The 2022 competition is held in Bergen, Norway, from 26 August – 3 September 2022.
It will be open to all pianists of all nationalities born in the years 1987-2005, but with the following exceptions:
• The applicant is a former 1st prize winner at the Competition
• The applicant is a close relative of a Juror.
• The applicant is currently a Juror’s student at an institution or receives regular private lessons from a Juror.
• The applicant has been a student of a Juror in such terms after 26 August 2017, or had one or more private lessons with a Juror during the same period.
Participants who are accepted to the Competition in Bergen are not allowed to take any lesson or participate at any masterclass with a Juror from the date of the application until the end of the Competition.
Important information about the pre-qualification videos:
It is possible to use different recordings for different pieces (live recordings are also accepted), as long as the required repertoire is included. Multi-camera recordings are accepted, but editing of the audio within one piece is not allowed (it has to be one continuous recording). Recordings may not be older than 20 April 2019. Please include the name(s) of the venue(s) and the date(s) of the recording(s). You will later find some recommendations about videos in the “Uploads” section of the application portal.
Please note that the same piece cannot be played in different rounds of the Competition (not even a single movement). The pre-qualification video is regarded as one round of the Competition.
For the application to be considered, an application fee of EURO 100 must be paid together with your application – all major debit and credit cards are accepted – at the last stage of the online application. The application fee will be refunded to the selected participants who take part in the Competition in Bergen.
- The 17th International Edvard Grieg Piano Competition, organized by the KODE Art Museums and Composer Homes, will be held in Bergen, Norway, 26 August to 3 September 2022.
- The Competition is open to all pianists of all nationalities born in the years 1987-2005, but with the following exceptions:
- The applicant is a former 1st prize winner at the Competition.
- The applicant is a close relative of a Juror.
- The applicant is currently a Juror’s student at an institution or receives regular private lessons from a Juror.
- The applicant has been a student of a Juror in such terms after 26 August 2017, or had one or more private lessons with a Juror during the same period.
Participants who are accepted to the Competition in Bergen are not allowed to take any lesson or participate at any masterclass with a Juror from the date of the application until the end of the Competition.
- Selection and participation in the Competition is conditional on a candidate submitting the online application in English, including all required documents, video recordings and application fee by: 20 April 2022. Please see Application for more information regarding the application process.Applications that are either late or incomplete will not be accepted. Candidates will be notified of the receipt of their applications.
- Each application will be assessed by the Admissions Committee. Those candidates who have been selected to participate in the Competition will be notified: On or before 1 June 2022.
- Competitors are required to register with the Competition Secretariat, no later than: 26 August 2022.The Competition will consist of four rounds, as follows:
- In principle, thirty (30) candidates will be selected to compete in Round 1 of the Competition;
- Twelve (12) competitors will be selected to compete in Round 2.
- Six (6) will be selected to compete in the Semi-final Round.
- Three (3) will be selected to compete in the Final Round.
- The Competition will be open to the public, and there will be a live video streaming of the Competition.
- The Competition Repertoire must be played from memory, except from Ørjan Matre’s commissioned piece in Round 2 (if chosen), the 2nd movement from one of Edvard Grieg’s three violin sonatas in the Semi-final, Harald Sæverud’s Piano Concerto in the Final Round (if chosen), and modern piano pieces by appointment with the Competition.A competitor may only alter his/her program for any round of the Competition by informing the Competition Secretariat of the change by: 1 August 2022.The same piece cannot be played in different rounds of the Competition (not even a single movement). The pre-qualification video is regarded as one round of the Competition.All contestants prepare two piano concertos for the Final concert in the Grieg Hall with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra: Grieg’s Piano Concerto and one additional piano concerto from a certain list (see Repertoire). Each finalist will perform only one piano concerto.One or two of the three finalists will perform the Grieg Concerto in the Final. Which of the finalists who will perform the Grieg Concerto in the Final, will be decided after the Semi-final in the following way:The finalists will be given five minutes to agree on the repertoire for the Final, based on their competition repertoire, given that the Grieg Concerto will be performed once or twice.If the finalists cannot come to an agreement on the conditions above, or one or more finalists ask for a drawing, the Director of the Competition will arrange a drawing based on the following principles:* If the three finalists have three different additional piano concertos on their competition repertoire, a drawing will decide which one of the three finalists will perform the Grieg Concerto.* If two finalists have the same additional piano concerto on their competition repertoire, a drawing will decide which one of these two finalists will perform the Grieg Concerto.* If all three finalists have the same additional piano concerto on their competition repertoire, a drawing will decide which one of the three finalists will perform the Grieg Concerto.
The Orchestra/Competition will decide the actual playing order of the three candidates in the Final due to programmatical reasons. If there are two finalists who will perform the same concerto, there will be an extra drawing to decide the playing order of these two finalists.
- The Jury assesses the interpretations of each competitor on the basis of the Jury Rules. The Jury awards main prizes and special prizes. In addition, an Audience Prize and an Orchestra’s Prize will be awarded in the Final Round of the Competition.
- The finalists will be awarded the following main prizes:
- First Prize: 30.000 €
- Second Prize: 20.000 €
- Third Prize: 10.000 €
All prizes will be paid according to Norwegian tax regulations.
- The Jury’s decisions are final and not subject to appeal.All votes of the Jury will be published after the Competition.
- Candidates selected to participate in the Competition are required to pay for their own travel expenses to and from Bergen.Competitors who do not advance to Round 2 will be given the opportunity to play on a concert in the Hordaland County on the day of Round 2 receiving a fee of 500 euro.Competitors who advance to Round 2, but do not advance to the Semi-final, will be given the opportunity to play on a concert in the city of Bergen on the day of the Semi-final receiving a fee of 500 euro.Semi-finalists will be awarded a prize of 1.500 euro.All prizes and fees will be paid according to Norwegian tax regulations.All competitors will be provided with free private accommodation during the week of the Competition.
- Practice instruments will be made available to all competitors, but for limited hours every day of the competition. Semi-finalists are assured of one rehearsal with the violinist. Finalists are assured of at least one rehearsal with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.
- The playing order of the competitors for Round 1 of the Competition will be drawn in public, at the opening reception on 26 August 2022 at 19.00 CEST. All competitors must be present.The Competition Office has the right to make changes to the order of the competitors on any particular day, for organizational or programmatic purposes.
- Competitors cede to the KODE Art Museums and Composer Homes, without remuneration, the rights to the following:
- The performance of works during the Competition; and
- The photographic and recorded images taken during participation in the Competition.
These rights are unlimited in time and space for the following purposes:
- Recording
- Reproduction (all forms)
- Trading
- Placing on computer memory, internet or other networks
- Public play-back and performance
- Exhibiting
- Screening
- Renting
- Leasing
- Broadcasting by wired or wireless sound or vision by terrestrial or satellite stations, and simultaneous and integral radio and television transmission and retransmission
Competitors must be willing to give interviews to media during the competition week.
In all matters connected with the actual Competition beyond the competence of the Jury, the Competition Director’s decisions are final.
- All matters not covered by the Competition Rules are subject to Norwegian law.
Competition repertoire 2022.
Please note that the same piece cannot be played in different rounds of the Competition (not even a single movement).
The pre-qualification video is regarded as one round of the Competition.
Pre-qualification video:
- One Lyric Piece by Edvard Grieg (one movement from Op. 12, 38, 43, 47, 54, 57, 62, 65, 68 or 71)
- Free solo repertoire
Maximum total duration: 20 min
Recordings may not be older than 20 April 2019. More information about the requirements, see Application.
Round 1:
- One of the «23 Short Pieces for Piano, EG 104» by Edvard Grieg
- One virtuoso etude by Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninov or Scriabin
- Free solo repertoire
Maximum total duration: 30 min
Round 2:
- Free solo repertoire
- MAY also be included in this round:
– Ørjan Matre: Notturno (commissioned piece, ca. 4 min, score will be available later) - MAY also be included in this round:
– Edvard Grieg: A complete opus originally written for solo piano
Maximum total duration: 30 min
A prize of 1500 euro for best performance of Ørjan Matre’s commissioned piece performed in the 2nd Round may be given after the 2nd Round.
Semi-final:
- A 2nd movement from one of Edvard Grieg’s three violin sonatas (from Op. 8. 13 or 45)*
- Free solo repertoire
- MAY also be included in this round:
– Edvard Grieg: A complete opus originally written for solo piano
Maximum total duration: 50 min
*A violinist will perform together with the contestants.
A prize of 3000 euro for best performance of a complete opus originally written for solo piano by Edvard Grieg performed in the 2nd Round or in the Semi-final may be given after the Semi-final.
Final:
All contestants prepare two piano concertos for the Final concert in the Grieg Hall with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra*:
- Edvard Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16
and
one of the following additional piano concertos:
- Ludwig van Beethoven:
– Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37
– Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58 - Frédéric Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11
- Franz Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:
– Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466
– Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491
– Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat major, K. 595 - Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26
- Sergei Rachmaninov:
– Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op. 1 (the 1919 version)
– Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 - Robert Schumann: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54
- Harald Sæverud: Piano Concerto, Op. 31
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23
*Each finalist will perform only one piano concerto in the Final. Please see point VII in the rules regarding this procedure.
Please note that the same piece cannot be played in different rounds of the Competition (not even a single movement).
The pre-qualification video is regarded as one round of the Competition.