REGISTRATION
Application deadline is April 30th, 2020. Candidates must register directly on our website
www.concoursgeneve.ch
Registrations will only be considered as final until the following documents have been received (please
send attachments in high definition):
– An official confirmation of the candidate’s age (copy of birth certificate or passport).
– A brief resume (studies, schools, teachers, professional activities, prizes).
– Two different and recent colour photographs in high definition (300dpi).
– A recent (less than 12 months) video recording with the programme of the preliminary round –
Technical specifications described in the following article.
– The recording must be accompanied by a certificate attesting its authenticity and integrity, signed
by a professor or by the technician who made the video recording. This letter must indicate the
place and the date of the recording of each piece.
For all questions or issues regarding registration, please contact us at the following address: application@concoursgeneve.ch
TECHNICAL DATA FOR VIDEO RECORDING
FORMAT:
Recent (less than 12 months) and high-quality file, containing the required programme for the
preliminary audition only (no YouTube links).
In case of difficulty sending the file via our online application portal, it is also possible to copy it onto
a DVD, and to send it by the post or another transfer service. In both cases, please specify it in the
application form.
RECORDING:
a) Pieces must be recorded in their entirety and must be UNEDITED (no cuts). Microphones should be
positioned at a distance allowing to obtain a good sound quality. The video must be filmed from the
front, using a fixed and wide camera angle; interpret must always remain visible.
For the piece with piano, both players must be visible.
b) Movements must be indexed (compulsory).
c) Public recordings are accepted if they meet the recording conditions stated above.
d) It is allowed to provide separate recordings for each piece, recorded in various place and time.
e) It is highly recommended to take into consideration the quality of the sound, to allow the Jury to
have the best possible judgement.
REGISTRATION FEE
AMOUNT OF THE FEE:
The registration fee for the 2020 Geneva Competition is CHF 250 (two hundred and fifty Swiss
francs) payable in a single instalment.
CONDITIONS OF PAYMENT:
– By credit card (Visa or Eurocard / Mastercard) directly on our website.
– Or by bank transfer (in this case, candidates must send us a copy of payment with their application
form).
Details of the bank:
Banque Cantonale de Genève
Quai de l’Ile 17
Case postale 2251
CH – 1211 Genève 2
Swift N° BCGECHGG
IBAN N° CH 33 0078 8000 S 077 6119 5
Account N° S 776.11.95
Clearing N° 788
Account holder Concours de Genève
Cheques are not accepted.
The registration fee is refundable under no circumstances.
ACCOMMODATION, MEAL & TRANSPORT EXPENSES, INSURANCE
ACCOMODATION:
The Friends Committee of the Geneva Competition Association offers free single-room accommodation
with host families, upon request of candidates and depending on the space available. The candidate must
contact her/his family at least two weeks before the beginning of the competition. Past this deadline, the
family will be attributed to another candidate. Family members or friends of the candidate can in no way
benefit from this accommodation (except upon justified request).
Genevan families host candidates voluntarily. It is therefore requested that candidates observe basic
rules of politeness, education and good manners.
MEALS:
Candidates receive two meal vouchers a day from the time of their arrival and so long as they are still in
the Competition. Worth 20 Swiss Francs each (non-cumulative), these meal vouchers are valid in specified
partner restaurants situated near competition venues.
Once eliminated from the Competition, candidates who wish to stay on in Geneva must pay for their own
accommodation (except prior agreement with host families).
TRANSPORT:
During the official registration day in Geneva, candidates receive a pass that they must keep with them
throughout the Competition. This document constitutes their “Competition ID” in sorts, and provides
access to public competition rounds as well as a free ticket for the Final. Furthermore, this pass provides
free use of the Geneva public transport system throughout the competition.
TRAVEL EXPENSES:
The Geneva Competition refunds 50% of travel expenses to candidates who reach the final rounds
(starting at the semi-final round), unless they come from Switzerland or from within a 300 km radius of
Geneva. The maximum refundable sum is CHF 700 (economy class plane ticket, 2nd class train ticket or
the equivalent of the latter for a car journey).
INSURANCE:
The Geneva Competition is not accountable for the costs of candidates’ illness and/or accident during
their stay in Geneva.
THE COMPETITION
PRELIMINARY ROUND:
The purpose of the preliminary selections based on video recordings is to eliminate candidates who are
not up to the standards required to take part in the public rounds of the Competition. This preliminary
phase takes place in camera in the presence of a preliminary jury, whose five members include at least
two members of the official Jury of the 2020 cello competition. It is held in a studio guaranteeing the best
possible technical conditions. The names of the selected candidates will be published on our website
before 30 June 2020. They will be personally advised and will receive an official invitation by 30 June 2020,
which specifies the time and place they are expected to arrive in Geneva.
OFFICIAL REGISTRATION OF THE SELECTED CANDIDATES
It is mandatory that candidates be present at the time fixed for the day of official registration
(derogations may exceptionally be granted for justified reasons). It takes place in two stages:
A. Official registration (between 9am and 2pm):
The official invitation sent in June specifies the place and time they should arrive in Geneva. Candidates
will have to present the official invitation, as well as their passport. Their participation in the competition
will become definitive after the official registration.
B. Draw (4 pm):
An overall draw will be organised after the official registration to determine the order in which candidates
will perform throughout the competition.
If a case of absolute necessity should prevent a candidate from being present at this session, he or she
must justify their absence without delay. At the candidate’s express request, a person designated by the
candidate or a representative of the Geneva Music Competition will draw a number in her/his stead. The
candidate is then kindly requested to contact the secretariat immediately regarding the day and time
when she/he must be ready for the first-round performance before the jury.
The order established by the draw cannot be changed, except in exceptional cases. In any case, the
Competition management is solely entitled to take such a decision.
Generally speaking, the Competition undertakes to follow the schedule established for each candidate
after the draw. Likewise, each candidate, once the order and timing are known, is under obligation to
arrive in due time, according to the schedule they have been given.
PUBLIC ROUNDS:
The Competition consists of the following stages:
– First Round: Recital I
– Second Round: Recital II
– Third Round: Semi-Final with ensemble
– Fourth Round: Final round with orchestra
Results are announced after each round. Decisions of the jury are final.
OFFICIAL PRIZES
The Geneva Competition offers the following official prizes:
– 1st Prize CHF 20,000.- (= approx. € 18,500.-)
– 2nd Prize CHF 12,000.- (=approx. € 11,000.-)
– 3rd Prize CHF 8,000.- (=approx. € 7,350.-)
SPECIAL PRIZES
– Audience Prize: CHF 1,500.-
– Young Audience Prize: CHF 1,000.-
– Students Prize: CHF 1,000.-
– « Concert de Jussy » Special Prize : CHF 3,000.-
– « Hélène Gallay » Special Prize: CHF 5’000.-
– « Breguet » Special Prize: CD recording
The Audience Prize is awarded by the audience at the Final performance.
The Young Audience Prize is awarded by young students of partner schools.
The Students Prize is awarded by students in musicology and of partner Universities of Music.
The « Concert de Jussy » Special Prize is awarded to the First Prizewinner and consists in a concert.
The « Hélène Gallay» Special Prize is awarded to the best interpretation of one classic concerto (semi-final).
The « Breguet » Special Prize is awarded to one of the Prizewinners and consists of a CD recording with orchestra.
PRIZE-GIVING CEREMONY
The prizes, awards and diplomas signed by the President of the Jury as well as the President and the
Secretary-General of the Geneva Music Competition, will be presented to Laureates during the prizegiving ceremony, which takes place at the end of the Final.
RECORDINGS
The final rounds (semi-final and final rounds) will be filmed, recorded and broadcast live (radio and video
streaming). The Geneva Competition reserves the right to select excerpts from the recordings of prizewinners’ performances for the production of a CD at the end of the year. Candidates selected for the final
rounds – Semi-Final and Finals – will receive a recording of their performance. This recording must under
no circumstances be distributed in any form without prior agreement of the Competition. Candidates
shall answer to other parties involved for any abusive use of these recordings.
Prize-winners waive all and any rights to audio/video recordings as well as radio/television/internet
broadcasts of public sessions of the Geneva Competition.
MEMBERS OF 2020 CELLO JURY:
– Ivan Monighetti, Russia, President
– Lluis Claret, Andorra
– Thomas Demenga, Switzerland
– Michaela Fukačová, Czech Republic
– Ophélie Gaillard, France
– Qin Li-Wei, China/Australia
– Shauna Rolston, Canada
PROGRAMME
Candidates are required to send their programme prior to the final deadline of 30 April 2020. Nonetheless,
changes can still be made within one month of receiving the invitation, up until 30 July 2020. Past that
date, no changes may be made to the programme, unless these were to be specifically required by the
Artistic Committee of the Competition.
MUSICAL SCORES
Candidates must present themselves at the official registration with their musical scores. Candidates are
expected to use the original musical scores of the works they perform. The Geneva Music Competition
cannot be deemed responsible for any fraud that might be committed by a candidate in this field (such
as the public use of illegal copies).
ACCOMPANISTS
The Geneva Competition provides candidates with official piano accompanists. Several rehearsals are
planned for each session. Additional rehearsals are possible according to accompanists’ availabilities, at
the expense of candidates. Moreover, if they wish, candidates can choose to be accompanied by the
pianist of their choice, also at their own expense.
CALENDAR 2018:
30 April Application deadline
June Video selections (preliminary round)
30 July Deadline for sending the final programme
23 October Official registration of the candidates – drawing lots
25-26-27 October 1st round: Recital I
30-31 October 2nd round: Recital II
2 November 3rd round: Semi-final with small orchestra
5 November 4th round: Final with orchestra
PROGRAMME:
All pieces must be performed by heart, except for the contemporary piece (Recital II). Exceptions may be
accepted upon request. Candidates may choose the order in which they wish to perform their programme
during each round.
A. Pre-selection – video recording
• J. S. Bach : Prelude, Sarabande, Galanteries (Minuets I and II or Bourrées I et II)
from one of the following Suites for Violoncello solo :
o Suite N° 2 in D min. BWV 1008
o Suite N° 3 in C Maj. BWV 1009
o Suite N° 4 in E flat Maj. BWV 1010
• A. Piatti or N. Paganini : ONE Caprice at choice from :
o Piatti : Caprices Op. 25, N° 3, 6, 7 12
o Paganini : Caprices Op. 1 N° 5, 9, 13, 24
• Third piece at free choice (with piano accompaniment)
The works chosen for the preliminary round may be performed again during the competition.
B. Recital I : (max. 40 candidates – max. duration 30 min.)
• One piece from 20th Century for solo cello from the following list :
o G. Crumb : Sonata for cello solo
o P. Hindemith : Sonata for cello solo
o Z. Kodaly : Sonata Op. 8 (movement 1)
o G. Ligeti : Sonata for cello solo
o H. Dutilleux : 3 Strophes sur le nom de Sacher
o K. Penderecki : Per Slava
o A. Ginastera : Puñena 2
o B. Britten : Suite N° 2 (declamato, scherzo, ciaccona)
• L. v. Beethoven : Sonata for violoncello and piano in C Maj. Op. 102 N°1
C. Récital II : (max. 15 candidates – max. duration 60 min.)
• Programme at candidate’s free choice, including at least one of the pieces from Appendix I.
Works already performed in other rounds may not be repeated (except those included in the
preliminary round). Determining factors include originality, choice of repertoire and variety.
D. Semi-Final with small ensemble (6 candidates)
• One concerto at free choice from the following list (to be performed without conductor) :
o L. Boccherini : Concerto in G Maj.
o L. Boccherini : Concerto in B flat Maj.
o L. Boccherini : Concerto in D Maj.
o C. P. E. Bach : Concerto in A Maj.
o C. P. E. Bach : Concerto in A min.
o J. Haydn : Concerto en C Maj.
o J. Haydn : Concerto en D Maj.
L’Orchestre de Chambre de Genève
E. Final with orchestra (3 finalists)
• At free choice, one of the following concertos :
o R. Schumann: Concerto in A min.
o E. Elgar : Concerto
o W. Lutosławski : Concerto
o D. Chostakovich : Concerto N° 2
o H. Dutilleux : Tout un monde lointain
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
Appendix I:
List of contemporary works at free choice for Recital II
Jonathan Harvey ricercare una melodia, (avec électronique)
Violoncello and electronics (1984) 7’
Kaija Saariaho Petals,
Violoncello and electronics (1988) 9’
Bernd Alois Zimmermann Sonata for violoncello solo (1960) 15’
Krzysztof Penderecki Capriccio per Siegfried Palm (1968) 8’
Isang Yun glissées (1970) 14’
Helmut Lachenmann pression (1969) 9’
Michaël Jarrell ….some leaves…. (1999) 10’
Iannis Xenakis Kottos (1977) 9’
Tristan Murail attracteurs étranges (1992) 8’
Pascal Dusapin incisa (1982) 8’
Heinz Holliger Trema (1981-83) 13’
Elliott Carter Figment (1994) 5’
Isabel Mundry Cellosolo (1997) 9’
Youghi Pagh-Pahn AA-GA I (1984) 13’