41st INTERNATIONAL ”MARIA CALLAS” GRAND PRIX - PIANO

Terms of Participation

A. PRINCIPAL RULES

The International Maria Callas Grand Prix in Piano is open to pianists of all nationalities up to 32 years old.

A1. An application form, properly filled out, must be sent by registered mail or e-mail to the Secretariat of the Maria Callas Grand Prix, ATHENAEUM, 3, Adrianou St., GR-105 55 Athens, tel. 30 210 3211987-49, e-mail contact@athenaeum.com.gr the latest by 10.6.2019.

A2. Applications must be accompanied by:
a) Full contact details.
b) Curriculum vitae.
c) Detailed information on the musical studies of the applicant (schools attended, seminars, diplomas etc.) as well as names of the applicant's music professors in particular during the last two years.
d) Prizes won at international competitions (if any).
e) Two letters of recommendation by musicians of internationally acknowledged.

f) Repertoire for solo piano.
g) Repertoire with orchestra.
h) An internet link or via a suitable internet program such as wetransfer, or a DVD (HD) of a recent performance.
i) The overall artistic activity of the applicant until today.
j) Programs and reviews.
k) List of the applicant's CDs or any other recordings, if there are any.
l) Two recent photographs, size 9x12cm (original, jpeg or pdf, in high resolution at least 300dpi).
m) A photocopy of their passport or any other official document as a proof of their date of birth.

A3. The Direction of the competition will provide foreign candidates with a formal certificate of participation, which may be used for the issuance of a visa.

A4. Pianists accepted to participate in the Maria Callas Grand Prix must report at the Secretariat of the competition two - three days before the beginning of the competition.

A5. Participants must send all the required documents and the list of the works they wish to perform for the competition, by 10.6.2019 at the latest. Please do take care to give us the composers' names, full title of the works with opus number and edition. Also participants should write separately the works they wish to perform in the 1st Stage of the competition, as well as the works they wish to perform in their recital.
N.B. Participants who will not follow the requests of the above paragraphs regretfully will not be accepted to the Grand Prix.

A6. All stages of the International Maria Callas Grand Prix can be recorded and transmitted through radio or/and television. Each candidate, provides his/her necessary acceptance to the Athenaeum International Cultural Centre irrevocably and without any claim for reword fee for the realization of above mentioned recordings and radio and/or television transmissions, as well as for the reproduction and circulation of any audio or visual material of such recordings for educational or archival purposes through the deposition of his/her bulletin of attendance.

A7. Pianists accepted to participate in the competition must notify the Secretariat of the exact date of their arrival at least four weeks before the beginning of the GRAND PRIX. Otherwise the Secretariat cannot ensure any accommodation.

A8. Pianists who have been accepted but are unable to participate in the MARIA CALLAS GRAND PRIX are kindly requested to notify the Secretariat within a reasonable time.

A9. The Direction of the competition will not accept any changes in the program after the 10th.6.2019

B. ACCOMMODATION

B1. Free meals will be offered to all participants and their accompanists at the premises of ATHENAEUM regardless of their success. Accompanying persons may also have meals against a small payment.

B2. Free hotel accommodation will be offered only to those pianists who will successfully pass into the 2nd Stage of the Grand Prix and until the Stage of their success.

C. EXECUTION OF THE MARIA CALLAS GRAND PRIX - PIANO

C1. The MARIA CALLAS GRAND PRIX - PIANO consists of four Stages. The sequence of the participants' appearance will be in alphabetical order, this year starting from the letter D.

C2. All works should be performed by heart.

C3. Composers not included in the competition’s program requirements cannot be selected by the participants.

C4. Pianists, who will not succeed to pass into the 2nd Stage, are entitled to ask the President and the members of the Jury Committee for their advice and counselling on their performance.

C5. The decision of the Jury Committee is irrevocable.

D. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Participants of the MARIA CALLAS GRAND PRIX must present a repertoire of seven concerts for piano and orchestra of their own choice, ranging from W. A. Mozart to the 20th century inclusive.

More specifically:

a) Two concerts by W. A. Mozart and one concerto by L. v. Beethoven or vice-versa.

b) Two concerts out of the following:
F. Chopin, nr. 1 and 2
R. Schumann, a min.
F. Liszt, nr. 1 and 2
E. Grieg, a min.
J. Brahms, nr 1 and 2
C. Saint-Säens, nr. 2
C. Franck, Variations Symphoniques
P. I. Tchaikovsky, nr. 1 and 2

c) Two concerts out of the following:
M. Ravel, g maj.
S. Prokofieff, nr. 1, 2 and 3
S. Rachmaninoff, nr. 1,2,3,4 - Paganini Variations

B. Bartók, nr. 2, 3
R. Strauss, Burlesque
G. Gerschwin, Rhapsody in blue - Concerto in f.
A. Scriabin, C# min.
W. Lutoslawski, Variations on a theme by Paganini

d) A recital of a duration of 50’-55’ min. that should include:

1) One work by J. S. Bach
2) One sonata by L. v. Beethoven, to be chosen out of the following: op.2 nr.2 and 3, op.10 nr.3, op.7, op.26, op.27, op.28, op.31 nr 1, 2 and 3, op.53, op.57, op.81, op.101, op.109, op.110, op.111.
3) One important work out of the following composers: F. Schubert, R. Schumann, J. Brahms, F. Chopin (The 24 Preludes and the 12 Etudes op.10 or op. 25 are included - these works have to be performed in whole), and F. Liszt (we can accept a group of 3 Etudes Transcendantes or the 3 Etudes de Concert or 3 Paganini Etudes).
• The works of the recital are performed without repetitions.

FIRST STAGE Preliminary - duration of approx. 45’ - with piano accompaniment.
The participants should present three different concerts of their own choice (movements are acceptable).

SECOND STAGE 50’ - 55’ minutes - Recital

(See chapter Program, paragraph 2)

THIRD STAGE With orchestra
The Jury will decide the works to be performed in this stage (one complete work at least).

FOURTH STAGE Final - With orchestra
The Jury will decide the works to be performed also in this stage (one complete work at least).

N.B. Participants should bear in mind that the Jury Committee may require from them to perform the whole work, parts of which they have already performed at the 1st Stage.

E. THE JURY

E1. Members of the Jury will be internationally known personalities in music, from abroad and Greece.

E2. The final Stage of the competition will be attended by agents, artistic directors and other persons involved in music and having interest to promote the careers of the young laureates of the Maria Callas Grand Prix.

F. PRACTICE AND ACCOMPANISTS
The Direction of the competition will arrange for the participants the following:

F1. Possibility of daily practice.

F2. One hour's duration rehearsal prior to the 1st Stage with an accompanist. Participants wishing to have more than one rehearsal will have to undertake financially the accompanist's engagement.

F3. Participants may be escorted by their own accompanist, for whom the administration of the competition will not undertake any financial or other obligation (fee, accommodation etc) except the daily meals.

G. NOTES

G1. We kindly request of the participants, when sending in their application form, to write clearly in capital letters or in computer, their surname, name, address and temporary address, tel. nr., e-mail as well as their program. Please use English, French, or German.

G2. During the Grand Prix, the Secretariat will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. to be of service to the participants.

G3. Grand Prix Secretariat: 3, Adrianou St., GR-105 55 Athens, Greece, tel. 30 210 3211987 - 949, e-mail: contact@athenaeum.com.gr, www.athenaeum.com.gr, www.grandprixmariacallas.com.