FIRST ROUND

Competitors must offer a recital programme lasting no longer than 25 minutes including contrasting works from the Baroque or Classical period (before 1800) and the Romantic period and / or early 20th century. Transcriptions unless by the composer of the work concerned are not permitted. All works must be complete from editions that adhere to the original text and played from memory. Repeats are at the Competitor’s discretion.

SECOND ROUND

Competitors should prepare two contrasting programmes each of 40 minutes duration, and each to include one substantial work or group of works by a major composer.

No music from the First Round may be selected for the Second Round. All works must be complete, from editions that adhere to the original text and played from memory. Repeats are at the Competitor’s discretion.

Notification of the programme chosen for this round will be given with the announcement of the successful Competitors on 03 May 2021. Programmes may not be changed after this date.

SEMI-FINALS

Competitors should prepare two contrasting programmes – Programme A and Programme B – of no longer than 75 minutes music in total, made up of solo piano music and chamber music chosen from two Groups (see below). Consideration should be given to the building of each of these programmes as a whole.

The Jury will select one of the two programmes for the Competitor to perform. Competitors will be notified of this when the list of Semi-Finalists is announced at the end of the Second Round.

In Programme A, each Competitor should include one piece of chamber music from Group 1 (Piano Trios, Quartets and Quintets). In Programme B, each Competitor should include one piece of chamber music from Group 2 (Violin Sonatas and Cello Sonatas).

The remainder of each programme will consist of solo piano music of the performer’s choice but must include one 20th/21st century work from the list provided. The solo piano music selected should be different for each programme, with the exception of the 20th/21st century piece, which can be the same piece in both Programme A and Programme B.

SOLO PIANO

No music from the First or Second Round repertoire may be selected for the Semi-Finals.

In total the solo piano music for each programme should last not less than 30 minutes and not more than 45 minutes.

The final duration of the solo piano music in each programme is at the discretion of the Competitor and will depend on the duration of the chamber works selected.

The total duration of each programme must not exceed 75 minutes, including pauses.

The repertoire must include a 20th / 21st Century work (use of the scores is permitted), which can be the same in each programme, drawn from the following:

• Pierre Boulez 1st Sonata 10′
  
• Luciano Berio Sequenza 11′
  
• Brett Dean Hommage a Brahms 3 pieces – 8’
  
• György Ligeti Selection of Etudes up to approx. 10’
  
• György Kurtág Selection of Játékok up to approx. 10’
  
• Thomas Larcher Noodivihik 10′
  
• Thomas Ades Three Mazurkas 9′
  
• George Benjamin Meditation and Relativity Rag 7′

CHAMBER MUSIC

Use of the score is permitted and a page turner is provided.

Two chamber works should be chosen, one from each of two different groups – one piano trio/quartet/quintet and one duo sonata, drawn from the following:

GROUP 1

Piano Quintets and Quartets:

• Antonin Dvořák Piano Quintet in A major, Op.81
  
• Johannes Brahms Piano Quartet in C minor, Op.60
  
• Dmitri Shostakovich Piano Quintet in G minor, Op.57
  

Piano Trios:

• Ludwig van Beethoven Trio in D major, Op.70/1
  
• Felix Mendelssohn Trio No.1 in D minor Op.49
  
• Maurice Ravel Trio
  

GROUP 2

Violin Sonatas:

• Ludwig van Beethoven Violin Sonata in C minor, Op.30/2
  
• César Franck Violin Sonata in A major
  

Cello Sonatas:

• Ludwig van Beethoven Cello Sonata in C major, Op.102/1
  
• Johannes Brahms Cello Sonata in E minor, Op.38
  

Only one chamber work will be selected by the Jury. Notification of the chosen piece will be given when the list of Semi-Final Competitors is announced.

The performance of the solo piano music will precede that of the chamber music.

The order of performance for this round will be at the discretion of the Artistic Director and Chair of the Jury and will take into account practical considerations of programming and rehearsal allocation for the chamber works.

Competitors will receive adequate rehearsal time with the chamber musicians.

CONCERTO FINALS

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Andrew Manze CONDUCTOR

Competitors should submit two choices of concerto: one from Group 1 and one from Group 2. Only one concerto will be chosen by the Jury.

Notification of the concerto to be played will be given when the Finalists are announced.

GROUP 1

• Johann Sebastian Bach Concerto in D minor, BWV1052
  
• Ludwig van Beethoven Concerto No.1 in C major, Op.15
  
• Concerto No.2 in B flat major, Op.19
  
• Concerto No.3 in C minor, Op.37
  
• Concerto No.4 in G major, Op.58
  
• Felix Mendelssohn Concerto No.2 in D minor, Op.40
  
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Concerto in E flat major, K271
  
• Concerto in D minor, K466
  
• Concerto in E flat major, K482
  
• Concerto in C minor, K491
  
• Concerto in C major, K503
  

GROUP 2

• Béla Bartók Concerto No.3, Sz.119
  
• Johannes Brahms Concerto No.2 in B flat major, Op.83
  
• Frederick Chopin Concerto No.2 in F minor, Op.21
  
• Franz Liszt Concerto No.2 in A major, S125
  
• Sergei Prokofiev Concerto No.2 in G minor, Op.16
  
• Concerto No.3 in C major, Op.26
  
• Sergei Rachmaninov Concerto No.1 in F sharp minor, Op.1
  
• Concerto No.4 in G minor, Op.40
  
• Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini in A minor, Op.43
  
• Maurice Ravel Concerto in G major
  
• Robert Schumann Concerto in A minor, Op.54