Exciting concerts and evaluation rounds
The 11th International FRANZ LISZT Competition Weimar – Bayreuth | Piano
The anticipation is growing: The registration portal for the ‘11th International FRANZ LISZT Competition Weimar - Bayreuth | Piano’ is open until 15 June. There will once again be a pre-selection of participants by video submission. The international piano competition from 21 October to 1 November 2024 will attract the public with several top-class concerts in addition to public evaluation rounds.
The opening concert on 21 October at 8:00 p.m. in the Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth will be performed by renowned pianist Martin Helmchen with works by Beethoven, Schubert and Gubaidulina. Tickets are available in advance from the Bayreuth theatre box office and the Bayreuth bookshop in Kircheneck.
The Liszt Competition, organised in cooperation with the City of Bayreuth, is considered one of the most important international competitions focusing on the works of Franz Liszt. The University of Music FRANZ LISZT Weimar and the City of Bayreuth are now organising the competition for the eleventh time.
After the first round in Bayreuth (22 to 24 October), the competition will continue with the second round (26 and 27 October) and the semi-final (28 and 29 October) in the Festsaal Fürstenhaus of the University of Music FRANZ LISZT Weimar. From the second round onwards, the exciting events will also be available to watch live on www.hfm-weimar.de and www.youtube.com/hfmfranzlisztweimar
The final concert on 31 October 2024 at 7:30 p.m. in the Weimarhalle with the Staatskapelle Weimar is also the final evaluation round with orchestra.
The competition will return to Bayreuth for the prize winners' concert on 1 November at 7:30 p.m. in the “Zentrum”.
In the middle of the competition, there will be another highlight with the ‘European Liszt Night’ on 24 October at 7:00 p.m. in the Villa Wahnfried in Bayreuth and on Friday, 25 October at 7:30 p.m. in the Festsaal Fürstenhaus in Weimar. The 1st prize winners of the three renowned Liszt competitions will perform: Kevin Yutong Chen (1st Prize Franz Liszt International Piano Competition Budapest 2021), Yukine Kuroki (1st Prize Liszt Utrecht Competition 2022) and Shota Kaya (1st Prize 10th International Franz Liszt Competition Weimar - Bayreuth 2021).
The international jury welcomes Weimar piano professor Michail Lifits, who is also the artistic director of the competition, as its new chairman. The jury also includes Michel Dalberto (France), Wolfgang Döberlein (Germany, 1st round), Norma Fisher (Great Britain), Leslie Howard (Great Britain | Australia), Vivian Li (China), Boris Petrushansky (Italy) and Lilya Zilberstein (Austria, from the 2nd round).
The jury will be awarding prizes totalling 25,000 euros to the most talented youngsters. The 1st prize of the competition, worth 12,000 euros, is donated by the NEUE LISZT STIFTUNG. There is also a 2nd prize (8,000 euros) and a 3rd prize (5,000 euros) as well as special prizes and follow-up concerts.
In the first and second rounds, the required competition repertoire clearly focusses on the piano works of Franz Liszt. There will be an innovation in the semi-final in 2024: for the first time, one of four piano quintets by Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Antonin Dvořák or César Franck must be selected, which will be performed together with the Karol Szymanowski Quartet. In the finale, the competition's namesake will once again take centre stage with his two piano concertos.
The Liszt Competition, which was founded 30 years ago by the Weimar Music university, is largely funded by the Free State of Thuringia and the City of Bayreuth. The NEUE LISZT STIFTUNG also provides major support.
Further information:www.hfm-weimar.de/liszt
[8 May 2024]