Leeds International Pianoforte Competition 2009

Rules

• The Competition is open to professional pianists of all nationalities born on or after 1 September 1979
• Repertoire must be played from memory
• Competitors will be required to submit their repertoire with their application form. The repertoire may not be altered after 15 June 2009. The timings of all works to be played must be stated accurately and whether repeats will be made
• The playing order of competitors will be determined by ballot before the first stage and will be adhered to in the first three stages. In the final stage the order may be changed for reasons of programme planning
• All competitors must arrive at Devonshire Hall, hall of residence of the University of Leeds, between 9.00am and 5.00pm on either Sunday 23 August 2009 or Monday 24 August 2009. They must then attend an information meeting to be held on Monday 24 August 2009 at 8pm. Latecomers may be excluded from the Competition
• Competitors should remain in Leeds for the duration of the whole period when they are competing
• Competitors who are not ready to perform when called upon to do so may be disqualified
• Competitors cannot appeal against the decisions of the Jury
• The English text of this brochure is definitive
• Any competitor who makes an attempt, or on whose behalf an attempt is made, to communicate with any member of the Jury may be disqualified
• Rights in any Competition performance, recordings or films, belong to Leeds International Pianoforte Competition and no fee is payable to any competitor on account of these performances or any recordings or broadcasts of them
• The prize moneys paid are subject to UK income tax. Income tax may be deducted from amounts in excess of £1000 paid to competitors who are not resident in the UK

Adjudication
The Jury, chaired by Dame Fanny Waterman DBE, will select competitors in the following way:

• Thirty-three competitors from the first stage will be admitted to the second stage
• Twelve competitors will be admitted to the third stage (semi-final)
• Six competitors will be admitted to the fourth (final) concerto stage which will be broadcast by the BBC

C. Accommodation/Transport/Practice
Transport and practice pianos will be available for those who stay at Devonshire Hall. The Competition cannot guarantee these facilities to anyone who stays in other accommodation.

Competitors are encouraged to arrive in Leeds on Sunday 23 August to allow for travel-weariness or jet-lag and to try out the Steinway Concert Grand Piano in the Great Hall, University of Leeds. Accommodation will be available for competitors at Devonshire Hall, a students’ residence of the University of Leeds. Room and full pension will be provided free of charge to each competitor, whose application is accepted, from 23 August up to and including the night of the day on which the competitor is eliminated. However, competitors who are admitted to the second stage will be paid for until the end of the Competition, if they wish to remain at Devonshire Hall to attend further stages of the Competition.

D.  Entry Fee
A non-refundable entrance fee of £50 (fifty pounds sterling) must be transferred, free of charge to the Competition not later than 1 February 2009, the closing date for applications. Please contact the Piano Competition Office, preferably by email, pianocompetition@leeds.ac.uk, to obtain the Competition’s bank account details.

E.  Applications for Entry

The Application Form, completed in English (plus a photocopy of the Application Form) must be returned to

The Administrator
Leeds International Pianoforte Competition
Piano Competition Office
University of Leeds
Leeds LS2 9JT
United Kingdom

to arrive not later than 1 February 2009, with the following enclosures:

1. Photographs: Two good quality passport-size (45mm x 35mm) photographs of the applicant with the applicants name printed lightly on the back in BLOCK CAPITALS. As these photographs may be used for press and programme reproduction it is important that they are not pinned or stapled to the application form.

2. Proof of age: A photocopy of the applicant’s birth certificate or passport must be enclosed as evidence of date of birth.

3. Curriculum vitae: To include typed details of musical education (schools,  teachers and relevant dates), prizes won at other competitions with photocopies of programmes and press reviews, accompanied wherever possible, with their English translations. Additional information may be included for publicity. Applicants should retain copies of all material sent, as the Competition cannot accept responsibility for any documents lost and no material will be returned.

4. Recording: An unedited, authenticated and referenced, digital recording on Audio or Video Cassette Tape, CD or DVD must be submitted by all applicants as follows:

a. The recording must be of excellent technical quality and preferably recorded professionally.

b. Bias, equalisation and noise reduction must be stated.

c. Duration  -  minimum:  20 minutes, maximum: 30 minutes

d. Recording must contain part of a work the applicant intends to play in the first stage of the competition.

e. Only piano solo works may be recorded, unedited and at one session.

f. The recording must be accompanied by a letter (in English) authenticating it is the unaided and unedited performances of the applicant.

g. Video cassette tapes must be recorded under the VHS-PAL system.

5. Repertoire. Applicants must submit, in English, two typed copies of their repertoire for all four stages, including: (a) full title of the piece; (b) Opus numbers; (c) movements; (d) approximate timings for each work. The repertoire may not be altered after 15 June 2009 and all alterations must be dated and submitted in full.  

6. Entrance fee. A bank receipt showing that the entrance fee of £50 (fifty pounds sterling) has been paid to the Competition’s bank account (see section D above). The competitor’s name must be clearly shown on the receipt.

7. References. Applicants should obtain, from two musicians of standing who are willing to support their application to enter the Competition, a signed confidential reference, signed across the seal of the envelope by the referee. This should preferably be in English and enclosed with this application form, or sent by separate cover to the Piano Competition Office, to be received not later than 1 February 2009.

8. A photocopy of the completed Application Form must be included.

9. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

F. Selection of Competitors

All applicants will be informed of their acceptance or rejection not later than 1 June 2009. No further correspondence can be entered into after the decision of the Selection Panel has been made. A list of all accepted competitors who do not attend the Competition, without adequate notice or reason, will be given to the World Federation of International Music Competitions for circulation among its members.