The announcement and the Conditions of the 2027 Concertino Praga – Antonín Dvořák International Radio Competition for Young Musicians

Article 1: The announcement
1. Czech Radio and the Academy of Classical Music hereby announce the 61st annual 2027 Concertino Praga – the Antonín Dvořák International Radio Competition for Young Musicians (hereafter also simply referred to as the “Competition”).

2. Concertino Praga – the Antonín Dvořák International Radio Competition for Young Musicians takes place under the patronage of the European Broadcasting Union (www.ebu.ch) and the Karel Komárek Family Foundation.

Article 2: The categories
The 2027 competition will be opened in the following categories:

a) in the category of keyboard and string instruments for the following instruments: violin, viola, violoncello, piano, harp and accordion;

b) in the category of wind instruments for the following instruments: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, French horn and trombone.

The competition is open to young musicians of all nationalities with the exception of contestants who are citizens of the Russian Federation throughout the period of the military campaign that the Russian Federation is currently waging on the internationally recognised territory of Ukraine. If the geopolitical situation within the territory of Ukraine should change by the time of the holding of the competition, the condition for the acceptance of any entries from contestants who are citizens of the Russian Federation will be the acknowledgement of the changed geopolitical order in Ukraine by both the international community and the Czech Republic.

Article 3: The deadline for the submission of entries
The deadline for the submission of entries and the delivery of the competition recordings for the 1st round is 21 March 2027 for the wind instruments category and 31 March 2027 for the keyboard and string instruments category.

Article 4: The competition categories and age limits
Participation in the competition is limited by age:
4.1. In the category of keyboard and string instruments (piano, violin, viola, violoncello, harp and accordion):
a) musicians who are under 16 years of age (i.e. born on 18 September 2011 or later) at the time of the holding of the competition’s final public round may participate in the piano and violin sub-categories.

b) Musicians who are under 17 years of age (i.e. born on 18 September 2010 or later) at the time of the holding of the competition’s final public round may participate in the viola, violoncello, accordion and harp sub-categories.

All the instrumental sub-categories in groups a) and b) of the keyboard and string instruments category will be evaluated jointly.

4.2. In the category of wind instruments (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, French horn and trombone):Musicians who are under 18 years of age (i.e. born on 17 September 2009 or later) at the time of the holding of the competition’s final public round may participate.

All the instrumental sub-categories in the wind instruments category will be evaluated jointly.

Article 5: Entering the competition
a) Candidates may enter each competition category through their legal guardian or through a registering organisation, which may be a music school or a radio organisation. A registering organisation may enter no more than five candidates in each competition category.

b) No participation fee is charged for entering the competition.

Article 6: The form of entry into the competition
1. Entries into the competition must be submitted exclusively using the form available on the Competition website: concertinopraga.cz. The form may be completed and submitted at any time during the application period, including well in advance of the deadline for submitting all required materials.

2. After submitting the entry form, each contestant will receive a competition code and instructions for labelling and uploading all required materials. The earlier the contestant submits the form, the more time they will have to prepare, process and upload the mandatory attachments. 

3. All required materials must be uploaded no later than 21 March 2027 for the wind instruments category and 31 March 2027 for the keyboard and string instruments category. If the contestant submits the entry form only on the final day of the relevant application period, they will have a further 24 hours from receipt of the code and instructions to upload all required materials.

4. The following must also be submitted with the entry:
a) recordings of the individual competition pieces in WAV/PCM format – 16/24 bits – 44.1/48 kHz and stereo. We recommend making the recordings using professional equipment in suitable facilities. Reduced recording quality may adversely affect the evaluation.

b) a complete video recording of the recording session for all competition recordings, which the jury will view in the event of any doubts concerning the making of the competition recording and compliance with the ban on editing – see Article 7/3 (this may be filmed using a mobile phone, as the jury will not take the video quality into account),

c) five different professional photographs of the contestant in print quality (at least 300 dpi), with the photographer’s name stated, and written consent to their use,

d) complete sheet music for the competition recordings (without any personal or teaching notes),

e) a copy of the contestant’s identity card or passport.

5. An entry for participation in the Concertino Praga competition likewise constitutes a declaration that the contestant agrees with and will proceed in accordance with the Competition Conditions. This declaration also constitutes consent to the use of all submitted materials and a temporally and territorially unlimited licence to use the submitted competition recording in radio and audiovisual broadcasting, streaming and on-demand use on the websites of the Competition, Czech Radio, the Academy of Classical Music and the Competition’s official partners. This licence is provided for the use of the performer’s artistic performances and for the use of audio and audiovisual recordings provided by the contestant. The aforementioned licence also applies to the use of the contestant’s competition performances and all audio and audiovisual recordings or broadcasts of those performances made as part of the contestant’s participation in the Competition for its duration, including participation in the subsequent Concertino Praga South Bohemian Festival. The organiser will secure the broadcasting and communication-to-the-public rights via the internet in relation to the authors and publishers of the music.

6. An entry to participate in the Competition likewise constitutes a declaration by the contestant or their legal guardian that they have acquainted themselves with the principles of GDPR set out in a separate document on the Competition website.

7. By entering the competition, the participant undertakes, if selected for the final round, to take part in the final, which will be held as a public concert with orchestra as part of the Dvořák Prague International Music Festival 2027 on 16 September 2027 or 17 September 2027, respectively, and to participate in the Concertino Praga South Bohemian Festival 2027, taking place from 19 to 25 September 2027.

Article 7: The competition repertoire
1. The performer will arrange for the creation of the 1st round recordings lasting a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 30 minutes and will do so at their own expense. Recordings that are shorter than 20 minutes will not be included in the Competition. The jury may shorten any recordings that are longer than 30 minutes.

2. It is recommended that the competition repertoire should include a selection of works from different stylistic periods. In the case of baroque and classicist pieces, the part for a keyboard instrument may be performed on a piano or on the originally prescribed keyboard instrument.

The following may be included in both categories:
a) works for solo instrument without accompaniment by another instrument,
b) works for solo instrument with piano accompaniment,
c) an instrumental concerto or a movement thereof with piano accompaniment, but excluding piano concertos. The length of any such piece must not exceed 50% of the total recording. A recording of a concerto or concerto-like work performed with orchestral accompaniment may not be used as a competition recording.

Recordings of works, or parts of works, with orchestral accompaniment are not permitted in the 1st round.

3. The recordings must have been made between 1 June 2026 and 21 March 2027 for the wind instruments category, or 31 March 2027 for the keyboard and string instruments category, either in a studio or during a public performance, but as live recordings without any subsequent editing (this must always involve a recording of a performance of a complete single-movement piece or a whole movement without interruption). Multi-movement works must be recorded movement by movement; each movement must be saved as a separate track and may not be edited. The recordings may not be subject to any broadcast rights of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) or any mechanical rights (IFPI).

4. The evaluation of the contestant by the expert jury will also be influenced by the maturity of the selection of the competition repertoire, while also taking into account the promotion of works by Antonín Dvořák and other Czech composers.

5. The organiser will publish a list of recommended works, the performance of which will have a positive impact on the evaluation of the competition performances and may be one of the evaluation criteria. The performance of these works may also be associated with special prizes awarded by foundations involved in promoting the musical legacy of certain composers. These prizes will be regularly published on the Competition website. The list of recommended works is published in a separate document on the Competition website.

Article 8: The course of the Competition and the evaluation of the performances
The first round
a) The organisers are entitled to assess the technical and audio quality of the recordings up to and including 10 April 2027. If the recording quality is found to be insufficient, they may request the contestant to submit recordings of suitable quality by 30 April 2027 at the latest. If the recordings still fail to comply with the requirements, they will not be included in the Competition.

b) The competition recordings will be assessed by the jury by 31 May 2027.

c) The jury will designate 4 contestants to proceed to the final round in each category. At the same time, the jury will also designate 1–2 understudies for the final round in each category. If they are unable to perform the role of understudy due to the 100% participation of the designated finalists, these contestants will be given the opportunity to perform either with piano accompaniment or solo without piano accompaniment at a concert as part of the “Talent Stage” at the Dvořák Prague 2027 festival.

d) The organiser will inform those who have made it into the Competition’s final round or have been named understudies to the finalists in writing, namely by email using the email addresses stated in the entry form, or by telephone within 10 business days of the jury’s decision.

e) In the category of keyboard and string instruments (piano, violin, viola, violoncello, harp and accordion), the finalists will be called upon to give a live competition performance with an orchestra at the Dvořák Hall of the Rudolfinum as part of the Dvořák Prague international music festival, accompanied by the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, on 17 September 2027. The contestant may perform a work lasting 20–35 minutes. If the prescribed duration is exceeded, the organisers may require a change of repertoire for the public 2nd round. The repertoire for the 2nd round will be confirmed by the organisers no later than 30 June 2027.

In the category of wind instruments (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, French horn and trombone), the finalists will be called upon to give a live competition performance with an orchestra in the Concert Hall of the Prague Conservatory as part of the Dvořák Prague international music festival, accompanied by the Pardubice Chamber Philharmonic, on 16 September 2027. The work must be a concerto for solo instrument and orchestra with a maximum of 40 players and with no more than two players in each wind/brass section (fl2 [pic], ob2, cl2, fg2 [cfg], cor2, tr2, trb2, tb1, timp + 1), lasting 15–25 minutes. Concertos requiring a larger orchestral complement will not be accepted for the final round. If the prescribed duration of the proposed solo concerto is exceeded, the organisers may require a change of repertoire for the public 2nd round. The repertoire for the 2nd round will be confirmed by the organisers no later than 30 June 2027. 

f) A finalist or their registering organisation must confirm participation in the final round within 5 business days of being notified that they have progressed. If any finalist fails to confirm participation, the next contestant in the order designated by the competition jury in the 1st round will proceed to the final round.

g) The names of the contestants who have not progressed to the final, have not become understudies and have not received any other awards will not be announced to either the jury or the public.

The final round
a) The final round in each competition category will take place in the form of a public concert. For the final round, the contestant will choose one concerto or concerto-like work for their instrument with orchestral accompaniment. This means a single- or multi-movement instrumental concerto or concerto-like work, not individual movements from a work. The prescribed duration of the live final-round performance is 15–25 minutes for the wind instruments category and 20–35 minutes for the keyboard and string instruments category. The repertoire must therefore be selected so as not to exceed the prescribed time limit. Longer works will not be accepted. The final-round repertoire stated in the entry is binding and may not be changed after the application period has closed.

b) The contestant is required to be physically present in Prague for 3 full days prior to the holding of the final round, namely for the purpose of 2 rehearsals and a dress rehearsal with the orchestra. The same condition also applies to the designated understudies if it is known that any of the designated finalists will not participate in the final round. The understudies are also obliged to adapt their stay in Prague to the date of their performance on the Talent Stage at the Dvořák Prague festival, which takes place in parallel with the final rounds in both competition categories.

c) The contestant’s performance in the final round will be recorded by Czech Radio with a possible live broadcast. The recording will take both audio and audiovisual form.

d) As soon as all the competition performances have been completed at the public concert, the competition jury will sit and decide on the prize winners and any 1st grade honourable mentions. The jury will announce its decision as part of the final concert for the given competition category. The official prizegiving will follow this announcement.

e) The principles for awarding the prizes are subject to the Competition Conditions.

Article 9: The competition juries
1. The juries for the individual rounds of the competition are appointed by the competition directorate. The competition directorate likewise appoints the chairperson of the jury for the final round.
a) The jury for the 1st round in the category of keyboard and string instruments (piano, violin, viola, violoncello, harp and accordion) will have at least 5 members, consisting of teachers and performers active in these instrumental fields.

b) The jury for the 1st round in the category of wind instruments (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, French horn and trombone) will have at least 5 members, consisting of teachers and performers active in these instrumental fields.

c) The jury in the final round for both competition categories will have at least 9 members and will consist of significant local and international music personalities, one of whom will be a representative of the EBU.

2. The jury members may not be in any familial relationships with any of the contestants.

3. If a jury member has a teaching relationship with a contestant or is a representative of an organisation that has registered a contestant in the competition, they must declare this relationship to the remaining jury members and the competition directorate. In such a case, the jury member will not be authorised to evaluate the given contestant.

4. The members of the jury for the 1st round are not entitled to receive any information about the entered contestants.

5. The voting in the jury for the 1st round will take place anonymously in the form of a remote evaluation. The jury for the 1st round will only have a joint online meeting once they have submitted their votes.

6. The voting of the juries for the final round in both competition categories will be realised using anonymous points sheets, which the jury members will submit to a representative of the competition organiser without any prior discussion among the jury members for the purpose of ascertaining the simple number of points and designating the order. The jury will only engage in a discussion on the order, if the points evaluation leads to a points tie.

7. The jury’s discussions will not be public, although the discussions may be attended by authorised employees of the organisers. The jury’s decisions are final. All of the juries’ discussions will be held in English, if the jury includes any international members.

8. The points evaluations of the contestants’ performances will not be published either in their total form or the individual tallies of the jurors.

Article 10: The prizes in the competition
1. The jury in the Competition’s final rounds can award the first, second and third prize in each category. The winners of these prizes receive the title “Laureate of the Concertino Praga competition”

The jury can also award a “1st grade honourable mention”. The jury does not have to award all the prizes. The jury will not award any ex aequo prizes (shared prizes).

2. The holders of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes and 1st grade honourable mentions will receive prizes in the form of special-purpose scholarships amounting to:

1st prize – 5000 EUR and the Czech Radio Prize
2nd prize – 2800 EUR
3rd prize – 1700 EUR
1st grade honourable mention – 700 EUR

The financial prizes are awarded in the form of special-purpose scholarships by the Karel Komárek Family Foundation or other partners of the Academy of Classical Music and they are paid out by the Academy of Classical Music.

3. The Concertino Praga finalists will perform at concerts of the Concertino Praga South Bohemian Festival from 20 to 24 September 2027.

4. The organisers will also award other prizes in the form of financial support or concert performances, the list of which is available on the Competition’s website.

Article 11: Covered costs
1. The organiser will cover the following costs:
a) the organiser will pay for the transport to and from the Czech Republic of the finalists, the designated understudies and their escorts (this means one escort), but only, however, in the case of transportation that has been secured or approved by the organiser (an economy class plane ticket, 2nd class train ticket or car - a lump sum designated by the organiser). The organiser will not pay any transport costs that are arranged by the finalist, designated understudy or an escort without any prior agreement with the organiser.

b) the organiser will arrange the accommodation and board for the invited finalists, the designated understudies and their escorts in Prague. The organiser will not pay any accommodation and board costs that are arranged by the finalist, designated understudy or an escort without any prior agreement with the organiser.

c) the organiser will pay the costs for any transportation in the Czech Republic and the stay of the finalists at the Concertino Praga South Bohemian Festival. A Czech Radio employee will be responsible for all the participants throughout the South Bohemian festival. The participation of escorts is permitted, but they will be responsible for any associated costs.

2. The winners and participants at the concerts associated with the Competition will not receive an honorarium. The organisations that sent the participants to the competition will likewise not receive an honorarium.

3. An escort may be a legal guardian or an individual designated by the organisation that entered the winner in the Competition.

Article 12: The concluding provisions
1. A contestant may not enter again in the same category in which they have previously received the title of Laureate.

2. The recovery of the prizes through the courts has been ruled out.

3. The Competition organiser reserves the right to change the rules of this Competition, but only to do so on serious grounds. The organiser will provide information about any such changes without any undue delay via its website. If the change also concerns contestants who have already submitted any entry, the organiser will inform said contestants by means of the electronic channel contained in the entry form.

4. These competition conditions have been drawn up in English and in Czech. In the case of any discrepancies between them, the Czech version will be decisive.

5. The competition conditions are available online at www.concertinopraga.cz and www.akademieklasickehudby.cz.

6. The frequently asked questions (FAQ) are available online.