The 8th Sendai International Music Competition/ Piano Section

Deadline: 10/11/2021
Location: Sendai, Japan
Disciplines: Piano
From: 11/06/2022 To: 26/06/2022
Age limit: up to 30

Piano Section: Saturday, June 11, 2022 - Sunday, June 26, 2022

The Repertoire Piano Section

01. Pre-Selection

The Applicant must upload video data of his/her performance of all pieces listed below (①②③) or must record his/her performance of them on a DVD.
The performance duration must not exceed 45 minutes in total.
In the case of choosing to upload video data, only the following information shall be included in the filename: the Applicant’s name in full, and the full titles of the chosen pieces.
(NO additional information such as date/place of recording, etc. shall be included in the filename.)
If the Applicant chooses to record on DVD, on the label side of the DVD, the Applicant’s name in full, the full titles of the chosen pieces, and the identification number issued at the time of the online application must be clearly written in block letters. Also, on the DVD case, the following must be clearly written in block letters: the Applicant’s name in full, the full titles of the chosen pieces, and the date and place they were recorded.

  • ① One piece from the piano sonatas by Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven (all movements)
  • ② Select one piece from the seventy-three below.
    Chopin Etudes, op.10
    Chopin Etudes, op.25
    Liszt Études d’exécution transcendante, S139
    (except for No.9 “Ricordanza” and No.11 “Harmonies du soir”)
    Liszt Grandes études de Paganini, S141
    Liszt 3 Études de concert, S144 (except for No.1 “Il lamento”)
    Liszt 2 Konzertetüden, S145
    Debussy 12 Etudes
    Rachmaninov Etudes-tableaux, op.33
    Rachmaninov Etudes-tableaux, op.39
  • ③ Solo piece(s) of the Applicant’s choice
  • ・There is no restriction on the duration of each piece.
  • ・It is the Applicant’s choice whether to play the repeat(s) or not.
  • ・Solo piece(s) must NOT be concertos.
  • ・The recording must be made on or after November 1, 2020.
  • ・All performances shall be performed from memory.
  • ・The Video Data or DVD must be unedited, taken from the same camera angle throughout and must clearly show the Applicant’s hands and face.
  • ・In case of Piano Sonata, the Applicant may record it in parts, by each movement, but NO editing within a movement is admissible. In other cases, NO editing is admissible within a piece.
  • ・The Video Data or DVD must be of excellent technical quality and preferably recorded professionally.
  • ・The Video Data or DVD may be excluded from judgment if it was perceived that the hand movement of the Applicant during his/her performance does not synchronize with the sound.
  • ・An automatic audio volume control function of video camera shall not be used. This is because it reduces dynamics and nuances and often results in a recording which does not accurately represent the performance. The Video Data or DVD shall not have extremely loud (or quiet) sound volume, and shall not contain noise.
  • ・The Video Data or DVD must NOT contain, in image or in sound, the name of the Applicant, as the Pre-Selection will be carried out anonymously.

02. Preliminary Round

The Contestant shall perform a recital program which consists of any solo pieces selected freely, with a total performance duration that exceeds 35 minutes but does not exceed 40 minutes. However, the program must include one piece or more which last(s) 10 minutes or more in total from the works of the composers listed below.

J.S. Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Schumann, Brahms

  • ・There is no restriction on the number of pieces and duration of each piece. However, all movements must be performed in the case of selecting a Piano Sonata to perform.
  • ・In the Preliminary Round, it is acceptable to perform the same pieces which were performed for the Pre-Selection.
  • ・Pieces that include exceptional playing techniques such as inner playing or prepared piano must not be selected.

03. Semifinal Round

The Contestant shall select one piece from the list below and perform it.

Mozart Piano Concerto in B flat major, K450
Mozart Piano Concerto in D major, K451
Mozart Piano Concerto in G major, K453
Mozart Piano Concerto in B flat major, K456
Mozart Piano Concerto in F major, K459
Beethoven Piano Concerto No.1 in C major, op.15
Beethoven Piano Concerto No.2 in B flat major, op.19
  • ・If the Contestant chooses to play the Mozart concerto, the Bärenreiter edition shall be used.

04. Final Round

The Contestant shall perform both ① and ② below.

  • ① Select one piece from the list below.
    Mozart Piano Concerto in D minor, K466
    Mozart Piano Concerto in C major, K467
    Mozart Piano Concerto in E flat major, K482
    Mozart Piano Concerto in C minor, K491
    Mozart Piano Concerto in C major, K503
    Mozart Piano Concerto in B flat major, K595
    Beethoven Piano Concerto No.3 in C minor, op.37
    Beethoven Piano Concerto No.4 in G major, op.58
    • ・If the Contestant chooses to play the Mozart concerto, the Bärenreiter edition shall be used.
  • ② Select one piece from the list below.
    Beethoven Piano Concerto No.5 in E flat major, op.73 “Emperor”
    Chopin Piano Concerto No.1 in E minor, op.11
    Chopin Piano Concerto No.2 in F minor, op.21
    Schumann Piano Concerto in A minor, op.54
    Liszt Piano Concerto No.1 in E flat major, S124
    Liszt Piano Concerto No.2 in A major, S125
    Brahms Piano Concerto No.1 in D minor, op.15
    Brahms Piano Concerto No.2 in B flat major, op.83
    Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No.2 in G minor, op.22
    Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No.4 in C minor, op.44
    Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No.5 in F major, op.103 “Egyptique”
    Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1 in B flat minor, op.23
    Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, op.18
    Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor, op.30
    Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, op.43
    Ravel Piano Concerto in G
    Bartók Piano Concerto No.3, Sz119
    Prokofiev Piano Concerto No.2 in G minor, op.16
    Prokofiev Piano Concerto No.3 in C major, op.26
    YASHIRO Akio Piano Concerto

〈Notes about the performance〉

  • ・All performances shall be performed from memory.
  • ・All performances shall be open to the public.
  • ・In the selection process, performances may be shortened in some part(s) in the interests of time.

〈Note about changing the pieces〉

  • ・If a Contestant wishes to change his/her program for the Preliminary, Semifinal and/or Final Rounds, he/she must give notice to the Secretariat in writing no later than Tuesday, March 15, 2022. (E-mail or fax is acceptable.)

Piano Section

2022 Jun. 9 Registration
Jun. 11 – 13 Preliminary Round (number of Contestants: approx. 36)
Jun. 17 – 19 Semifinal Round (number of Contestants: 12)
Jun. 23 – 25 Final Round (number of Contestants: 6)
Jun. 26 Prizewinners’ Gala Concert
Prizes
[1st prize] Cash prize of JPY 3,000,000 (≈USD28,846*); Diploma; Gold Medal;
CD Production; Concerts with the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra or other major orchestras in Japan; Recitals in Japan
[2nd prize] Cash prize of JPY 2,000,000 (≈USD19,231*); Diploma; Silver Medal
[3rd prize] Cash prize of JPY 1,000,000 (≈USD9,615*); Diploma; Bronze Medal
[4th prize] Cash prize of JPY 800,000 (≈USD7,692*); Diploma
[5th prize] Cash prize of JPY 700,000 (≈USD6,731*); Diploma
[6th prize] Cash prize of JPY 600,000 (≈USD5,796*); Diploma
Travel Expense Grants The Secretariat shall provide the grants as follows to Contestants who live outside of Japan to help them pay for round trip transportation to Sendai: [Asia] JPY50,000 (≈USD481*) [Other] JPY100,000 (≈USD962*)
Accommodation for
Contestants
If the Contestant uses the accommodation of the Secretariat’s choice from the day of registration until the day specified, the organizers shall pay the accommodation expenses (one single room basic room charge and breakfast) for the Contestant for the duration of his/her stay. All other expenses shall be borne by the Contestant.
* Homestay program operated by the citizen volunteers may also be available for the Contestants not advancing to next round.
Others Performance opportunities such as mini-concerts during the Competition period, after completion of the Contestants’ last round.
Opportunities to take master classes by Jury Members during the Competition period, after completion of the Contestants’ last round.

More information