The Competition will be held at the ANU School of Music in Canberra from the 15th to 21st of September, 2014. There will be 3 rounds:
Round 1 (preliminary stages) 16th – 17th September, 2014
o Stage A – total 20 minutes
o Stage B – total 20 minutes
o All 16 competitors will perform in both stages
Round 2 (semi-final) 19th September, 2014
o 6 competitors will be chosen to perform a 40-50 minute recital
Round 3 (final) 21st September, 2014
o 3 competitors will be chosen to perform
Eligibility
The competition is open to pianists of all nationalities, aged between 18 and 31 years (born between 1st January, 1983, and 31st December, 1996).
Recipients of the first, second or third prize of the previous Competition in 2011 are not eligible to enter.
How to Apply
Applications will need to be submitted online.
In addition to an online written application, applicants will be required to submit an audio-visual recording of a live performance of the following four pieces:
One etude by Chopin
One prelude and fugue by Bach
One sonata (first movement only) by Mozart or Beethoven
One nocturne by Chopin
All applications will incur a $100 fee. The deadline for applications is 15th of June, 2014.
Competition Repertoire
Round 1 Stage A
One impromptu by Chopin from the following:
o Impromptu in A flat major, Op.29
o Impromptu in F sharp major, Op.36
o Impromptu in G flat major, Op.51
o Fantasie-Impromptu in C sharp minor, Op.66
One etude by Debussy
One etude by Chopin from Op.10 and Op.25
o Exceptions: Op.10 no.3, Op.10 no.6, Op.25 no.7
One scherzo by Chopin from the following:
o Scherzo in B minor, Op.20
o Scherzo in B flat minor, Op.31
o Scherzo in C sharp minor, Op.39
o Scherzo in E major, Op.54
Round 1 Stage B (Total 20 Minutes)
One or two mazurkas by Szymanowski
Two or three mazurkas by Chopin from the same Opus, to choose from Opuses:
o 17, 24, 30, 33, 41, 50, 56, 59
One waltz by Chopin from the following:
o Waltz in E flat major, Op.18
o Waltz in A flat major, Op.34 no.1
o Waltz in A flat major, Op.42
Any one nocturne by Chopin
Round 3 (Semifinal)
A choice of work/s by an Australian composer, from the following:
o Carl Vine - one movement of any sonata
o Carl Vine - Toccatissimo and Bagatelle no.5
o Anthony Bozicevic- Dan Gnjeva (score available in PDF form to all applicants)
One polonaise from the following:
o Andante Spianato and Polonaise E flat major, Op.22
o Polonaise in F sharp minor, Op.44
o Polonaise in A flat major, Op.53
o Polonaise – Fantasy in A flat major, Op.61
One sonata from the following:
o Sonata in C minor, Op.4
o Sonata in B flat minor, Op.35
o Sonata in B minor, Op.58
Round 3 (Final)
One piano concerto with string quintet accompaniment, from the following:
o Piano concerto in E minor, Op.11
o Piano concerto in F minor, Op.21
All compositions with the exception of the Australian work/s are to be performed by memory.
Cash Prizes
First Prize $25,000 Donated by the Pratt Foundation, Melbourne
Second Prize $10,000 Donated by Friends of Chopin Australia, Canberra
Third Prize $5,000 Donated by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland, Canberra
Cash prizes will also be awarded for:
Best Performance of a Polonaise
Best Australian Pianist
Youngest Finalist
Several additional prizes will be arranged and announced at a later date.
Performance Prizes
Performance prizes will include the opportunity to perform several recitals in major Australian cities and in Poland.
The winner of the First Prize must be available for subsequent performances for up to 7 days after the conclusion of the Competition. Travel and accommodation expenses for this time will be covered by the Competition. The dates and the venues of the recitals in Poland will be negotiated with the Winner after the Competition.
The Jury
The jury will be chaired by Em/Prof Larry Sitsky AM (ANU School of Music, Canberra). The jury will also include international guest adjudicator Professor Wojciech Świtała (Academy of Music, Katowice, Poland), and a number of eminent representatives of Australian universities.
Travel and Accommodation
Up to $1000 will be paid to international competitors living outside Australia to cover travel costs.
International competitors are responsible for obtaining their own passports and visas.
Accommodation will be provided by billeting families in Canberra for the duration of the competition and a few days before for the overseas competitors (12th – 22nd September, 2014).
Practice Facilities
Practice facilities will be provided by the ANU School of Music and the billeting families for entire lengths of the Competition and a few days prior.
(M.P.)
Stanisław Ziembicki - Piąty Konkurs Chopinowski
Czyja ręka dorówna Chopinowskiej dłoni,
Nie pokłóci się z sobą, a tak się nachyli,
Jakby między palcami grającymi motyl
Miał przelecieć, nie tracąc na skrzydłach pozłoty
Chociaż ręce grające szybsze są od chwili
I płyną jak czas płynie, dzwonią jak deszcz dzwoni...
Czyje ucho wśród dżwięków tysiąca odnajdzie
Nawet listek, co zaraz zacznie się zielenić
I nagle zaszeleści w topniejącym sadzie,
I zabłyśnie, by wszystkie lasy opromienić,
Kto oprze swoje palkce na płatkach stokroci,
Kto muzykę posrebrzy i ciszę pozłoci...
Czyja ręka połączy surowe klawisze
Tak jak dłonie najdroższe, które się rozstają,
By po latach, po chwili, do siebie powrócić,
Kto potrafi uciszyć nawet samą ciszę,
Aby można posłuchać, jak kolory grają.
Jak niebo się kołysze i jak gwiazda nuci...
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