FELIX MENDELSSOHN INTERNATIONAL CONDUCTING COMPETITION

Dedicated to M° Cosmas Galileas
Thessaloniki Symphony Orchestra with the patronage of Mendelssohn Stiftung Leipzig, in cooperation with Megaron Concert Hall in Thessaloniki and Studiomusica International Artists Management, announces the first edition of
“FELIX MENDELSSOHN INTERNATIONAL CONDUCTING COMPETITION”
The competition is open to musicians of any nationality without age limits.
The competition will be held in Thessaloniki (Greece) from 5 until 11 November 2016.
Thessaloniki Symphony Orchestra will be the orchestra for the competition.
RULES
1. Eligibility
The competition is open to all the conductors, without nationality or age limitations.
2. Structure of the competition
The competition is structured as follows:
Eliminatory phase: 4 hands Piano, November 5 and 6
First Round: String Orchestra, November 7 and 8
Second Round: Chamber Orchestra, November 9
Semifinal: Chamber Orchestra with solo piano, November 10
Final: Symphony Orchestra with solo piano, November 11
The number of participants at the eliminatory phase is not limited, nonetheless the organisation reserves the right to close the registrations in advance in case of a too high number of requests.
The First Round will be open to 40 competitors.
The Second Round will be open to 20 competitors.
The Semifinal will be open to 10 competitors.
The Final will be open to 3 competitors and will be held in Megaron Concert Hall, Odos 25 Martiou & Paralia, Thessaloniki 546 46
3. Repertoire.
Eliminatory: 4 hands piano
(Music center of Municipality of Thessaloniki – Kountouriotou 17, Thessaloniki)
I. Stravinsky, Danse Sacrale from Le Sacre du Printemps
P. I. Tchaikovsky, Serenade for Strings op. 48
First Round: String orchestra open to up to 40 competitiors
(Music center of Municipality of Thessaloniki – Kountouriotou 17, Thessaloniki)
P. I. Tchaikovsky, Serenade for Strings op. 48
F. Mendelssonh, Symphony for Strings X in B minor
Second Round: Chamber Orchestra open to up to 20 competitors
(Music center of Municipality of Thessaloniki – Kountouriotou 17, Thessaloniki)
R. Wagner, Siegrfried Idyll
Semifinal: Chamber Orchestra with piano open to 10 competitors
(the soloist will be Mr. Roberto Prosseda, Decca Artist)
(Music center of Municipality of Thessaloniki – Kountouriotou 17, Thessaloniki)
F. Mendelssohn, The Hebrides Ouverture
F. Mendelssohn, Piano Concerto n° 1 in g minor op. 25
Each competitor will have ca 30 minutes to rehearse
Final: Symphony Orchestra with piano (the soloist will be Mr. Roberto Prosseda, Decca Artist)
(Megaron “Emilios Riadis” concert hall)
Group A
F. Mendelssohn, Symphony n° III “Scottish” Movement I
F. Mendelssohn, Piano Concerto n° 1 in g minor op. 25 Movement I
Group B
F. Mendelssohn, Symphony n° 5 “Reform” Movement I
F. Mendelssohn, Piano Concerto n° 1 in g minor op. 25 Movement I
Group C
F. Mendelssohn, A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Overture
F. Mendelssohn, Piano Concerto n° 1 in g minor op. 25 Movement III
The Final is open to n° 3 competitors, a group will be assigned to each and each will have 55 minutes rehearsal during which rehearse the pieces of the assigned group.
After the rehearsal there will be a public concert that is part of the competition, in this concert each competitor will conduct the assigned pieces.
Concert suit/dress is required.
The winner will be announced after the final concert, to the presence of the public.
The pieces will be drawn the evening before the day of the specific phase. The competitors are required to know all the pieces of the repertoire.
4. Participation fee
The participaton fee is € 320,00 that can be paid by bank transfer to the account
BCC di Vignole IBAN: IT11 X089 2221 5030 0000 0818 505 SWIFT BIC : ICRAITRRPM0
of Associazione Januartes (attention: bank expenses are to be charged to the payer)
or Paypal through paypal site (also by credit card).
The registration fee will not be returned in any case, except the cancellation of the competition; in that case the competitors will be promptly advised.
For the competitors having Greek passport the participation fee is €180,00
5. Prizes
First classified: € 2.000,00
1 concert in 2017/2018 season of Thessaloniki Symphony Orchestra (Greece)
Conduction of 1 Opera during 2017/2018 season of Magdeburg Theatre in Magdeburg (Germany)
1 concert in 2017/2018 season of “I Solisti Aquilani” in l’Aquila (Italy)
Jewish Art Days Budapest Prize, 1 concert with Budapest Symphony Orchestra MAV (Hungary)
1 year representation by MaMusic International Artists Agency
Official diploma
Second classified: € 1000,00
1 concert in 2017/2018 season of Magdeburgische Philharmonie (Germany)
1 concert in 2017/2018 season of Bacau Philarmonic Orchestra (Romania)
Official diploma
Third classified: € 500,00
Official diploma
Special prizes:
Mendelssohn Stiftung Prize
Thessaloniki Symphony Orchestra Prize (voted by the orchestra): 1 concert in 2017/2018 season
To all the Semifinalists will be given an official certificate of Semifinalists.
Those who will successfully pass the eliminatory phase will receive a participation certificate.
The last stages of the competition will be open to the public and there will be a  representative of International Artists Agencies present.
6. Jury
The International jury will be composed of the following members:
Eliminatory Phase:
M° Panagiotis Diamantis, M° Haris Iliadis, other four representative of the Thessaloniki Symphony Orchestra.
From the First Round
M° Gunter Neuhold (Austria), President of the jury
M° Haris Iliadis (Greece), Music Director of Thessaloniki Symphony Orchestra
M° Ovidiu Balan (Romania), Music Director of Bacau Symphony Orchestra
M° Michael Balke (Germany), GMD of Magdeburg Theatre
M° Maurizio Cocciolito (Italy), Artistic Director of “I solisti Aquilani”
M° Dario Mannino (Italy), Manager of MaMusic International Artists Agency
M° Roberto Prosseda (Italy), Concert pianist, Decca Artist (vote for the conduction of the piano concerto)
7. Registration
In order to register it is required to send the following documents:
– filled and signed registration form
– curriculum vitae
– 1 picture (resolution at leat 800 x 600 px)
– receipt of the payment of participation fee of € 320,00
The payment can be done through bank transfer on the account
BCC di Vignole IBAN: IT11 X089 2221 5030 0000 0818 505 SWIFT BIC : ICRAITRRPM0
of Associazione Januartes (attention: bank expenses are to be charged to the payer)
or Paypal (attention: commission fee is charged to the payer) through paypal site (also by credit card)