Founded in 2002, the CMIM (Concours musical international de Montréal) aims to further the
development of the world’s most promising young singers, violinists, and pianists, while making
classical music more accessible to the greatest possible number of people. The CMIM is the only
international competition in North America to be held annually and to feature three disciplines (piano,
voice, and violin) in a three-year rotation. Since its first edition dedicated to Voice in 2002, 3,500
hopefuls have entered the Competition, and close to 500 have been welcomed to perform in Montreal.
Complete details at concoursmontreal.ca
Facebook/Twitter/Instagram: @CMIMontreal
General information
Аpplication form
PRIZES
Violin 2019 offers more than CA$150,000 worth of prizes, awards and grants:
- First Prize Laureate: CA$102,500 ($30,000 cash; $50,000 career development grant; $20,000 instrument crafted by a team of Quebec’s finest violin and bow makers; $2,500 artist residency at Canada’s Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity)
- ‘Pierre Péladeau’ and ‘Raymonde Chopin’ Second Prize Laureate: CA$15,000
- Third Prize Laureate: CA$10,000
- Finalists (non-laureates): CA$3,000 (each)
- People’s Choice Award: CA$5,000
- Best Canadian Artist Award: CA$5,000
- Award for the best performance of a Sonata in the semifinals: CA$2,500
- ‘André Bachand’ Award for the Best performance of the compulsory Canadian work: CA$2,000
- Bach Award for the best performance of a work by J.S. Bach: CA$1,500
IMPORTANT DATES
- Nov. 15, 2018: Application deadline
- Dec. 15, 2018: All candidates will be notified of the results by then
- May 28, 2019: Violin 2019 official opening
- May 29-30, 2019: First Round
- Jun. 1-2, 2019: Semifinal Round
- Jun. 4-5, 2019: Final Round + Awards Ceremony
APPLICATION PROCESS
Completed applications may be submitted online via inscription.concoursmontreal.ca at any time before midnight, November 15, 2018.
To be considered completed, an application must include the following:
- a duly completed online form
- payment of a non-refundable application fee of CA$150
- two (2) high-resolution colour photographs (including one headshot) cleared for use by the CMIM for publication and promotional purposes
- contact information for at least two (2) referees willing to provide a personal recommendation in support of your application if requested
- proposed repertoire for all competition rounds
- four (4) audition videos (one video per work):
- music of J.S. Bach: two movements from a solo sonata (BWV 1001 in G Minor, 1003 in A Minor, or 1005 in C Minor) OR three contrasting movements from a solo partita (BWV 1002 in B minor, BWV 1004 in D minor or BWV 1006 in E major)
- a sonata for violin and piano by W. A. Mozart
- a caprice from Op. 1 by N. Paganini
- a work of your choice
All audition videos must be high-quality with excellent audio, shot from one angle with a single fixed camera (no zooming, tilting, or panning). The violinist must be fully visible at all times and easily identifiable. Videos must not be edited, enhanced or modified in any way. All recordings must be made after July 1, 2017.
SELECTION PROCESS
CMIM officials will review all of the applications to ensure they are complete and meet the required technical standards. The CMIM reserves the right to disqualify any candidate who has failed to fulfill all of the application requirements.
A preliminary selection committee appointed by the CMIM will evaluate the video auditions. A maximum of 24 violinists will be selected to compete in Violin 2019.
Violinists will be notified of the preliminary selection results in February 2019.
All competitors are required to be in Montreal from May 27 through June 6, 2019 (travel and accommodation provided, see below).
COMPETITION ROUNDS AND REPERTOIRE
First Round
No more than 24 competitors will each perform a 25- to 30-minute programme (incl. pauses and applause) with piano. The 12 violinists who receive the highest scores from the jury will move on to the semifinal round. The first round programme must comprise three (3) or more works, and include the following elements:
- music by J.S. Bach
- a virtuosic work by one of the following composers: A. Bazzini, N. Paganini, M. Ravel, C. Saint-Saëns, P. de Sarasate, P.I. Tchaikovsky, F. Waxman, H. Wieniawski, E. Ysaÿe
- other works of your choice
Semifinal
12 semifinalists will each perform a 55- to 60-minute programme (incl. pauses and applause) with piano. The six (6) violinists who receive the highest scores from the jury will move on to the final round. Every semifinal programme must comprise three (3) or more works, including the following elements:
- a complete sonata by one of the following composers: B. Bartók, L. van Beethoven, J. Brahms, C. Debussy, G. Enescu, G. Fauré, C. Franck, L. Janáček, S. Prokofiev, M. Ravel, A. Schnittke, R. Schumann, F. Schubert, R. Strauss
- the compulsory Canadian work for solo violin (about 4 min, available two months before the competition)
- other works of your choice
Final
Six (6) finalists will each perform a major concerto for violin and orchestra (choice of concerto subject to CMIM approval) accompanied by the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. Each finalist will have a 50-minute rehearsal with the conductor and piano accompaniment, and a 50-minute rehearsal with the full orchestra.
Repertoire selected for performance during the competition rounds may include any of the works recorded for the audition videos. No other duplication of repertoire is permitted.
The jury will consider the difficulty and artistic merit of the programmes for each round.
Applicants are encouraged to come to Montreal with their own pianists for the competition (at their own expense). Violinists without pianists will be assigned to an official CMIM pianist for all rounds requiring piano.
TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION
CMIM will provide competitors with one (1) return economy-class flight or train ticket from their city of residence to Montreal. Competitors who wish to make alternate travel arrangements may do so at their own expense. Travel is not provided for the any person accompanying the competitor (pianist, parent/chaperone, spouse, etc).
CMIM will arrange for free accommodation for the competitors (and their accompanist, if applicable) with volunteer host families in the Montreal area. Competitors who wish to make other arrangements may do so at their own expense.
For further information please contact:
Scott Tresham, Director of Artistic Operations and Strategy
Concours musical international de Montréal
stresham@concoursmontreal.ca
+1 514.845.4108 (ext. 235)