The Competition, which began in 2002, takes place in Thessaloniki (Greece) and bears the name of one of the most significant musical personalities of our city, Giorgos Thymis (1924-2009). A pianist, maestro and composer, and a former Artistic Director of the State Symphony Orchestra and the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki, Thymis played a leading role in the artistic life not only of Thessaloniki but also of Greece in the second half of the 20th century.
Recognized as an important European competition, it is now a member of the world-renowned Alink-Argerich Foundation and attracts high-level candidates from all over the world. This prestigious musical event for the city of Thessaloniki is organized biannually by the Friends’ Society of the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra (TSSO), in collaboration with the TSSO and the Thessaloniki Concert Hall.
Acclaimed artists from Greece and abroad have served on the Jury of the “Thymis” Competition (in alphabetical order): Theodore Antoniou, Cyprien Katsaris, George Konstantinidis, Nora Loukidou, Myron Michailidis, Hamish Milne, Alexandre Myrat, Bernard Ringeissen, Jerome Rose, Gabriel Tacchino, Dimitris Toufexis and Janis Vakarelis.
The Competition unfolds in three rounds. The preliminary and semifinal are hosted at the rehearsal hall of the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra, and the final round at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall.
REGULATIONS
ELIGIBILITY
The Competition is open to pianists of any nationality, born on or after 10 January 1986.
APPLICATION
The candidates must submit or mail the application form to the following address: THESSALONIKI STATE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, for the 8th International Piano Competition ‘Giorgos Thymis’ 2017, Nikis Avenue 71-73, 54622, Thessaloniki, GREECE. The application can also be submitted via our email address (info@thymiscompetition.gr) or via our website. Final date for receipt of applications is Saturday, 15 December 2018.
DOCUMENTS
To ensure their participation, applicants should include with their application form the following documents (please do not send originals, as no documents will be returned):
1. PROOF OF ENTRY FEE PAYMENT Clear copy of the 150€ entry fee payment, which can be directly deposited to the account of the Friends of the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra Association, PIRAEUS BANK, IBAN: GR20 0172 2100 0052 1009 0456 493, SWIFT/BIC: PIRBGRAA or by a Post Office check to the Association’s Treasurer, Mr. Nikolaos Deligiannidis (tel: + 30 2310 319133), Grigoriou Ε ́ 7, 54248 Thessaloniki. The payment of bank charges and commission into euros is the responsibility of the applicant. The entry fee is not refundable.
2. PHOTOGRAPHS Two (2) recent high-resolution photographs, no smaller than 9 x 12 cm., suitable for publication (photographs can be submitted also in electronic form at this address: info@thymiscompetition.gr).
3. BIOGRAPHY A typewritten copy of the applicant’s biography of 100 words (maximum), in one of the 4 following languages: Greek, English, French or German (biographies can be submitted also in electronic form at this address: info@thymiscompetition.gr)
4. PHOTOCOPY OF PASSPORT OR PHOTO ID OR BIRTH CERTIFICATE Aside from a copy of the applicant’s passport or photo identification card (two sides), a certified copy of the birth certificate is also acceptable. Non-EU applicants should submit copies of any of these original documents along with a certified English translation.
5. REPERTOIRE The repertoire chosen to be performed in each of the three rounds (see REPERTOIRE LIST below). ATTENTION: two (2) copies of the score of 20th- or 21st-century works to be played in the 2nd Round (Semifinal) must be submitted to the Organizing Committee during the Preliminary Round of the Competition.
6. COPIES OF DEGREES AND DIPLOMAS Copies of degrees and diplomas certifying the standard of the applicant’s musical education.
7. LIST OF TEACHERS A chronological list of all past and present teachers up to the application deadline.
COMPETITION ROUNDS
1. The Competition consists of three rounds: Preliminary – Semifinal – Final. The Preliminary and Semifinal rounds will be solo recitals to take place at the Rehearsal Hall of the THESSALONIKI STATE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (former movie theatre ‘PALLAS’), NIKIS AVENUE 71-73, THESSALONIKI. The Final involves a concerto with orchestra and will take place at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall (Megaron), where the prizes will be awarded.
2. Each pianist will perform a 30-minute programme in the Preliminary Round.
3. Up to twelve (12) pianists will be selected to advance to the Semifinal, where they will perform a 60-minute programme.
4. Three (3) pianists will be selected to perform a concerto with the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra.
REPERTOIRE REGULATIONS
1. Works to be performed must be chosen by applicants from the Competition Repertoire List. It rests on the applicant to determine the order in which they are to be performed.
2. The repertoire chosen must be submitted along with the application (by 15 December 2018). NO CHANGES TO THE SUBMITTED REPERTOIRE WILL BE CONSIDERED AFTER 15 DECEMBER 2018.
3. Works performed in one round may not be repeated in another.
4. When submitting their chosen repertoire, applicants must include full details of all works: full title, opus or catalogue number (BWV, KV, Hob., D, Op. etc.) and timings.
5. The Jury reserves the right to stop a competitor whenever it deems necessary to do so.
6. Repeats may be included or omitted at the applicant’s discretion, bearing in mind the time limits specified.
7. Works requiring ‘prepared’ piano or use of additional equipment will not be allowed.
8. Performances of unpublished works will not be allowed.
GENERAL REGULATIONS
Competitors should note the following: The order of appearance in the Preliminary Round will be drawn by lot, which shall take place on the evening of Thursday 10.01.2019 at 20:00, at the Rehearsal Hall of the THESSALONIKI STATE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (former movie theatre “PALLAS”), NIKIS AVENUE 71-73, THESSALONIKI. The competitors’ presence is mandatory. Those advancing on to the Semifinal will perform in the same order, while the Jury will decide the order of the Final. All works must be played from memory. Competitors are advised to make full use of the time allowed for each round in the Competition. The Jury will take the choice of programme and use of time into consideration. Competitors unable to perform when required will be disqualified, unless there is a serious reason (illness or accident). In that case, a medical certificate must be provided and the Jury may – at its discretion change the order of the competitor’s appearance. If at any time during the Competition after the Preliminary Round a competitor cannot perform due to ill-health or as a result of any irregularity, the Organizing Committee/Jury shall be entitled to promote the highest placed runner-up in the next round in place of the withdrawing competitor. In the event of a tie between the runners-up, the Jury will be asked to vote again until the closest runner-up is selected. The Jury reserves the right not to award a prize. A member of the Jury whose student is competing cannot participate in the voting process affecting directly the particular competitor. All rounds of the Competition will be open to the general public and may be broadcast live or videotaped/recorded on radio, television or film for future transmission in Greece and/or abroad. Any applicant giving inaccurate or misleading information will be disqualified. According to the Rules and Regulations of this announcement, the Organizing Committee is responsible for organizing the Competition and validating the applications submitted by the competitors.
REPERTOIRE LIST
You can find the Repertoire List here.
PRACTICE AND REHEARSALS
Daily practice facilities will be provided for competitors. There will be two (2) rehearsals with orchestra for the finalists.
PERFORMANCE RIGHTS
Whilst participating in the Competition, competitors will be contracted exclusively to the Competition which will have the right, without payment of fees, to:
1. Televise, film, video, tape-record, broadcast or photograph all rounds of the Competition for media or any other purpose.
2. Produce documentary or feature films.
3. Produce and distribute recordings of all rounds of the Competition, either in part or in whole, including any Prizewinners’ concerts immediately following the Competition.
4. Request competitors to make themselves available for media interviews and performances during the Competition.
5. To request Prizewinners to be available for up to four (4) days after the Competition to perform or appear in publicity events. No fees will be paid for any such event, but accommodation will be provided by the Organizing Committee.
6. Request that all Prizewinners acknowledge all awards in all future publicity materials.
PRIZEWINNERS’ PERFORMANCE CONTRACTS
Engagements which are offered to any Prizewinner as a direct result of the Competition will be negotiated by, and contracted through, the Competition office for a period of two (2) years, i.e. from 10 January 2019. Prizewinners will be expected to undertake all such engagements whenever possible.
TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION
Competitors will receive detailed instructions regarding their travel, accommodation and dining arrangements
INTERPRETATION
Should any dispute arise regarding the interpretation of any part of the rules and regulations of the International Piano Competition “Giorgos Thymis”, the decision of the Competition Organizing Committee and the Jury will be irrevocable and not subject to any appeal. No correspondence will be entered into. The Organizing Committee reserves the right to amend any of the rules and regulations contained herein, if it is considered necessary to give proper efficacy to the running of the Competition.
INFORMATION – TELEPHONE CONTACT:
+ 30 2310 257920, Monday to Thursday, 10:00- 14:00, Mr. Philip Hatzissimou.
PRIZES
1st PRIZE*:
Cash award of 5.000€
Engagement with the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra (soloist in a concerto)
Solo recital in another European country
Solo recital in the Thessaloniki Concert Hall (Megaron)
Solo recital in another Greek city
*The Jury may not award the 1st Prize at its sole discretion.
2nd PRIZE
Cash award of 3.500€
Solo recital in Athens
Solo recital in Thessaloniki, sponsored by the Friends of TSSO.
3rd PRIZE
Cash award of 2.000€
Solo recital in Thessaloniki, sponsored by the Friends of the TSSO HONORARY AWARD**
Cash award of 2.000€ to the best Greek competitor (owner of a Greek passport of identification card)
Engagement with the Thessaloniki City Symphony Orchestra (soloist in a concerto)
** Not awarded, if the best Greek competitor receives one of the three (3) prizes. PRIZES ARE INDIVISIBLE
JURY RULES
1. All members of the jury must attend the official jury orientation scheduled prior to the competition (except under special circumstances), during which they will be given an official folder containing information and all materials necessary for their adjudication, including sections on which to write their evaluations. These folders must be treated as documents containing privileged information that may not be divulged to anyone during the course of the competition. Each folder and its contents remains the property of the jury member to whom it has been assigned (and whose name will be clearly written on the cover).
2. Each member of the jury must attend every performance of each round. Failure to do so will disqualify the juror for that particular round.
3. Subsequent to the first jury orientation meeting, official gatherings of the jury for the purpose of briefing or voting will be closed except for jurors, the chairman of the jury, and a voting administrator (secretary) responsible for tabulation of the votes. Any exceptions will be made at the discretion of the jury chairman (for example, the conductor of the orchestra may be invited to appropriate jury meetings, in order to relate his/her experience regarding their collaboration with the competitors).
4. Jurors will not discuss with any person whatsoever, including amongst themselves, their opinion of competitors’ performances or any other aspect of their adjudication responsibilities.
5. Jurors may not communicate at any time during the competition with competitors, except for very brief casual exchanges in public.
6. Any juror having or having had during the preceding four years a teaching or professional relationship with a competitor must declare such relationship. Furthermore, any juror who has had a long-term teaching or personal relationship of any kind with a competitor at any time must also disclose such relationship. Master classes do not count as a teaching relationship. Jurors are required to sign a conflict of interest waiver and refrain from voting for that particular competitor.
7. Jurors must refrain from verbal comment, demonstrative behaviour, or any form of communication during competitors’ performances.
8. No individual or composite jury votes may be disclosed at any time to any person who is not a juror, the voting administrator (secretary) responsible for tabulation of the votes, except the final composite decision of the jury at the conclusion of each round of the competition, which will be announced to the public after the Preliminary and Semifinal Rounds by the jury chairman, and after the Final Round by the master of ceremonies at the Awards Ceremony or as designated by the chairman.
9. Jurors must comply with all rules. Any infraction of the rules by a juror may result in the dismissal of that juror and/or the disqualification of a competitor.
10. Selections for advancement to the next round will be based on a composite evaluation of the competitors’ performances. Jury decisions are final and irrevocable. The following procedures apply to the selection of competitors for the Semifinal and Final Rounds:
PRELIMINARY ROUND
a. After the Preliminary Round, each jury member will cast 12 names without ranking – i.e., those whom they want to hear again in the Semifinal – by marking a “+” beside each name. Jury members who have a conflict of interest with one or more competitors will mark a “0” beside the name(s) of this or these candidate(s). Should the candidate obtain at least 3 votes cast by the other jurors, a “+” will be added to the “0”. Should a candidate not obtain at least 3 votes cast by the other jurors, the juror in question must nominate another (other) candidate(s). Based on the majority of votes, the jury will select the 12 most qualified pianists for advancement to the Semifinal.
b. Then each jury member will vote for a second time, now giving points between 1 and 20 (in 0.5 point increments). This vote is taken into account only in case of a tie in the bottom line: the tied contestants with the higher accumulation of points will pass on. Votes given to contestants not passing to the Semifinal will be disclosed upon announcing the results. To avoid any influence on further voting, all votes given to the passing contestants will be kept confidential to everybody, including the jury. Jury members will then be available to explain their voting directly to those who failed to pass to the next round.
SEMIFINAL ROUND
a. After the Semifinal Round, each jury member will cast 3 names without ranking – i.e., those whom they want to hear in the Final. Jury members who have a conflict of interest with one or more competitors will mark a “0” beside the name(s) of this or these candidate(s). Should the candidate obtain at least 3 votes cast by the other jurors, a “+” will be added to the “0”. Should a candidate not obtain at least 3 votes cast by the other jurors, the juror in question must nominate another (other) candidate(s). Based on the majority of votes, the jury will select the 3 most qualified pianists for advancement to the Final.
b. Then each jury member will vote for a second time, now giving points between 1 and 20 (in 0.5 point increments). This vote is taken into account only in case of a tie in the bottom line: the tied contestants with the higher accumulation of points will pass on. Votes given to contestants not passing to the Semifinal will be disclosed upon announcing the results. To avoid any influence on further voting, all votes given to the passing contestants will be kept confidential to everybody, including the jury. Jury members will then be available to explain their voting directly to those who failed to pass to the next round.
FINAL ROUND
a. After the Final Round each jury member will rank the 3 finalists in his/her own preference, giving points between 1 and 3. The majority of points will determine the ranking of the finalists. In case of a tie, the place of a finalist is determined by the total number of points accumulated in the two previous rounds.
b. In the ensuing discussion for the awarding of prizes, the jury must consider all the performances throughout the competition. The “Best Greek Contestant” award will be given to the Greek competitor with the higher accumulation of points. In case a Greek competitor is among the prize winners, then no “Best Greek Contestant” award shall be given. The jury reserves the right not to award a prize, if the overall level of performance is deemed inadequate.
REPERTOIRE LIST
1st ROUND
[PRELIMINARY] – MAX. DURATION 30′
11-12-13 January 2019
1. J. S. Bach – One Prelude and Fugue (for 4 or 5 parts)
2. W. A. Mozart or J. Haydn – One fast movement from a Sonata
3. F. Chopin – One Étude from op. 10 or op. 25
4. F. Liszt or S. Rachmaninoff or A. Scriabin or C. Debussy or I. Stravinsky – One virtuoso Étude
2nd ROUND
[SEMIFINAL] – MAX. DURATION 60 ́
14 & 15 January 2019
1. L. van Beethoven – One Sonata
2. F. Schubert or F. Mendelssohn or F. Chopin or R. Schumann or J. Brahms or F. Lizst or S. Rachmaninoff or P. Tchaikovsky – One substantial work or complete opus
3. 20 or 21 century* – One work by an important composer of the competitor’s choice.
* See REGULATIONS (article 3 paragraph 5 – Repertoire)
3rd ROUND
[FINAL]
18 January 2019
One Concerto from the following:
Mozart: KV 466, 467, 488, 491
Chopin: 1st , 2nd
Brahms 1st
Grieg
Saint-Saens 2nd
Bartók 3rd
Beethoven: 3rd , 4th , 5th
Schumann
Liszt 1st, 2nd
Tchaikovsky 1st
Rachmaninoff 2nd, 3rd
Prokofiev 1st , 3rd
– ALL PROGRAMMES MUST BE PERFORMED FROM MEMORY
– UNPUBLISHED WORKS WILL NOT BE PERMITTED