Jury’s Decision
Eight prize winners at the 17th CARL BECHSTEIN National Competition for Practical Piano Teaching
Yesterday, Sunday, the 17th Carl Bechstein National Competition for Practical Piano Teaching came to a close with the virtuoso and festive Prize Winners’ Concert in the Saal Am Palais. A total of 15 aspiring music teachers from nine German Music universities participated in the relaxed, creative, and exciting competition at the University of Music FRANZ LISZT Weimar from May 7 to 10.
Damian Bach (Mainz University of Music) was named the winner of the first round, “Liedspiel.” The second round, “Score and Sight-Reading,” was won by Luis Jäckel from the Freiburg University of Music. The prize for the third round, “Improvisation,” went to Charlotte Stärk from the Cologne University of Music and Dance. An overall prize spanning all rounds was not awarded this year. The Audience Award was won by Michael Domaschka (University of Music Würzburg).
The seven-member jury, chaired by Prof. Dr. Kai Koch (University of Music Karlsruhe), also awarded a number of special prizes. The special prize from the Federal Association of Music Education (BMU) for the particularly original performance of a musical number was awarded to Jakob Maas from the University of Music FRANZ LISZT Weimar. The special prize for a very authentic original composition went to Simon Flock (Cologne University of Music and Dance).
The special prize from the Weimar Music University for a particularly stylistically appropriate rendition of a song went to Sebastian Munsch from the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts – and the special prize from the CARL BECHSTEIN FOUNDATION for a particularly successful late-Romantic improvisation on a poem was awarded to David Kiefer (Freiburg University of Music).
The “Schupra” Competition has been in existence for more than 30 years. This marks the second time it has been held with the generous support of the CARL BECHSTEIN FOUNDATION. The foundation’s mission is to promote piano music and piano playing on a broad scale. Support is provided to projects and institutions that introduce children and young people to the piano at an early age and motivate them to continue playing the piano in the long term.
The organizer of the competition is the University of Music FRANZ LISZT Weimar in cooperation with the Federal Association of Music Education (BMU).
Further information: www.hfm-weimar.de/schupra
[11 May 2026]