THE 66TH KOSCIUSZKO FOUNDATION CHOPIN PIANO COMPETITION

COMPETITION RULES

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. The 66th Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Piano Competition (hereinafter called the Competition) will be held September 29-30, 2018 at the Kosciuszko Foundation House: 15 E 65th Street, New York, NY 10065.

2. The Jury of the Competition will include outstanding Polish and foreign musicians.

3. The Competition is open to pianists of all nationalities representing a professional level of performance, born between January 1, 1989 and December 31, 2002 and who meet the requirements described in Part III.

4. Candidates entering the Competition must submit the required application documents and video recording by May 1, 2018. Late submissions will not be considered. Selected candidates will participate in the Competition held in New York, September 29-30, 2018.

II. COMPETITION SCHEDULE • Registration and material submission deadline: 1 May, 2018 • Contestants will be notified about admission to Semifinals by 15 June 2018 • September 28, 2018 (Friday) – Arrival in New York City, piano testing, welcoming reception, drawing the order of the contestant’s performances • September 29 (Saturday) – Semifinals (12 contestants) • September 30 (Sunday) – Finals (6 contestants) and the Awards presentation.

III. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

1. The Competition application shall include the following items:

a) A completed application available on the Kosciuszko Foundation’s website b) A 200-word biographical note c) A photocopy of an official document indicating date of birth d) One current professional quality portrait photograph (resolution 300dpi) e) Photocopies of musical studies certificates f) Two letters of recommendation in support of the Competition application, provided by pedagogues or outstanding music personalities g) Documents certifying the candidate’s major artistic activities in the past three years h) A high-quality YouTube video recording containing a 30 second-long self-introduction and a Pre-selection repertoire recording featuring the program outlined in Part IV of the Competition Rules. i) A $75 non-refundable application fee. 2. The application form and all correspondence relating to the participation in the Competition must be in English only. Incomplete application or failure to meet the abovementioned requirement may result in the rejection of the application. The Foundation will not return the submitted documents and materials, which will become the Foundation's property.

3. The application is available online on the Kosciuszko Foundation website: www.thekf.org/kf/programs/competitions/chopin. It must be filled out and submitted along with all the necessary documents and payment by May 1, 2018. Receipts of applications will be automatically generated by the system.

4. The candidate’s submission of his/her Competition application will be tantamount to the candidate’s acceptance of these Rules. The notification of the acceptance of the candidate’s application will mean that an agreement has been concluded between the Foundation and the candidate concerning all matters provided for in these Rules.

IV. THE COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

A. Stage I: Pre-selection – Video recording. Time limit: 20 minutes

1. The live video must be made with one camera, in one complete take. The hands of the contestant must be visible throughout. The repertoire must be played from memory. Once recorded, the video should be labeled with the name of the contestant, and the repertoire should be detailed in the video description. The video should be uploaded to YouTube as a private link. All documentation, including the link to the YouTube video should be sent by e- mail to: [email protected].

2. Repertoire of the Pre-selection round video submission: 1) Two Etudes by Fryderyk Chopin, one from each group (a & b) indicated below: a) Op. 10 no. 1, 4, 5, 8, 12; Op. 25 no. 11. b) Op. 10 no. 2, 7, 10, 11; Op. 25 no. 4, 5, 6, 10.

2) One of the following works by Fryderyk Chopin: • Nocturne Op. 9 no. 3 • Nocturne Op. 27 no. 1 • Nocturne Op. 27 no. 2 • Nocturne Op. 37 no. 2 • Nocturne Op. 48 no. 1 • Nocturne Op. 48, no. 2 • Nocturne Op. 55 no. 2 • Nocturne Op. 62 no. 1 • Nocturne Op. 62 no. 2 • Etude Op. 10 no. 3 • Etude Op. 10 no. 6 • Etude Op. 25 no. 7

3) One of the Etudes Op. 4 by Karol Szymanowski.

2

4) One of the Preludes Op. 1 by Karol Szymanowski

5) One of the following works by Fryderyk Chopin: • Ballade Op. 23, Op. 38, Op. 47 or Op. 52 • Barcarole Op. 60 • Fantasia Op. 49 • Scherzo Op. 20, Op. 31, Op. 39, or Op. 54

The pieces may be performed in any order except the Chopin Etudes from groups a) and b), which have to be played one after the other.

B. Stage II: Semifinals, performed live in New York City. Time limit: 30 minutes

1. One of the following works by Fryderyk Chopin: • Ballade Op. 23, Op. 38, Op. 47 or Op. 52 • Barcarole Op. 60 • Fantasia Op. 49 • Scherzo Op. 20, Op. 31, Op. 39, or Op. 54

Contestants who played one of the Scherzos in the first stage, in the second stage should choose another genre from the group.

2. One of the following Waltzes by Fryderyk Chopin: • Op. 18; Op. 34 no. 1; Op. 34 no. 3; Op. 42; Op. 64 no. 3

3. One of the following Polonaises by Fryderyk Chopin: • Andante Spianato and Grand Polonaise brillante Op. 22 • Polonaise Op. 44 • Polonaise Op. 53 • Polonaise-Fantasie Op. 61

4. One of the following works by Ignacy Jan Paderewski: • Krakowiak, Op. 5 no. 1 • Mazurka op. 5 no. 2 • Krakowiak op. 5 no. 3 • Melodie op. 8 no. 3 • Cracovienne fantastique op. 14 no. 5 • Legende op. 16 no. 1 • Thème varié, Op. 16 no. 3 • Melodie op. 16 no. 2 • Nocturne op. 16 no. 4

The jury reserves the right to stop the contestant’s performance should he/she exceed the allotted time

3 C. Stage III: Finals, performed live in New York City. Time limit: 45 minutes

1. Fryderyk Chopin: Sonata Op. 35 or Sonata Op. 58. Repetition of the exposition in the first movement of the B minor Sonata should be left out; repetition of the first movement of the B flat minor Sonata is optional.

2. Fryderyk Chopin: Full set of Mazurkas from the following: Op. 17, 24, 30, 33, 41, 50, 56, or 59. Mazurkas must be played in the order they are numbered in the opus.

3. Karol Szymanowski: Any two Mazurkas from Op. 50

Except the Mazurkas, the repertoire may be performed in any order. The jury reserves the right to stop the contestant’s performance should he/she exceed the allotted time.

V. PRIZES AND AWARDS

First Prize: • $10, 000 and a Gold Medal • A solo recital at the International Keyboard Institute and Festival in New York City Second Prize: $5,000 and a Silver Medal Third Prize: $3,000 and a Bronze Medal Special Award of $1,000 for the best interpretation of a work by Ignacy Jan Paderewski Special Award of $1,000 for the best interpretation of a work by Karol Szymanowski

VI. ADDITIONAL RULES 1. The Competition repertoire must be played from memory. 2. The candidate’s documents and recordings will be assessed by the Qualifying Committee, consisting of outstanding musicians, on the basis of the Qualifying Committee Rules. The Artistic Director will appoint Members of the Qualifying Committee. 3. Competition performances will be open to the public and held in two stages: Semifinals and Finals 4. After the Pre-selection round, 12 contestants will advance to the Semifinals and 6 will advance to the Finals. 5. The Foundation will make it possible for a Competition participant to use practice pianos and to try out the piano used for the Competition if the participant registers with the Competition Office no later than September 20, 2018. 6. The order of the participants’ performances will be determined by a drawing. 7. For organization and program related reasons the Artistic Director will have the right to change the sequence of a day’s performances. In the event of a contestant’s illness, confirmed by the Competition’s medical service, the contestant may be permitted to perform outside the established sequence, at the end of the current stage.

4 8. The Foundation will not assist Competition participants to obtain USA visas. At the interested party’s request the Competition Office will provide a note confirming his/her acceptance to the Competition and the abovementioned benefits. 9. The Foundation takes no responsibility or liability for the Participants’ travel, accommodation, food, medical insurance and any other expenses incurred with the participation in the Competition. Competition participants should have health insurance coverage for the duration of their stay in USA to participate in the Competition. 10. Main prizewinners will earn the title "Laureate of the 66th Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Piano Competition.” 11. Semifinalists and Finalists who do not receive awards stage will receive participation diplomas. 12. The Competition Jury has full discretion in awarding and distributing Competition prizes. All Jury decisions are final and are not subject to appeal. 13. The members of Jury who have a student or relative among the participants, will abstain to vote for him or her. Jury members will not abstain or cast blank or void votes in any other case. 14. Competition results will be made public following the Final round as soon as the Jury has finished its deliberations and the official presentation of the winners will be held on September 30, 2018. 15. The First, Second and Third Prize winners will perform, if requested, a recital without remuneration for the benefit of the Foundation at a mutually agreed date. 16. Each Competition participant will: a) permit the Foundation to make audio and visual recordings of performances during the Competition and the winners’ concerts and transfer to the Foundation all economic rights to these performances;

b) permit the Foundation to make audio and visual recordings of image, statements and interviews given during the Competition and the winners’ concerts or relating to the Competition and the winners’ concerts; transfer to the Foundation all property rights to these statements and interviews, and permit the Foundation to disseminate his/her image recorded in connection with his/her participation in the Competition and the winners’ concerts.

17. The Foundation reserves the right to make any changes to the overall Competition structure as it sees fit including changing number and dates of the Competition stages, and editing rules and regulations.

18. All contestants under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.

5