Application:
The competition is open to pianists of all nationalities, aged maximum 32 years (born on or after 31 August 1993).
The competition is divided into five rounds: Video preselection round, Preliminary, Semi-final, Solo Final, Grand Final.
Personal information and full competition repertoire is to be specified on the online application form available on the competition website.
Through the application form candidates shall upload
A photocopy of current passport (or ID for EU citizens)
A professional personal headshot photo (min. 1MB, 300 dpi, JPG)
A biography (1000 characters) including professional studies, achievements, competitions, masterclasses, performances over the last three years (word file, flowing text)
Video recording of the required pieces: see under Repertoire – Qualifying round
(Mp4 max. 300MB each)*
*Only high quality and recent recordings (taken on or after 1 January 2025) will be accepted. Audio recordings, CDs will not be considered. The recording should show the applicant playing the piano with his/her hands visible and each piece should be recorded in a single take (no editing permitted).
Application Fee: €150.
Awards:
1st Prize – 22000 EUR
2nd Prize – 14000 EUR
3rd Prize – 8000 EUR
Prize for the best performance of Bartók’s works: 4000 EUR
Prize for the best performance of the compulsory contemporary piece: 2000 EUR
Audience Prize: 1500 EUR
Prizes are gross amounts.
Special prizes such as concert and recording opportunities will also be offered.
Repertoire:
Preselection round (recording) – max. 20 minutes
The program needs to include:
a) one Bartók piece or movement of the competitor’s choice (except pieces from Mikrokosmos or For Children) all together min. 7 minutes
b) a romantic work, or one or more movements of a romantic work of the competitor’s choice
c) one virtuoso etude of the competitor’s choice
The pieces of the video qualifying round can be repeated in the later rounds.
Preliminary round – max. 20 minutes
The program needs to include:
a) one virtuoso Scarlatti sonata
b) one Bartók piece or movement of the competitor’s choice (except pieces from Mikrokosmos or For Children) all together min. 7 minutes
c) one virtuoso etude from the following series of the competitor’s choice:
Liszt: Études d’exécution transcendante, S. 139
Liszt: Grandes Études de Paganini, S. 141
Liszt: Three Concert Études, S. 144
Liszt: Two Concert Études, S. 145
Bartók: Three Studies for Piano, BB 81 [Op. 18]
Dohnányi: Six Concert Etudes, Op. 28
Semi-final – max. 40 minutes
The program needs to include:
a) one Bartók piece or group of pieces from the following list:
Fourteen Bagatelles for Piano, BB 50 [Op. 6] (selection by the candidate, min. 7 minutes)
Three Burlesques for Piano, BB 55 [Op. 8c]
Allegro barbaro for Piano, BB 63 AND 2nd movement (Poco allegro) from Two Romanian Dances for Piano, BB 56 [Op. 8a]
Romanian Christmas Songs, BB 67, Series I OR II
4th movement (Scherzo) from Four Piano Pieces, BB 27
1st OR 2nd Elegy from Two Elegies, BB 49
Three Hungarian Folksongs from the County of Csík for Piano, BB 45b AND 1st movement (Allegro vivace) from Two Romanian Dances for Piano, BB 56 [Op. 8a]
Suite for Piano, BB 70 [Op. 14]
b) a complete classical sonata by Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart or Ludwig van Beethoven
c) one of the following pieces*:
Hanuri Lee: Vertigineux (video link to the performance)
Mátyás Papp: Kirakós (Puzzle) (video link to the performance)
You can listen to the piece by clicking on the title. The recording was made at the gala concert of the 2024 Composers’ Competition, performed by pianist József Balog.
*prize winning compositions of the Bartók World Competition – Composition 2024, published by Universal Music Publishing Editio Musica Budapest. Sheet music will be available for free download from the publisher’s website.
Solo Final – max. 45 minutes
The program needs to include:
a) one of the following Bartók pieces:
Improvisations on Hungarian Peasant Songs, BB 83 [Op. 20]
Dance Suite, BB 86b
Sonata, BB 88
Out of Doors, BB 89
b) a romantic work or several movements of a romantic work of the competitor’s choice
c) a piece or one or more movements of a piece by the following composers:
Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy, Sergey Prokofiev, Alexander Scriabin, Igor Stravinsky, Ernő (Ernst von) Dohnányi, Zoltán Kodály.
Grand Final
Competitors must choose one of the following piano concertos (selection from Bartók’s piano concertos and his repertoire):
Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 2, BB 101
Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 3, BB 127
Liszt: Totentanz
Liszt: Piano Concerto in E-flat major
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73 (‘Emperor’)
More information: https://bartokworldcompetition.hu/en