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Smetana International Piano Competition

All competitions
27/02/2027 - 05/03/2027
Plzen, Czech Republic
Piano

Smetana International Piano Competition celebrated its 50th anniversary in March 2012. In the past, many great concert pianists won Smetana Competition. The history of the Competition goes back to the year 1963.
Smetana International Piano Competition offers competition repertoire that respects the musical freedom. Each candidate can choose the Smetana programme with a personal emphasis on virtuoso, lyrical or dance style. More than half of the Competition repertoire still consists of the Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin or Liszt compositions, personally chosen by competitors.

Website

Information

Organiser

Conservatory of Pilsen

Structure

The participants should be aged up to 30 years old.
Between one and three rounds, depending on age category.

Cycle

Every two years

Next competition

The 36th SMETANA INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION will be held in Plzeň, Czech Republic, between 27 February – 5 March 2027.

 

The competition will take place in the concert hall of the Conservatory of Plzen. The third round of the Third category will take place in the Great Hall of the City Ballroom.

Next deadline

Deadline for applications is 20th December 2026.

Application

Each applicant must:

1) fill in an application form
2) enclose an entry fee

The entry fee for foreign participants in the Competition amounts to 60 EUR (entry fee is non-reversible)

The entry fee should be credited to the following account number:
IBAN: CZ71 0800 0000 0019 7254 3223
BIC: GIBACZPX

The following documents should be attached to the application form (for foreign participants):
– an electronic copy of the applicant´s passport, stating the applicant´s name, date of birth and passport number
– a portrait photograph of the applicant in an image file format required in the on-line application form

The organiser will acknowledge the receipt and acceptance of applications and confirm applicant´s participant.

Rules

Age Limit and Competition Categories

The competition is divided into three categories and is open to Czech and foreign pianists.

  • First category: born in 2011 and later.
    The competition of the First category consists of one round.
  • Second category: born in 2007 and later.
    The competition of the Second category consists of two rounds.
  • Third category: born in 1997 and later.
    The competition of the Third category consists of three rounds.
    In the Third category the Jury will select only four contestants to compete in the third round (the Finals).

Other Competition Regulations

  • All works in all competition rounds must be performed from memory.
  • The order of the works performed in individual rounds is the competitors´ free choice with the exception of the free chosen composition.
  • The composition of a free choice of candidate must be played as the last one in every round of the Competition.
  • The competition performances are open to members of the public.
  • Any change in the competitors repertoir can be announced to the organizer of the Competition until 10 January 2027 in a written way or using an e-mail. It is not possible to change the repertoir after this date.
  • In the event that any radio or TV broadcast or recodings of the competition performances be made, these are at the Organiser´s disposal and shall serve to promote the Competition. In the event of any commercial use of any recording, this will be the subject of further negotiations.

Repertoire

First category repertoire

  • Competitors born in 2011 and later.
  • The competition consists of one round.

Programme

The time limit of the entire performance is 20 minutes.

A shorter performing time of B. Smetana´s works will result in the disqualification of the competitor.

The composition of a free choice of candidate must be played as the last one.

  • 1. a rapid movement from a classical sonata by one of the following composers: J. Haydn, W. A. Mozart, L. van Beethoven, J. L. Dusik, J. V. H. Vorisekor one rondo chosen from the works of   W. A. Mozart or L. van Beethoven
  • 2. B. Smetana : free choice of one or more compositions of not less than seven minutes´ duration
  • 3. competitor´s free choice of one or more works

Second category repertoire

  • Competitors born in 2007 and later.
  • The competition consists of two rounds.

Programme – first round

The time limit for the entire first round is 20 minutes.

A shorter performing time of   B. Smetana´s works will result in the disqualification of the competitor.

The composition of a free choice of candidate must be played as the last one.

  • 1. one concerto etude of a virtuoso character chosen from the works of these composers: F. Chopin, F. Liszt, B. Smetana, S. Rachmaninov, A. Scriabin
  • 2. B. Smetana : free choice of one or more compositions of not less than seven minutes duration
  • 3. the competitor´s free choice of  Czech or the world´s compositions from the romantic period

Programme – second round

The time limit for the entire second round is 30 minutes.

A shorter performing time of B. Smetana´s works will result in the disqualification of the competitor.

The composition of a free choice of candidate must be played as the last one.

  • 1. a rapid movement from a classical sonata by one of the following composers: J. Haydn, W. A. Mozart, L. van Beethoven, J. L. Dusik, J. V. H. Vorisek or one rondo chosen from the works of   W. A. Mozart or L. van Beethoven
  • 2. B. Smetana : free choice of compositions of not less than ten minutes´ duration.
    No work by B. Smetana included in the previous round may be performed in this round.
  • 3. competitor´s free choice of one or more compositions
    No work included in the previous round may be performed in this round.

Third category repertoire

  • Competitors born in 1997 and later.
  • The competition consists of three rounds.

Programme – first round

The time limit for the entire first round is 20 minutes.

A shorter performing time of   B. Smetana´s works will result in the disqualification of the competitor.

The composition of a free choice of candidate must be played as the last one.

  • 1. one concerto etude of a virtuoso character chosen from the works of these composers: F. Chopin, F. Liszt, B. Smetana, S. Rachmaninov, A. Scriabin
  • 2. B. Smetana : competitor´s free choice of compositions of not less than seven minutes´ duration. In the selection, one polka from the first series of  the Cycle of  Czech Dances must be played.
  • 3. the competitor´s free choice of  Czech or the world´s compositions from the romantic period

Programme – second round

The time limit for the entire second round is 45 minutes.

A shorter performing time of  B. Smetana´s works will result in the disqualification of the competitor.

The composition of a free choice of candidate must be played as the last one.

  • one complete sonata from the works of these composers:
    J. Haydn, W. A. Mozart, L. van Beethoven, J. L. Dusik, J. V. H. Vorisek
  • B. Smetana : competitor´s free choice of compositions of not less than fifteen minutes´ duration. In the selection, one composition from the second series of the Cycle of  Czech Dances must be played.
    No work by B. Smetana included in the previous round may be performed in this round.
  • competitor´s free choice of one or more compositions.
    No work included in the previous round may be performed in this round.

Programme – third round

one of the following piano concertos:

  • W. A. Mozart: Concerto in D minor, K 466
  • W. A. Mozart: Concerto in C, K 467
  • W. A. Mozart: Concerto in A, K 488
  • L. v. Beethoven: Concertos Nos. 1 – 5
  • E. Grieg: Concerto in A minor
  • F. Chopin: Concerto in E minor, Concerto in F minor
  • R. Schumann: Concerto in A minor
  • F. Liszt: Concerto in E flat

 

Prizes

First category

1st prize: CZK 10, 000
2nd prize: CZK 5, 000
3rd prize: CZK 3, 000

Second category

1st prize: CZK 30, 000
2nd prize: CZK 15, 000
3rd prize: CZK 8, 000

Third category

1st prize: CZK 50, 000
2nd prize: CZK 25, 000
3rd prize: CZK 12, 000

Special Smetana Prize

CZK 30, 000

Other Regulations regarding the Awarding of Prizes

The Jury reserves the right to withhold an award in any category.

In the event that more equal prizes in any category are to be awarded, the Jury reserves the right to combine the total financial amount determined for the particular category and divide it in such a way that it will respect the conventions of awarding prizes. All of the decisions of the Competition Jury will be final and not open to discussion.

1 st-, 2nd- and 3rd- prize winners will become “competition laureates”.

The playing of the selected competition laureates at the prize-winners´ concert on Friday, 5 March 2027, is a condition of being awarded the prize money and other awards.

Contact

Contacts

Competition secretary
secretariat@piano-competition.com
Visit original competition page www.piano-competition.com

Prize winners

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