General Rules

RIGA INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION FOR YOUNG PIANISTS

General Rules

The Riga International Competition for Young Pianists is organized by Ballet and Dance Guild of Latvia. The competition takes place on 23-24 October, 2012 at the Small Guild Hall, 5 Amatu Street, Riga, Latvia. The Riga International Competition for Young Pianists is dedicated to promoting the riches of classical ballet music and folk tunes in academic piano music genres. The competition is open for young pianists from every country and of all nationalities up to the age of 17 years on the day of the competition. The competition is a public event 

(Piano competition (http://www.lbdg.lv/?page=16)).

Competition Aim

            To develop the traditions of academic piano playing in Latvia and promote the popularization of classical ballet melodies and folk tunes in academic piano music genres.

Competition Tasks

1.      Promote the development of the academic piano skills for professionally orientated young pianists in Piano Solo and Piano Four Hands performing;

2.      Diversify the pedagogical repertoire of academic piano playing with forgotten and lesser known pieces;

3.      Enrich the young pianists' stage performing experience.

Participation Criteria

1. Contestants' Groups

1.1  Debut Group, 5-6 years old.

1.2  Junior Group A, 7-8 years old.

1.3  Junior Group B, 9-10 years old.

1.4  Junior Group C, 11-12 years old.

1.5  Senior Group A, 13-14 years old.

1.6  Senior Group B, 15-17 years old.

2. Competition Categories

2.1 Piano Solo (between One or Two Rounds depending on the Group)

2.2 Piano Four Hands (One Round)

3. Repertoire

3.1. Piano Solo: DEBUT Group and JUNIOR Group A/B/C

3.1.1.Debut Group all played from memory and no longer than 3,5 minutes in total (minimum length 3-maximum length 3,5 minutes):

  • a set of contrasting pieces on folk tunes native to the contestant OR a set of contrasting pieces on folk tunes by Janis Norvilis Field of Songs (http://www.lbdg.lv/?page=20).

3.1.2.Junior Group A all played from memory and no longer than 5 minutes in total (minimum length 3,5-maximum length 5 minutes):

  • 1 piece on folk tunes native to the contestant OR 1 piece on folk tunes by Janis Norvilis Field of Songs (http://www.lbdg.lv/?page=20),
  • 1 OR more contrasting contemporary pieces on folk tunes native to the contestant, OR 1 or more contrasting pieces on folk tunes by Ilze Arne 3 Latvian Folk Tune Arrangements (http://www.lbdg.lv/?page=24),
  • 1 study of contestant's choice.

3.1.3.Junior Group B all played from memory and no longer than 8 minutes in total (minimum length 5-maximum length 8 minutes):

  • 2 contrasting pieces on folk tunes native to the contestant OR 2 contrasting pieces on folk tunes by Janis Norvilis Field of Songs (http://www.lbdg.lv/?page=20),
  • a set of contrasting contemporary pieces on folk tunes native to the contestant, OR a set of contrasting pieces on folk tunes by Pauls Dambis 10 Small Pieces for Children, Romualds Kalsons 12 Latvian Folk Tune Arrangements (http://www.lbdg.lv/?page=24),
  • 1 study of contestant's choice.

3.1.4.Junior Group C all played from memory and no longer than 10 minutes in total (minimum length 8-maximum length 10 minutes):

  • Variations on a folk tune OR several contrasting Latvian Folk Tunes for Piano op. 29; op.32 by Jazeps Vitols (http://www.lbdg.lv/?page=24),
  • 1 OR a set of Baroque period pieces (e.g. J.S. Bach Inventions, Sinfonias, movements from the French Suites, D. Scarlatti Sonatas etc.),
  • 1 virtuoso concert style (programmatic) study by A. Arensky OR F. Burgmüller, OR A. Diabelli, OR I. Moscheles, OR M. Moszkowski, OR E. MacDowell, OR E. Neupert, OR L. Rozycki (but not C. Czerny).

 

3.2. Piano Solo: SENIOR Group A/B

First Round

3.2.1.Senior Group A all played from memory and no longer than 12 minutes in total (minimum length 10-maximum length 12 minutes):

  • a major composition on a folk melody (e.g. Ballade OR Fantasy, OR Paraphrases, OR Rhapsody, OR Variations etc.),
  • 1 OR several, OR a set of Baroque period pieces (e.g. J.S. Bach WTC, movements from the English or French Suites, Partitas OR Toccatas, D. Scarlatti Sonatas etc.),
  • 1 virtuoso concert style study (P. Tchaikovsky, S. Maykapar, F. Mendelssohn, S. Lyapunov, F. Liszt, S. Rachmaninoff, A. Scriabin, J. Vitols etc.).

3.2.2.Senior Group B all played from memory and no longer than 15 minutes in total (minimum length 12-maximum length 15 minutes):

  • a major composition on a folk melody,
  • 1 OR several OR a set of Baroque period pieces,
  • 1 virtuoso concert style study,
  • a piece of contestant's choice.

Second Round

3.2.3.Senior Group A all played from memory and no longer than 8 minutes in total (minimum length 6-maximum length 8 minutes):

  • a piece or a set of pieces of contestant's choice, composed after 1950 (it is allowed to repeat the 1st Round repertoire),
  • a free choice of piece or a set of pieces of contestant's choice (it is allowed to repeat the 1st Round repertoire).

3.2.4.Senior Group B all played from memory and no longer than 10 minutes in total (minimum length 8-maximum length 10 minutes):

  • a piece or a set of pieces of contestant's choice, composed after 1950 (it is allowed to repeat the 1st Round repertoire),
  • a free choice of piece or a set of pieces of contestant's choice (it is allowed to repeat the 1st Round repertoire).

 3.3.Piano Four Hands: JUNIOR Group A/B/C. Played from memory OR from sheet music.

3.3.1.Junior Group A no longer than 6 minutes in total (minimum length 4-maximum length 6 minutes):

  • 1 folk tune arrangement,
  • a classical ballet music transcription or transcriptions.

3.3.2.Junior Group B no longer than 8 minutes in total (minimum length 6-maximum length 8 minutes):

  • 2 contrasting folk tune arrangements,
  • a classical ballet music transcription or transcriptions.

3.3.3.Junior Group C no longer than 10 minutes in total (minimum length 8-maximum length 10 minutes):

  • 2 contrasting pieces on a folk melody,
  • a classical ballet music transcription or transcriptions.

4. JUDGING

4.1.Young pianists will be judged on a 25-point scale, each performance will be awarded the arithmetic mean from the overall sum of points.

4.2.Judging criteria:

4.2.1. Degree of repertoire difficulty (in each category and group separately)

4.2.2. Stylistic appropriateness of performance and exactness of text rendering

4.2.3. Technical quality of the performance

4.2.4. Clarity and diversity of musical expression

4.2.5. Artistic stage presentation (artistry)

4.3.In each category Jury members should not discuss performances prior to the evaluation process. The results will be posted publicly at the very end of competition. The Jury's decision is final and not subject to revision, or appeal. In case of several candidates in the same category attaining an equal number of points, the Jury chairman has the final vote.

5.Prizes

The contestants will be provided with 1st, 2nd, 3rd Prize Winners' Diplomas and Participation Diplomas.

In Piano Solo category in Debut and Junior A/B/C Group special Ilze Arne, Pauls Dambis, Romualds Kalsons, Janis Norvilis, Jazeps Vitols Prize will be awarded.

In Piano Solo category in Senior A/B Group special Juris&Regina Lusis in Memoriam Prize will be awarded.

In Piano Four Hands category in Junior A/B/C Group special Junior Jury Prize will be awarded.

Piano teachers will receive the Certificate of advanced professional training program coordinated with the Ministry of Education and Science of Republic of Latvia (on 27 March, 2012 with Nr.136).

 

6.Application

            Please fill in clearly the Application Form. Until 10.10.2012 contestant's Application Form and birth certificate must be scanned and e-mailed as attachments to lusenora@yahoo.com

  • clearly filled in and signed Application Form (scanned),
  • contestant's birth certificate (scanned).

7.Additional

Participation in Riga International Competition for Young Pianists is free of charge in 2012 according to competition's aim and its musical educational tasks.

With signing the Application Form, contestants agree to competition's General Rules.

At the competition, the contestant must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, teacher or other person over 18 years of age. The travel and lodging expenses are to be paid by the contestants and their accompanying persons themselves.

Contestants are observing the order of stage appearances. Formal concert dress is required. The order of stage appearances in competition, contestant's program and the results of competition will be published on the Latvian Ballet and Dance Guild home page www.lbdg.lv (Piano competition (http://www.lbdg.lv/?page=16))

Any recordings, video or audio, or radio or TV broadcasting, are free of charge and contestants can expect no payment for them.

The scores by Ilze Arne, Pauls Dambis, Romualds Kalsons, Janis Norvilis, Jazeps Vitols and others are available for free download according to competition's educational tasks:

Piano competition (http://www.lbdg.lv/?page=18)

Downloadable version of these rules HERE