Editor’s Note With the arrival of the vaccines, a sliver of light has begun to emerge at the end of a long tunnel. Most presenters and event planners are still in a wait-and-see mode, ever trying to guess when they can return to a semblance of normal business. For competitions, which range from annual to quintennial in their life cycles, this has been particularly challenging: The Musical America Guide to Top Postpone the date of the finals (if you dare predict that far in advance) and consider the cascading impact on every other date in the cycle, from the application deadline to the quarter- and semifinals. Will the venues booked still be available? How about the judges? Will COMPETITIONS they and the contenders be allowed to travel? As such, we have added a few features in the annual Guide to Top Competitions, such as “Pandemic policies and procedures” for each entry, including the option to respond “TBD” for dates and venues. Some have moved the earlier stages of the cycle online, waiting to schedule live rounds until they get the go-ahead from health authorities. Others, like the Bescançon International Competition for Young Conductors, have pushed the application deadline ahead, while maintaining the rest of the original schedule. Perhaps the most novel, not to mention generous, decision was that of the American Pianist Awards, which held its solo semifinals online to choose the finalists and, rather than award one prize to the winner, divided it among the five finalists. It is a testament to all involved that, whether postponing deadlines, changing venues, restructuring the jury, or being forced to make any number of other alterations, these competitions have persevered. Their commitment to bringing new, exceptional talent into the limelight persists, and with that, their continued nourishment and renewal of the field. Regards, Susan Elliott Editor, News and Special Reports COVER PHOTO: Belvedere Singing Competition 2019 in Villach, Austria. Left to right: 2nd Prize Opera: Boikhutso Owen Metsileng (tenor, South Africa); 1st Prize Opera: Valeriia Savinskaia (soprano, Russia); 3rd Prize Opera: Slávka Zámečníková (soprano, Slovakia). CREDIT: © Ferdinand Neumüller THE MUSICAL AMERICA GUIDE TO TOP COMPETITIONS 1 musicalamerica.com • February 2021 The following listings were drawn from the 2021 Musical America Worldwide database. COMPETITIONS Note that the majority have first-prize monies of $10,000 and over. American Pianists Awards .............................................................. 3 International Conducting Competition Rotterdam ....................... 22 The 10th Osaka International Chamber Music Competition .......... 41 Sing Finzi 2021 ............................................................................. 50 The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions International Music Competition Cologne .................................... 23 PianoArts ..................................................................................... 42 The Solti Foundation U.S. ............................................................. 50 in the Performing Arts .............................................................. 4 International Piano Competition of Orléans ................................. 23 Piazzolla Music Competition ........................................................ 42 Sphinx Competition ..................................................................... 51 ARD International Music Competition ............................................ 4 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis .......................... 24 PIMF Online Virtual Concerto Competition ................................... 43 Wilhelm Stenhammar The Azrieli Music Prizes .................................................................. 5 International Violin Competition Stuttgart ................................... 25 Plowman Chamber Music Competition ........................................ 43 International Music Competition (WSIMC) .............................. 51 2021 Gina Bachauer International Junior & International Vocal Competition ’s-Hertogenbosch ...................... 25 Primrose International Viola Competition® .................................. 44 Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition................. 52 Young Artists Piano Competitions ............................................. 6 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition .......................................... 26 Princess Astrid International Music Competition .......................... 45 Stulberg International String Competition ................................... 53 Banff International String Quartet Competition ............................. 6 The Jinji Lake International Piano Competition ............................ 26 Queen Elisabeth Competition—Belgium – Brussels ................... 45 Sydney International Piano Competition ...................................... 53 Lillian and Maurice Barbash J.S Bach Competition ......................... 7 Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition Hannover ........ 27 The Queen Sonja International Music Competition....................... 46 Takamatsu International Piano Competition ................................ 54 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2021 ............................................. 7 Johansen International Competition Rapido!® A 14 Day Composition Contest ....................................... 46 Toru Takemitsu Composition Award 2022 ..................................... 55 International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition ............. 8 for Young String Players (Ages 13-17) ..................................... 27 The 16th Arthur Rubinstein International Rosalyn Tureck International Bach Competition ........................... 55 Besançon International Competition for Young Conductors............ 9 The Lotte Lenya Competition........................................................ 28 Piano Master Competition ...................................................... 47 37th Valsesia Musica International Competition 2021 .................. 56 Blue Danube/Béla Bartók International Opera Conducting The Gerda Lissner Foundation Lieder Song VC in Association Paloma O’Shea Santander International Walgreens National Concerto Competition ................................... 57 Competition 2021 (8th Edition) ................................................ 9 with the Liederkranz Foundation ............................................ 29 Piano Competition .................................................................. 47 16th International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition ........... 57 William C. Byrd Young Artist Competition .................................... 10 10th International Franz Liszt Piano Competition Schadt String Competition ........................................................... 48 Wigmore Hall/Bollinger International Song Competition ............. 58 Canadian International Organ Competition .................................. 11 Weimar-Bayreuth 2021 ........................................................... 29 Schmidt Vocal Competition .......................................................... 49 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition .............. 59 National Chopin Piano Competition of the United States ............. 11 Franz Liszt International Piano Competition 2021 ........................ 30 Franz Schubert and Modern Music ............................................... 49 Young Concert Artists International Auditions.............................. 59 Christmas Carol Commission Competition .................................... 12 Liszt Competition ........................................................................ 31 Cleveland International Piano Competition .................................. 12 Lyon International Chamber Music Competition .......................... 31 Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition ............... 13 La Maestra International Competition Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival ........ 14 for Women Conductors ............................................................ 32 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Virtual Competition ............. 14 The Mahler Competition............................................................... 32 Concours Musical International de Montréal—CMIM .................. 15 Malko Competition for Young Conductors .................................... 33 The Cooper-Bing Vocal Competition ............................................. 15 Fourth International Éva Marton Singing Competition ................. 33 International A Cappella Video Competition—Cork Eleanor Mccollum Competition .................................................... 34 International Choral Festival ................................................... 16 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions ........................... 35 Dublin International Piano Competition ....................................... 16 Midwest National Chamber Music Competition ........................... 35 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition ............................. 17 Monte Carlo Piano Masters ........................................................... 36 Geneva International Music Competition ..................................... 18 MTNA National Student Competitions .......................................... 37 Global Music Awards .................................................................... 18 Music International Grand Prix ..................................................... 37