AdvanceChance
English

Competitions › Markneukirchen International Instrumental Competition

Markneukirchen International Instrumental Competition

Markneukirchen, Germany

Official website Rules & repertoire

Next edition

Edition
2027
Dates
20 May to 29 May 2027 (62nd edition; violin and double bass)
Location
Markneukirchen (Vogtland), Saxony, Germany
Registration deadline
31 January 2027
Fee
EUR 100.00 (paid after admission is confirmed)

Source: instrumental-competition.de

Overview

A rotating German instrumental competition; wind categories appear only in some cycles (oboe and trombone in 2024; horn and tuba in 2026; violin and double bass in 2027). Included here for the 2024 oboe edition; wind-only scope is not met in the current cycle.

Organiser
Instrumentalwettbewerb Markneukirchen e.V.
Instruments
Oboe, Trombone, Horn, Tuba, Violin, Double bass
Category
Solo violin, Solo double bass, Solo oboe, Horn, Trombone, Tuba & euphonium
Rotating
Instruments change; 2027: violin and double bass
Next edition: Violin, Double bass
Age limits
Varies by category; for the 2027 edition: violin born after 1 January 1997, double bass born after 1 January 1995. Oboe age limit not verified.

Rules & repertoire

Registration & fee

  • All nationalities. Violin born after 1 January 1997; double bass after 1 January 1995. Applications must arrive by 31 January 2027, online, by post or by email. Submit birth certificate or other official proof of birth date, a 1,000–2,000-character German or English prose biography and a recent photo. The public checklist does not name a recording or recommendation letter.
  • Response within ten days of receipt. Upon acceptance immediately transfer €100, non-refundable. Official pianists are free; if bringing one supply their name and address in the form. Arrival on 19 May, competition 20–29 May in Markneukirchen.

Rounds & time limits

Violin · Round 1 · up to 25 min including entry and exit

  • Two contrasting movements from Bach solo Partitas BWV 1002, 1004 or 1006; a Reger prelude and fugue from Op. 117 or 131a; Adagio from Haydn C major Violin Concerto Hob. VIIa:1; and one Paganini Caprice Op. 1.

Violin · Round 2 · up to 35 min including entry and exit

  • Choose one Beethoven violin sonata No. 1–8 or 10, or Schubert D 574, D 895 or D 934. Add one avant-garde solo violin work. Also choose one virtuoso work: Carmen Fantasy by Waxman, Hubay or Sarasate; Ysaÿe Op. 27 No. 3 or 6; Wieniawski Polonaise Op. 4 or 21, Grand caprice fantastique, or Capriccio Valse Op. 7; Ravel Tzigane; or another solo virtuoso work subject to approval. Musically appropriate repeat omissions allowed within the limit.

Violin · Round 3 and orchestral final

  • Round 3: Beethoven Piano Trio Op. 1 No. 3 movement I with the appointed chamber musicians and a concerto by Brahms Op. 77, Dvořák Op. 53, Korngold Op. 35, Sibelius Op. 47 or Tchaikovsky Op. 35. Final: Mozart K. 218 or K. 219.

Double bass · Rounds 1 and 2

  • Round 1, about 25 min including entry and exit: one Bach gamba sonata BWV 1027, 1028 or 1029 (A minor version of 1029), plus Bottesini Elegy No. 1, 2 or 3, or Tarantella. Round 2, 25–30 min including entry and exit: Sperger Concerto No. 11 in A or No. 15 in D.

Double bass · Round 3 and orchestral final

  • Round 3, 30–40 min: choose Schubert D 821, Mišek Sonata No. 3 Op. 7 or Hertl Sonata; add one unaccompanied choice: Zbinden Hommage à BACH Op. 44, Hauta-aho Cadenza, Ellis Sonata Op. 42, Gajdoš Invocation, Schäfer Geh, Tabakov Motivy, or Güttler Greensleeves Variations. Final: Bottesini Concerto No. 2 in B minor.

Repertoire

  • Violin round order within a round is free, and selected repertoire is binding. For bass use solo tuning F-sharp–B–E–A; memorization is optional. Check the official page for prescribed editions.

Source: Official participation conditions · Official violin and double bass pools · Forms for both instruments

Jury & prizes

Jury

  • 2024: Prof. Christian Lampert presides; Prof. Kai Frombgen chairs the oboe jury.

Prizes

  • Cash prizes total EUR 31,000 (2024 edition); breakdown by prize level not given.

Past editions

  • 2024 — Markneukirchen Music Hall, Germany (59th competition; oboe final 10 May 2024) source

Summarised from official sources, last checked 14 Nov 2026. Main source