School musicians in competition
The 16th CARL BECHSTEIN National Competition for Practical School Piano Playing in Weimar
Budding music teachers show off their amazing virtuoso skills on the piano and with their voices at the University of Music FRANZ LISZT Weimar. The 16th CARL BECHSTEIN National Competition for Practical Piano Playing in Schools will take place from 25 to 28 April 2024 in the Am Palais Hall at the University of Music Weimar. A jury will determine whose skills on the concert grand piano are the most outstanding in free improvisation, song playing, score playing and sight-reading in public evaluation rounds.
The opening concert of the competition will take place on Thursday, 25 April at 20:00 in the Saal Am Palais. There, Helmut Lörscher will perform solo on the piano with the programme "The Art of the Moment - Soirée of Improvisation". The virtuoso pianist is regarded as a master of improvisation. Tickets at 20 euros, concessions 15 euros, will be available from March at the Weimar Tourist Information Centre and at the box office.
Students enrolled in the music teaching degree programme can register to take part in the competition until 31 March 2024. Registration takes place via the university's website.
The participants will be judged by a jury of six, chaired this year by Prof Ortwin Nimczik (Detmold). Prizes will be awarded in the categories of lied playing, score and sight-reading playing and improvisation. If there is an overall winner, they will receive 1,500 euros in prize money.
The winners will conclude the competition on Sunday, 28 April with a concert in the Saal Am Palais. Admission to the concert is free. Please note that seating in the hall is limited.
The "Schupra" competition has been running for more than 30 years, and this year the competition is being organised with a new sponsor. The CARL BECHSTEIN STIFTUNG has taken over from the Braunschweig-based piano manufacturer Grotrian-Steinweg after many years of co-operation. The purpose of the new partner foundation is to promote piano music and piano playing on a broad scale. It supports projects and institutions that introduce children and young people to the piano at an early age and motivate them to play the piano in the long term.
The competition is organised by the Weimar University of Music in cooperation with the Federal Association of Music Teaching (BMU).
Further information:www.hfm-weimar.de/schupra
[20 December 2023]