will consist of the following members: Prof. Jackie Jaekyung Yoo – Concert pianist, Chung-Ang University (South Korea) – President of the Jury, Prof. Univ. Dr. Corina Ibănescu – Faculty of Music, „Transylvania” University of Brașov (Romania), Prof. Wan Ting Yu – collaborative piano, Arizona State University (USA) – Adrian Suciu – Concert Pianist, Conductor and Organist (Austria), Remus Henning – Concert Organist (Romania), Univ. Assistant Dr. Cristina Struța – Organist.
The biographies of the jury members can be found on the festival website – click on the professor’s name.
The Jury will determine, based on a score, the winners of the prizes for each section and category.
THE DECISIONS OF THE JURY ARE UNIQUE AND FINAL, NO APPEALS ARE ALLOWED.
6. Prizes of the 5th International Piano & Organ Competition
6.1 All participants in the contest will receive participation diplomas submitted online upon request. Depending on the number and value of pupils/students in the contest, their mentors will be awarded a Diploma of Excellence upon request.
6.2 Each category may obtain a „Grand Prize”, depending on the appreciation of the Jury. Each age group 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 winners are invited 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.
All winners are invited to register for a Zoom interview in which they can make public their future achievements and projects. The interview will be broadcast on the YouTube channel of the Festival https://youtube.com/c/Festivaluldearte.
Money Prizes:
- Depending on the number of participants, the Grand Prix and Festival 4 Arts Trophy will get money;
- Promotion on the festival’s YouTube channel and on Facebook;
- 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 2025.
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.
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.
Categories: Piano Competition
