Prizes

Main prizes

Separately in both categories of the Competition, the finalists will be awarded the following grand prizes:

I prize – 20 000 EUR

II prize – 10 000 EUR

III prize – 8 000 EUR

IV prize – 6 000 EUR

V prize – 4 000 EUR

VI prize – 2 000 EUR

Honourable Mentions – 500 euros each for the other finalists

Additional and special prizes

Rulebook

FAQ

• How do I apply?

  In order to apply, you need to set up, free of charge, your online account at muvac.com, and then fill in the application form you will find there (https://www.muvac.com/en/national-institute-of-music-and-dance). The details of how to set up your Muvac account and how to fill in the application form can be found in a specially prepared guide.

• Does the organiser of the Competition cover the costs of travel and accommodation incurred by the musicians in participating in the Competition?

  The Competition qualifiers will be provided board and lodging, and their documented travel costs will be reimbursed by the organiser.

• What type of repertoire must be performed in the video recording sample attached to the application?

  The repertoire should feature works written by Polish composers (in accordance with the rules of the Competition), which the participant is planning to perform during the course of the Competition. In Category I, additionally, the participant needs to perform one etude written by Fryderyk Chopin (selected by the participant). The total duration of the application recording must be between 20 and 25 minutes. If the work consists of several movements, it is acceptable to perform separate individual movements. The participant may choose any order of the works performed. The individual compositions may be recorded anywhere, anytime and with the use of any means of technology.

• Can I perform my video repertoire during the course of the Competition?

  With the exception of a Chopin etude in Category I, all the works performed in the recording should also be performed during the successive stages of the Competition.

• What are the Competition prizes?

  In each category of the Competition, the finalists will be awarded the following main prizes: First Prize – 20000 euros, Second Prize – 10000 euros, Third Prize – 8000 euros, Fourth Prize – 6000 euros, Fifth Prize – 4000 euros, Sixth Prize – 2000 euros. All the remaining finalists will be awarded honourable mentions in the amount of 500 euros each. There will also be cash prizes for the best performances of works written by the following composers: Antoni Stolpe, Eugeniusz Pankiewicz, Raul Koczalski, Witold Maliszewski, Antoni Szałowski and Miłosz Magin. Besides the cash prizes, there will be numerous special prizes, e.g. in the form of concert invitations from Poland and abroad. The details of all these prizes can be found here: Prizes – 3rd International Competition of Polish Music

• Should I perform works written by Polish composers?

  Yes, you can only perform works written by Polish composers during the course of the Competition, in accordance with Section 9 of the Competition’s Rules and Regulations (which lists all the composers allowed for performance). You can also select works written by composers who are not featured on the prescribed list insofar as they are non-living Polish composers. If you are not sure about the eligibility of a particular work, please share your concerns and doubts with us writing to the following e-mail address: biuro@konkursmuzykipolskiej.pl

• Do the compositions I select need to be performed in their original instrumentation? Are transcriptions allowed?

  The works selected for performance in all the stages of the Competition, in both categories, need to be performed in their original instrumental versions. The works can only be performed in a different instrumental version if such instrumentation was made or authorised by the composer of the original piece of music. You can also perform works of other composers, Polish or otherwise (e.g. paraphrases, fantasias, variations etc.), in transcriptions made by the composers listed in Section 9 of the Competition Rulebook.

• If the line-up of our ensemble does not allow us to gather enough works from the repertoire of the composers listed in the Rulebook, can we also perform works written by Polish composers who are still alive?

  According to the rules and aims of the Competition, works written by living composers will not be allowed for performance in the programme of the Competition. The Competition repertoire is based on the music of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. At present, the object of the Competition is to showcase non-living composers, especially those whose legacy is not well known, for a variety of reasons. The originators of the Competition believed that those composers deserve the most attention.

• Is the detailed schedule of the Competition available yet?

  The detailed schedule of the successive stages of the Competition has not been drawn up yet. Please check the website of the Competition for updates and announcements, including those relating to the schedule.

• Is taking part in the Competition free of charge?

  The application process is free of charge. However, the qualifiers must pay the following entry fees: in Category I – PLN 450 (or EUR 100) paid by each pianist; in Category II – PLN 700 (or EUR 150) paid by each ensemble.

• Can I take part in the Competition again?

  Yes, provided you have not been a winner of the Competition in the category you are applying for. With regard to ensemble winners, the ensemble with the same name as before must not take part in the Competition again even if personnel changes (relating to individual members or the size of the ensemble) have taken place in the meantime. Likewise, an ensemble that has changed its name but has retained its personnel must not take part in the Competition again.

• Can I play the same compositions in the successive stages of the Competition?

  No. A composition selected for your repertoire can only be performed in a single stage/round of the Competition (in accordance with the rules stipulating the selection of compositions available in the annex to the Rulebook of the Competition).

• Can I perform two movements of a composition in one stage and then the other two movements of the same composition in another stage?

  No. A multi-movement composition performed during one stage/round of the Competition, regardless of whether you performed it in full or in part, is deemed to have been performed in its entirety and thus must not be performed again during the same edition of the Competition.