String Competition

Cremona International Competition for Strings, 2023

July 21 and 23, 2023

I. ELIGIBILITY

The Competition is open to violinists, violists, and cellists participating in the 2023 Cremona International Music Academy. While students of the Academy are eligible and welcome to enter, participation in the Competition is not mandatory.

In order to participate in the Cremona International Competition for Strings, participants must include the following material in their application:

Completed Application Form
Document showing proof of age
Recent photograph
A digital video recording for Preliminary Round:  Two contrasting works of own choice
Non-refundable application fee of $100
Application material must be received no later than May 1, 2023.
Piano accompaniment is not required.

Participants are required to upload and submit links to their recordings (e.g., YouTube or Dropbox), CD/DVD recordings will not be accepted.

String Competition Application Form

II. RULES

The participants will be assigned by age into four age categories (age as of July 11, 2023):

Debut Category – 10 years old and under
Junior Category – 11 to 13 years old
Intermediate Category – 14 to 18 years old
Senior Category – 19 years old and above

DEBUT CATEGORY
Preliminary Round: Electronic recording of two works of own choice (not exceeding 15 minutes in length). Selected participants will advance to the Final Round in Cremona.
Final Round: Mini-recital (not exceeding 15 minutes in length).

JUNIOR CATEGORY
Preliminary Round: Electronic recording of two works of own choice (not exceeding 15 minutes in length). Selected participants will advance to the Final Round in Cremona.
Final Round, Cremona: Mini-recital (not exciding 20 minutes in length).

INTERMEDIATE CATEGORY
Preliminary Round: Electronic recording of the works of own choice (not exceeding 20 minutes in length). Selected participants will advance to Rounds One and Two in Cremona.
Round One, Cremona: Solo Recital (not exceeding 15 minutes in length).
Round Two, Cremona: Second Recital (not exceeding 25 minutes in length).

SENIOR CATEGORY
Preliminary Round: Electronic recording of the works of the own choice (not exceeding 20 minutes in length). Selected participants will advance to Rounds One and Two in Cremona.
Round One, Cremona: Solo Recital (not exceeding 20 minutes in length).
Round Two, Cremona: Second Recital (not exceeding 30 minutes in length).

COMPETITION DETAILS

  • The proposed repertoire for all rounds must be approved by the Competition Committee.
  • Participants in the Debut and Junior Categories are expected to perform in the Final Round, once they have advanced from the Preliminary Round.
  • Participants in the Intermediate and Senior Categories are expected to perform in both Rounds, Rounds One and Two, once they have advanced from the Preliminary Round.
  • Works from the Preliminary Round can be repeated in other Rounds.
  • Works from Round One may not be repeated in Round Two.
  • All works, except for sonatas, must be performed from memory.
  • Participants who have won first prize in previous competitions may NOT compete again in the same age category.
  • All rounds of the Competition will be adjudicated by a jury panel.
  • The jury has the right to award shared prizes.
  • The decision of the jury is final and will not be reviewed.
  • All rounds of the Competition, except for the Preliminary Round, are open to the audience.
  • The Academy reserves the right to cancel the Competition for a category where less than five participants are selected to advance from the Preliminary Round.

III. REPERTOIRE REQUIREMENTS

DEBUT CATEGORY
Preliminary Round: Electronic recording of two contrasting works or part of the works of the participant’s choice (not exceeding 15 minutes in length).
Final Round, Cremona: Mini-recital program of the participant’s choice (not exceeding 15 minutes in length).

JUNIOR CATEGORY
Preliminary Round: Electronic recording of two contrasting works of the participant’s choice (not exceeding 15 minutes in length).
Final Round, Cremona: Mini-recital program of the participant’s choice (not exceeding 20 minutes in length) consisting of contrasting works and including:

  1. Two contrasting movements from a Baroque Sonata (solo or with piano)
  2. One etude or caprice of the candidate’s choice.
  3. A work or group of works of the candidate’s choice.
  • One of the works performed in the Final Round should be a work by an Italian composer.
  • Sonatas may be performed with or without repeats, at the participant’s discretion.
  • Concertos may NOT be included in the program.

INTERMEDIATE CATEGORY
Preliminary Round: Electronic recording of contrasting works of the participant’s choice (not exceeding 20 minutes in length).
Round One, Cremona: Solo recital program of the participant’s choice (not exceeding 15 minutes in length) consisting of:

  1. One etude or caprice of the participant’s choice;
  2. Violinists:Two contrasting movements from a solo Sonata or Partita by J.S. Bach or two contrasting movements from the Telemann Fantasia for solo violin
    Violists and Cellists: Two contrasting movements from a Cello Suite by J.S. Bach or two contrasting movements from a solo Baroque Sonata

Round Two, Cremona: Second Recital program of the participant’s choice (not exceeding 25 minutes in length) consisting of:

  1. One movement from a Classical Sonata
  2. A work by an Italian composer
  3. A work or a group of works of the participant’s choice, including a virtuoso piece
  • Sonatas may be performed with or without repeats, at the participant’s discretion.
  • Concertos may NOT be included in the program.

SENIOR CATEGORY
Preliminary Round: Electronic recording of contrasting works of the participant’s choice (not exceeding 20 minutes in length).
Round One, Cremona: Solo recital program of the participant’s choice (not exceeding 20 minutes in length) consisting of:

  1. One virtuoso etude or caprice of the participant’s choice
  2. Violinists:Two contrasting movements from a solo Sonata or Partita by J.S. Bach or Chaconne from Partita No. 2
    Violists and Cellists: Two contrasting movements from a Cello Suite by J. S. Bach (one of the movements should be a Prelude)

Round Two, Cremona: Second recital program of the participant’s choice (not exceeding 30 minutes in length) consisting of:

  1. Two movements from a Classical, Romantic, or 20thCentury Sonata
  2. A work written by an Italian composer
  3. A work or a group of works of the participant’s choice, including a virtuoso piece
  • Sonatas may be performed with or without repeats, at the participant’s discretion.
  • Concertos may NOT be included in the program.

IV. JURY

The competition jury consists of renowned international artists and pedagogues.

V. PRIZES

1st Prize Winners:

  • Solo Performance at the Winners Concert in Cremona during the 2023 Academy Season
  • Solo performance with the Academy Festival Orchestra in Cremona in the 2024 Academy Season.
  • 30% Tuition Scholarship for participation in the 2024 Cremona International Music Academy.

2nd Prize Winners:

  • Solo Performance at the Winners Concert in Cremona during the 2023 Academy Season.
  • 20% Tuition Scholarship for participation in the 2024 Cremona International Music Academy.

3rd Prize Winners:

  • Solo Performance at the Winners Concert in Cremona during the 2023 Academy Season.
  • 15% Tuition Scholarship for participation in the 2024 Cremona International Music Academy.

 

2023 Competition Application Form
Make a Payment

WINNERS OF THE 2022 CREMONA COMPETITION FOR STRINGS

Debut Category

  1. Anastasia Katanus, cello
  2. Luben Stolarov, violin

Junior Category

  1. Ilaya Levy Schwartz, violin
  2. Joseph Harkins, violin
  3. Jitka Friedrich, viola

Intermediate Category

  1. Emilia Prini, cello
  2. Jaeho Lee, cello
  3. Juliana Friedrich, violin

Honorable Mention:  Xavier Ip, cello, and Rigoberto Rodrigues-Anton, cello