In 1999, the founder of the Gina Bachauer competition in USA – Paul Pollei – came up with the idea of starting a piano competition in what he saw as the most exotic place on Earth – Tromsø!

Ten years later, Tori Stødle was ready with what was going to be the most important classical music event in Northern Norway – Top of the World International Piano Competition. Not only had she managed to attract a World Class Jury for the 1st competition in 2009 – 361 applicants from 56 Countries, spread across 5 Continents, made sure the Competition could table the best pianists in the World under the age of 35.

When the 2nd Top of the World was arranged in 2011, the pressure from the Elite was even greater. Everyone wanted to take part. No competition in the Nordic region could match the popularity. The distinguished Jury Members of previous competitions have claimed that the contestants of Top of the World are matching the highest performance level of international piano competitions.

Both the Opening Concert, with the winner from 2009, Mariangela Vacatello, and the Grand Finale, with three finalists and Norwegian Radio Symphony Orchestra, was sold out. And across the Globe, more than 10.000 people followed the live streaming from the trials and the finale.

In 2012 and 2014, Top of the World was extended to also have a Masterclass Youth arrangement. The idea was to give the greatest talents of the Barents region – in the age group 12-17 – Masterclass education by the Top of the World winner the previous year. A vitamin jab for a coming top pianist, one would imagine. Regrettably, we have been unable to continue these efforts – maybe it will reappear in the future.

The contributions from Top of the World to the region have not gone unnoticed. The Founder and Artistic Director, Tori Stødle, was awarded His Majesty the King’s Order of St Olav for her work. She has also received Tromsø University’s prize for being the Best Mediator of 2010.

Top of the World is developing fast. In 2013, one achieved the goal of painting the whole town of Tromsø in ”classical colours”, by having mini concerts around town during the week of the competition – in town squares, churches, hospitals, art clubs and other places one wouldn’t normally stumble across such culture.

Top of the World International Piano Competition has already achieved great recognition abroad, and is invited to join Steinway Prize Winner Concerts Network. The Top of the World is member of Alink-Argerich Organisation and World Federation of International Music Competitions.

Application opens September/October 2018

Visit Competition Website

The Rules

Eligibility

The 6th Top of the World International Piano Competition 2019 is open to pianists of any nationality, born between 01.01.1984 – 01.01.2002. Former prize winners of the Top of the World International Piano Competition are ineligible for participation. Pianists who within the last five years have studied on a regular basis with any member of the 2019 International Jury, or who are close relatives of a jury member, will be ineligible for participation. However, this does not pertain to the situations that members of the International Jury may be acquainted with some participants in the competition because of past associations (for example, previous competitions, music festivals or master classes).

Screening Procedure

Each applicant submits a recording of a work by W.A.Mozart or J.Haydn and a romantic work from the 19th century (including Scriabin and Rachmaninov). A national jury chooses 24 contestants to be invited to the competition’s live rounds in Tromsø, Norway.

The invited contestants must be present to draw his/her number which will determine the order of performance. This procedure will be held 15 June 2019 after the opening concert in the evening. Failure to be present at the draw will lead to disqualification from the competition. The contestants will keep their number throughout the competition. Contestants must be available to participate in all stages of the Competition up to and including 21 June 2019.

Competition Repertory

First round with 24 contestants: Free choice of pieces maximum total playing time of 30 min.

Semifinal with 12 contestants: Free choice of pieces maximum total playing time of 55 min.

Finale with 3 contestants: One of two submitted concertoes with orchestral accompaniment chosen from this list:

• Beethoven No 3, 4, 5
• Brahms No 1
• Chopin No 1,2
• Grieg a-minor
• Liszt No 1,2
• Prokofiev No 2, 3
• Rachmaninov No 2, 3
• Ravel G-Major
• Schumann a-minor
• Tsjaikovskij No 1

Practical information

Invited contestants will be provided with free accommodation in Tromsø for the whole period of the competition even if they fail to qualify for the second or final rounds.

Travel

Invited contestants must book and pay their own travel to and from Tromsø.

Recording

The Top of the World International Piano Competition reserves the right to authorise sound and film recordings of the Competition. The TWIPC also reserves the right to stream the live rounds. TWIPC will hold the copyright to any such recordings.

Fees

The application fee is $150 which is paid using the Apply Payment in the Application Form. The applicant will be accepted officially as a contestant when the Competition receives this fee.

The Jury

Members of the Jury

The jury is international and consists of 7 members appointed by the Artistic Director. All jury members are contracted to adjudicate each round of the competition. A jury member who is unable to be in attendance throughout any portion of a round of the competition shall not vote at the conclusion of that round.

Jury members 2019

• Diane Andersen, Belgium
• Hyoung-Jong Chang, South Korea
• Einar Steen-Nøkleberg, Norway
• Lukas Vondracek, Czech Republic
• Janine Fialkowska, Canada
• Norman Krieger, USA
• Achille Gallo, Italia

Administration of the Jury

An administrator of the jury is appointed by the Board. The administrator is not a voting member of the jury. Each jury member has one vote. The administrator is in charge of the voting procedure of the jury and will convey the results of the jury’s work.

Confidentiality

Jury members shall maintain complete confidentiality about all aspects of their work including but not limited to the following:

• Any matters discussed while the jury is in session
• Their own votes or other jury members’ votes of which they become aware
• The results of any judging until it is officially announced
• Any information disclosed to them involving balloting, ranking, tie-breaking procedures, or other matters related to voting in any round of the competition.

Conduct of the Judges

Jury members shall at all times show proper respect for one another, the contestants, and the officers and staff of the competition. Jury members should avoid all criticism of the opinions and work of others. The jury members shall not communicate with each other in any language that is not understood by all jury members. The official jury language is English.

Standard for Judging

Jury members are asked to base their decisions solely on the cumulative quality of all performances at the competition—not on prior performances the judges may have heard, nor expectations of future performances, nor on reputation, teachers, competitors’ age, or other credentials of any kind.

Judging Procedure for 1st round

• Balloting: As soon as the 1st round of the competition is completed, each judge shall fill out and sign a ballot containing the number and name of each contestant, voting as follows: Exactly 12 unranked “yes” votes for the twelve contestants whom the judge believes most qualified to advance to the Semifinal Round.
• Delivery of Ballots: Each judge shall deliver his/her completed ballot to the Administrator of the Jury, who shall meet with, and only with an appointed person to tally and determine the results of the balloting.
• Determination of Ballot Results: “Yes” votes shall be tallied and the twelve contestants with the highest number of “yes” votes shall be those who become semi-finalists of the competition. In case a tie vote makes it impossible to determine the required number of winners a second vote is performed in which each judge ranks the tied contestants. In case the second voting does not determine the required number of winners, a vote by the Artistic Director among the tied contestants will decide and eliminate the tie.
• D. Announcement of Winners: The names of the winners shall be announced in a form that does not disclose their relative ranking in the balloting.

Judging Procedure for the Semifinal

• Balloting: As soon as the semifinal of the competition is completed, each judge shall fill out and sign a ballot containing the number and name of each contestant, voting as follows: Exactly 3 unranked “yes” votes for the three contestants whom the judge believes most qualified to advance to the finale.
• Delivery of Ballots: Each judge shall deliver his/her completed ballot to the Administrator of the Jury, who shall meet with, and only with an appointed person to tally and determine the results of the balloting.
• Determination of Ballot Results: “Yes” votes shall be tallied and the three contestants with the highest number of “yes” votes shall be those who become finalists of the competition. In case a tie vote makes it impossible to determine the required number of winners a second vote is performed in which each judge ranks the tied contestants. In case the second voting does not determine the required number of winners, a vote by the Artistic Director among the tied contestants will decide and eliminate the tie.
• D. Announcement of Winners: The names of the winners shall be announced in a form that does not disclose their relative ranking in the balloting.

Judging Procedure for the Finale

• Balloting: As soon as the Finale of the competition is completed, each judge shall fill out and sign a ballot ranking the finalists 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
• Delivery of Ballots: Each judge shall deliver his/her completed ballot to the Administrator of the Jury, who shall meet with, and only with an appointed person to tally and determine the results of the balloting.
• Determination of Ballot Results: The contestant receiving the highest number of first place votes will receive the first prize. The contestant receiving the highest number of second-place and remaining first-place votes will receive the second prize, and the remaining contestant will receive third prize. Should a tie occur in at any stage of the Finale balloting a second vote is performed among the tied contestants. In case the second voting does not determine the required number of winners, a vote by the Artistic Director among the tied contestants will decide and eliminate the tie.
• Awarding of Prizes: It is the policy of the Top of the World International Piano Competition that all prizes will be awarded, and that each prize will be designated for one candidate. As noted above, tie-breaking procedures are in place. Prizes may not be shared by multiple candidates.

General Matters

• Balloting: So far as possible, jury members shall prepare themselves to ballot immediately at the conclusion of each round of the competition.
• Improper Ballots: In the event that a ballot is found to be illegible or not properly completed (too many votes, too few votes, not signed, etc.) the Administrator of the Jury shall endeavor to consult the jury member to correct the ballot. If the ballot for any reason is not corrected, it shall not be counted.
• Jurisdiction of the Jury: The jury’s work and responsibility is to judge the piano performances at the competition and award prizes of the competition in accordance with these procedures. The jury’s verdict is final and indisputable.
• Amendments: These Judging Procedures may be amended or supplemented only by action of the board of the Top of the World International Piano Competition.