RULES OF THE COMPETITION

general rules

ART. 1

Participation in the Competition constitutes acceptance by the contestant of all rules and regulations. Failure to comply with the rules or conditions of participation may result in the candidate’s disqualification without the right of appeal. Competition officials reserve the right to request additional information from any candidate.

ART. 2

The competition runs into three stages: Preliminary, Semi-Final & Final rounds for Categories A & B.

ART. 3

The Semi-Final & Final for Category A & B is open to the public.

ART. 4

The order of appearance of the selected competitors in the semi-final will be determined by drawing lots. If, for a valid reason, a competitor cannot be present for the drawing of lots, a member of the Competition staff will be enlisted to draw on the competitor’s behalf. A competitor unable to perform at the designated time will be disqualified unless their absence can be justified in advance to the Competition officials, who may, at their discretion, choose to modify the order of appearance of competitors.

ART. 5

All pieces must be played by memory. Candidates may perform their program with or without repeats as long as the total length of the program remains within the prescribed playing time. The jury reserves the right to stop the candidate if the performance exceeds the time limit.

ART. 6

Each candidate can practice at Escuela Superior Musical Arts facilities and test the piano on the main stage of the competition before the Semi-Final and the Final. The planning of practice with the piano on stage will respect the order of . In addition, candidates can use warm-up pianos before playing for the Semi-Final or Final at the Ateneo de Madrid and Royal Conservatory of Madrid.

ART. 7

In making its decisions, the jury will consider the programme's difficulty and balanced construction, the instrument's technical command, and the candidate's artistic personality. Semi-final competitors who do not advance to the final round might have the opportunity to meet with jury members to discuss their performance.

ART. 8

Competitors must agree to be free of all other professional activities during the entire duration of the Competition.

ART. 9

Competitors must make themselves available for all interviews, videos, and promotional meetings relating to the Competition.

ART. 10

All prizewinners are obliged to perform at the prize winners' ceremony; otherwise, theywill be disqualified.

ART. 11

A competition invitation letter may be provided to successful applicants needing a visa.

ART. 12

The Madrid International Piano Competition will disqualify candidates who didn’t pay their application participation fee.

ART. 13

Only the winners of the three main prizes can describe themselves as laureates of the Madrid International Piano Competition.

ART. 14

Candidates who study regularly (except for Masterclasses, Summer Academies, etc.) with one of our jury members at the time of the competition are not allowed to participate in the Madrid International Piano Competition. For former pupils, the teaching activities must have ended at least one year before the competition starts.

ART. 15

Participants must pay for their hotel and travel costs themselves.

ART. 16

This document (complete webpage) was initially drafted in English. In case of dispute, the only text of legal value is the original English text. Competition officials reserve the right to modify the text of this document at any time.

Categories

Participants of the competition will be divided into two categories, attending to their current birth year. Between both categories, a maximun of 24 pianists will be selected to perform in the semi-final round live in Madrid.

Category a

Pianists born between the 21st of September 2007 and the 20th of September 2013 (10 to 15 years old).

Category B

Pianists born between the 21st of September 1994 and the 20th of September 2007 (16 to 28 years old).

rounds

The competition will take place in 3 different rounds for both categories:

01
PRELIMINARY ROUND
The preliminary round will consist of a screening process in which the initial round jury will evaluate videos sent by the participants. Therefore, the videos sent with the application must commit to the following guidelines.

In the section below, you can also download the technical guidelines document that may help you orientate how to make a proper video for the competition.

June 30th 2023: The result of the preselection will be on our website and Social medias.*

*The initial date in which the competition stated that the preselection results were going to be published was June 19th - due to the large amount of applicants, this date is extended to June 30th, 2023.

CATEGORY A · PRELIMINARY ROUND

A 20 to 30 (Max.) minutes program high-quality video on YouTube online shall contain the following pieces:

• One Etude from Chopin from op. 10, nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12 or op. 25, nos. 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12 or Liszt “Waldesrauschen”,” Gnomenreigen”, ”La leggierezza”, ”Un sospiro”, or any etudes from Debussy, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, Scriabin, or Stravinsky.

• One movement from a classical sonata by Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven.

• One or more works or single movements from the Baroque period up to the present.

CATEGORY B · PRELIMINARY ROUND

A 20 to 40 minutes (Max.) program high-quality video on YouTube online shall contain the following pieces:

• One Etude from Chopin, Debussy, Ligeti, Liszt, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, Scriabin, or Stravinsky

• A free program

02
SEMI-FINAL ROUND
The selected candidates to participate in the Semi-Final round will perform a 25-minute max. free program Cat.A and perform a 30-minute max. free program Cat. B, including a virtuoso etude chosen from the preselection round, live in front of an audience at the Ateneo de Madrid featuring several pieces from different and contrasting styles and periods.

At the end of the Semi-Final, the jury will select 6 Finalists Cat A. & 6 Finalists CAT B. for the Final that will take place on Saturday, September 23rd, 2023, at the Ateneo de Madrid.

The results will be announced in the concert hall right after the jury’s deliberation and will be published online on the competition’s website.

The semi-final round will be live-streamed through the competition's media channels.

CATEGORY A · SEMI-FINAL ROUND

The Semi-Finalists Cat. A will play on Friday 22nd September 2023 at the Ateneo de Madrid.

CATEGORY B · SEMI-FINAL ROUND

The Semi-Finalists Cat. B will play on Thursday 21st September 2023 at the Ateneo de Madrid.

03
FINAL ROUND
The finalists of both categories, A and B, will perform Saturday, 23rd September 2023, at the Ateneo de Madrid.

CATEGORY A · FINAL ROUND

Pianists from Cat. A who reaches the final will perform a 25-minute Max. Free program in front of an audience at the Ateneo de Madrid and streamed live online, featuring several pieces from different and contrasting styles and periods. In addition, there will be an Audience Prize. The Prizes results will be announced after the jury’s deliberation and will be online on the competition’s website.

CATEGORY B · FINAL ROUND

Pianists from Cat. B, who reaches the final, will perform a 40-minute Max. Free program in front of an audience at the Ateneo de Madrid and streamed live online, featuring several pieces from different and contrasting styles and periods. In addition, there will be an Audience Prize. The Prizes results will be announced after the jury’s deliberation and will be online on the competition’s website.


Important: Pieces from the Preliminary round program (videos) can be repeated in the Semi-Final program or the Final round, but the program should be different in both rounds. Make sure to write down in your application the exact timing of the pieces you want to play in the Semi-Final and Final to avoid to be interrupted by the jury.

VIDEO REGULATIONS

Regulations and guidelines for the videos to be sent to participate in the preliminary round of the competition.

v. art. 1

Only one YouTube video should be submitted for the programme for all candidates entering.

v. art. 2

The candidate's full name must be included in the Title box, and the exact details of the pieces played in the Description box (Name of the piece, Op. number, Composer, and the precise timing when each piece, movement starting at).

v. art. 3

Online videos must have been released within 18 months from the application deadline date. In addition, the candidate’s profile and hands must always be visible on the screen; the camera angle must be fixed, and the microphones should be positioned to obtain good sound quality. The jury reserves the right to disqualify a candidate who submits a video with poor sound quality.

v. art. 4

The candidate will have the right to choose the order of the pieces in their program for each round.

v. art. 5

All video submissions (i.e., a single link) must be uploaded directly to YouTube, where the video can be streamed online without downloading. Other formats will not be accepted.

v. art. 6

Please ensure that the video is either public or unlisted before submitting your application and must remain so for the entire competition duration and after the competition.

v. art. 7

Video files should not be sent with services such as WeTransfer or similar. Likewise, DVD submissions will not be accepted.

v. art. 8

Videos must not contain any cuts or edits. This means there should be no cuts or edits within each piece recorded, but you can record each piece individually and then merge it all together in one video with an editing tool. Therefore, each application must submit just one video in one YouTube link. It is up to the competitor to decide if record all pieces in one take like a "live" concert or shot them individually and them merge them.

v. art. 9

Videos must feature one camera angle, in which the whole silhouette of the pianist is visible, including hands and feet.

v. art. 10

All works must be performed from memory. Competitors can choose whether to observe repeats as long as the time limit is not exceeded.

v. art. 11

Competitors must forfeit all recording, broadcasting, and distribution rights to the Madrid International Piano Competition and all artists’ resale rights for an unlimited period. In addition, by completing the official entry form, candidates agree to release all rights regarding the future use of recordings of their performance(s).

Helpful information about video & examples

Rules of the competition

Read the rules of the Madrid International Piano Competition. You can also download them in PDF here.

GENERAL RULES

art. 1

Participation in the Competition constitutes acceptance by the contestant of all rules and regulations. Failure to comply with the rules or conditions of participation may result in the candidate’s disqualification, without the right of appeal. Competition officials reserve the right to request additional information from any candidate.

art. 2

The competition runs into three stages: Preliminary, Semi-Final & Final rounds for both Categories A & B.

art. 3

The Semi-Final & Final for Category A & B is open to the public.

art. 4

The order of appearance of the selected competitors in the semi-final will be determined by a drawing of lots, which will take place at the Ateneo de Madrid. If, for a valid reason, a competitor is unable to be present for the drawing of lots, a member of the Competition staff will be enlisted to draw on the competitor’s behalf. A competitor who is unable to perform at the designated time will be disqualified, unless his or her absence can be justified in advance to the Competition officials, who may, at their discretion, choose to modify the order of appearance of competitors.

art. 5

All pieces must be played by heart. Candidates may perform their program with or without repeats, as long as the total length of the program remains within the prescribed playing time. The jury reserves the right to stop the candidate if the performance exceeds the time limit.

art. 6

Each candidate will have the possibility of practicing at the facilities of Escuela Superior Musical Arts and test the piano on the main stage of the competition before the Semi-Final and the Final. The planning of practice in the main piano will respect the order of the draw. Candidates will have the possibility of using a warm-up upright pianos before playing for the Semi-Final or Final at the Ateneo de Madrid.

art. 7

In making its decisions, the jury will take into account the difficulty and the balanced construction of the programmes, the technical command of the instrument, and the artistic personality of the candidate. Semi-final competitors who do not advance to the final round might have the opportunity to meet with members of the jury to discuss their performance.

art. 8

Competitors must agree to be free of all other professional activities during the entire duration of the Competition.

art. 9

Competitors are required to make themselves available for all interviews, videos, and/or promotional meetings relating to the Competition.

art. 10

All prize winners are obliged to perform at the prize winners' ceremony.

art. 11

A letter of invitation from the competition may be provided to successful applicants in need of a visa.

art. 12

The Madrid International Piano Competition will disqualify any candidate who has not paid his or her application participation fee.

art. 13

Only the winners of the three main prizes can describe themselves as laureates of the Madrid International Piano Competition.

art. 14

Candidates who study regularly (except for Masterclasses, Summer Academies, etc.) with one of our jury members at the time of the competition are not allowed to participate in the Madrid International Piano Competition. In the case of former pupils, the teaching activities must have ended at least one year before the competition starts.

art. 15

Participants must pay for their hotel and travel costs themselves.

art. 16

This document was originally drafted in English. In case of dispute, the only text of legal value is the original English text. Competition officials reserve the right to modify the text of this document at any time.

categories

Participants of the competition will be divided into two categories, attending to their current birth year. Between both categories, a maximun of 24 pianists will be selected to perform in the semi-final round live in Madrid.

Category a

Pianists born between 2007 and 2013 (both years included).

Category B

Pianists born between 1995 and 2014 (both years included).

rounds

The competition will take place in 3 different rounds for both categories:

Preliminary round

semi-final

final

preliminary round

The preliminary round will consist on a screening process in which videos sent by the participants will be evaluated by the preliminary round jury.

The videos sent with the application must commit to the following guidelines. You can also download the technical guidelines document that may help you orientate on how to make a proper video for the competition in the link below.

CATEGORY A · PRELIMINARY ROUND

A 20 to 30 (Max.) minutes program high-quality video on YouTube online shall contain the following pieces:

• One Etude from Chopin from op. 10, nos. 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12 or op. 25, nos. 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12.
or Liszt“Waldesrauschen”,” Gnomenreigen”, ”La leggierezza”, ”Un sospiro”, or any etudes from Debussy, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, Scriabin, or Stravinsky.

• One movement from a classical sonata by Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven.

• One or more works or single movements from the Baroque period up to the present.

CATEGORY B · PRELIMINARY ROUND

A 20 to 40 minutes (Max.) program high-quality video on YouTube online shall contain the following pieces:

• One Etude from Chopin, Debussy, Ligeti, Liszt, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, Scriabin, or Stravinsky

• A free program

VIDEO REGULATIONS

v. art. 1

For all candidates entering, only one YouTube video should be submitted for the whole programme.

v. art. 2

The full name of the candidate must be included in the Title box and the exact details of the pieces played in the Description box (Name of the piece, Op. number, Composer, and the exact timing when each piece, movement starting at).

v. art. 3

Online videos must have been realized within the last 12 months from the application deadline date. The candidate’s profile and hands must be always clearly visible on the screen; the camera angle must be fixed, and the microphones should be positioned to obtain a good sound quality. The jury reserves the right to disqualify a candidate who submits a video with poor sound quality.

v. art. 4

The candidate will have the right to choose the order of the pieces in his or her program for each round.

v. art. 5

All video submissions (i.e. a single link) must be uploaded directly to YouTube where the video can be streamed online without having to download it. Other formats will not be accepted.

v. art. 6

Please make sure that the video is either public or unlisted before submitting your application and must remain so for the entire duration of the competition.

v. art. 7

Video files should not be sent with services such as WeTransfer or similar. DVD submissions will not be accepted.

v. art. 8

Videos must not contain any cuts or edits.

v. art. 9

Videos must feature one camera angle, in which the whole silhouette of the pianist is visible, including hands and feet.

v. art. 10

All works must be performed from memory. Competitors can choose whether or not to observe repeats, as long as the time limit is not exceeded.

v. art. 11

Competitors must forfeit all recording, broadcasting, and distribution rights of any kind to the Madrid International Piano Competition, together with all artists’ resale rights, for an unlimited period. By completing the official entry form, candidates agree to release all rights regarding the future use of recordings of their performance(s).

Useful information about video & examples

semi-final round

The selected candidates to participate in the Semi-Final round (in both categories) will perform a 25-minute max. free program, including a virtuoso etude chosen from the preselection round, live in front of an audience at the Ateneo de Madridfeaturing several pieces from different and contrasting styles and periods.

At the end of the Semi-Final, the jury will select 6 Finalists Cat A. & 6 Finalists CAT B. for the Final that will take place on Saturday, September 23rd, 2023, at the Ateneo de Madrid.

The results will be announced in the concert hall right after the jury’s deliberation and will be published online on the competition’s website.

The semi-final round will be live-streamed through the competition's media channels.

CATEGORY A · SEMI-FINAL ROUND

The Semi-Finalists Cat. A (born between 2007 and 2013) will play on Friday 22nd September 2023 at the Ateneo de Madrid.

CATEGORY B · SEMI-FINAL ROUND

The Semi-Finalists Cat. B (born between 1995 and 2014) will play on Thursday 21st September 2023 at the Ateneo de Madrid.

final round

The finalists of both categories A and B will perform Saturday 23rd September 2023 at the Ateneo de Madrid.

CATEGORY A · FINAL ROUND

Pianists from Cat. A who reach the final will perform a 25-minute Max. free program in front of an audience at the Ateneo de Madrid and streamed live online, featuring several pieces from different and contrasting styles and periods. There will be an Audience Prize. The results of the Prizes will be announced after the jury’s deliberation and will be online on the competition’s website.

Important: Pieces from the Preliminary round program (videos) can be repeated in the program of the Semi-Final or the Final round, but the program should be different in both rounds. The total of playing should not exceed 25 minutes for both the Final and Semi-Final. The jury will be forced to interrupt the performance of the candidate if the performance exceeds 25 mins. Make sure to write down in your application the exact timing of the pieces you want to play in the Semi-Final and Final to not have this disagreement happen.

CATEGORY B · FINAL ROUND

Pianists from Cat. B who reach the final will perform a 40-minute Max. free program in front of an audience at the Ateneo de Madrid and streamed live online, featuring several pieces from different and contrasting styles and periods. There will be an Audience Prize. The results of the Prizes will be announced after the jury’s deliberation and will be online on the competition’s website.

Important: Pieces from the Preliminary round program (videos) can be repeated in the program of the Semi-Final or the Final round, but the program should be different in both rounds. The total of playing should not exceed 25 minutes for the Semi-Final and 40 minutes for the Final. The jury will be forced to interrupt the performance of the candidate if the performance exceeds 25 minutes for the Semi-Final and 40 minutes for the Final. Make sure to write down in your application the exact timing of the pieces you want to play in the Semi-Final and Final to not have this disagreement happen.