The 66th edition of the Geneva Music Competition is giving pride of place to voice, string quartets and, for the very first time, to composition. This new discipline is pursuing the tradition of the Queen Marie José Prize and aims to foster the creation of new works as well as supporting high-quality first performances.
CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION
The Geneva Music Competition Composition Prize, formerly the Queen Marie José Prize, will be awarded in March 2011 for the first time.
Its aim is to distinguish a new work not yet performed. First performances by a music school or in a private context will not be taken into consideration.
The competition is open to composers of all nationalities born after February 1st 1971.
Composers having already won the Queen Marie José International Music Composition Prize are not eligible to take part in this competition.
WORK
The subject of the 2011 Competition is a string quartet work, in its most classical sense (1st violin, 2nd violin, viola and cello), without any electronics.
The piece must not last longer than 15 minutes.
The prize-winning composition will be an imposed piece for the Semi-Finals of the String Quartet Competition and will be given a worldwide first performance, on November 16th and 17th 2011.
The musical score may be hand-written or in electronic form, but must of course be legible.
The prize-winning work will be published in cooperation with the composer by the Geneva Music Competition and sent at the end of May 2011 to the candidates selected for the String Quartet Competition.
REGISTRATION
The registration deadline is set for January 15th 2011, with the postmark as proof of the dispatch date.
The registration will not be considered as final until the following documents have been received (by post or by e-mail – in the latter case, kindly be careful regarding the quality of the attachments):
1. Three musical scores, with a title or a motto, all completely readable and original, without the least mention of the composer, since the candidate must remain anonymous for the Jury.
2. As well as the following documents:
* Competition registration form
* Official proof of the candidate’s age (birth certificate or passport photocopy)
* One resumé (studies taken, institutions, teachers, professional activities)
* Two different and recent good-quality photos
* Proof of payment of the registration fee
* A commentary on the work presented
* Authorisation for its performance and dissemination
* All candidates who send these documents by e-mail must check with the Competition management that their registration is valid by requesting an acknowledgement of receipt
REGISTRATION FEE
The registration fee for the 2011 Geneva Music Competition Composition Prize is CHF 100.- (one hundred Swiss francs) to be sent as a single payment to the following banking account:
Banque Cantonale de Genève
Quai de l’Ile 17
Case postale 2251
CH – 1211 Geneva 2
Swift no. : BCGECHGG
IBAN : CH 68 0078 8001 S 077 6119 5
Account no. : S 776.11.95
Clearing no. : 788
Account holder : Concours de Genève
It is also possible to pay by credit card (Visa or Eurocard / Mastercard) directly on our website.
In such cases, candidates will need to send us a copy of their payment along with the registration documents.
Payments by cheque are not accepted.
The registration fee is not refundable under any circumstances.
PROCEDURE
An international selection committee, composed of five well-known personalities, including a President and another member of the final Jury, will meet at the start of February in order to make a preliminary selection.
In early March 2011, the official Jury will examine the compositions chosen by the selection committee.
Only the prizewinner will be informed of the result. The results will be posted on the website as of the end of March 2011.
OFFICIAL PRIZE
The prize money for the Geneva Music Competition Composition Prize is 15,000 Swiss francs (approx. 10,000 euros). The jury may also decide not to award the prize. Its decisions are taken by an absolute majority vote of its members, and the President has the casting vote in case of an equality of votes. The Prize is not divisible.
JURY
The Geneva Music Competition Artistic Committee is solely responsible for appointing the seven members of the international jury. They are chosen for their international reputation in the world of music, independently of any racial, ideological, political or linguistic considerations.
The Jury’s decisions cannot be appealed. By agreeing to take part in the competition, all competitors undertake to accept and not contest these decisions.
RIGHTS
The prize-winning work remains the full and complete property of its author who takes personal written responsibility for allowing it to be performed and disseminated, free of any rights (apart from copyright and publisher’s rights), particularly during the final of the String Quartet Competition.
Documents will not be returned to the sender.
