First International Ferenc Fricsay Conducting Competition

The 1st International Ferenc Fricsay Conducting Competition (IFFCC) will be held from 3rd to 10th of September, 2023 in the Korzó Music Hall in the beautiful Hungarian city of Szeged, with the Hungarian National Symphony Orchestra Szeged. The competition is open to applicants OF ALL NATIONALITIES WITHOUT AGE LIMITS.

Please APPLY via the MUVAC platform.

STAGES

ELIMINATION PHASE

Evaluation of videos and CVs submitted by the applicants by the jury. All applicants are required to submit 2 videos. ALL applications (along with CVs and videos) must be submitted via the MUVAC platform.

APPLICATION FEE: 100 EUR. The DEADLINE for applications is the 1st of JUNE, 2023.

LIVE PHASE

FOUR competition rounds in Szeged (3rd - 10th of September, 2023).

All participants advancing to the LIVE PHASE (1st round) will be published on all web sources of the IFFCC on the 1st of JULY, 2023. They will be asked to pay the PARTICIPATION FEE in the amount of 400 EUR.

During the LIVE PHASE, the participants will conduct the Hungarian National Symphony Orchestra Szeged in front of the jury.

JURY

Vasily Petrenko (UK) - PRESIDENT OF THE JURY

Music Director: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra London

Music Director: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Sándor Gyüdi (HU)

Music Director: Hungarian National Symphony Orchestra Szeged

Thomas Sanderling (UK)

Winner: ECHO KLASSIK 2017

Mark Kadin (BG)

Music Director: Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra

Hermann Bäumer (DE)

Principal Conductor: Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Mainz

PRIZES

1st PRIZE

Official Diploma

Guest conducting engagements (concerts) with the:

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra London (UK),

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (UK),

Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Mainz (Germany),

Hungarian National Symphony Orchestra Szeged (Hungary),

Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra (Bulgaria),

Leipzig Symphony Orchestra (Germany).

2nd PRIZE

Official Diploma

Guest conducting engagements (concerts) with the:

Hungarian National Symphony Orchestra Szeged (Hungary),

Craiova "Oltenia" Philharmonic Orchestra (Romania).

3rd PRIZE

Official Diploma

Guest conducting engagements (concerts) with the:

Craiova "Oltenia" Philharmonic Orchestra (Romania).

SCHEDULE

FIRST ROUND

September 3rd - 7th, 2023 (Korzó Music Hall, Szeged, Hungary)

2 orchestra sessions a day

Podium time per participant: 16 minutes.

SECOND ROUND

September 8th, 2023 (Korzó Music Hall, Szeged, Hungary)

2 orchestra sessions: 10:00 - 13:00 & 19:00 - 22:00.

Number of participants: 16.

Podium time per participant: 20 minutes.

THIRD ROUND (SEMI FINAL)

September 9th, 2023 (Korzó Music Hall, Szeged, Hungary)

2 orchestra sessions: 09:00 - 11:30 & 12:30 - 15:00.

Number of participants: 8.

Podium time per participant: 32 minutes (incl. orchestra rehearsal).

FOURTH ROUND (FINAL)

September 10th, 2023 (Korzó Music Hall, Szeged, Hungary)

Orchestra session: 09:00 - 11:30; announcement of winners: 23:00.

Number of participants: 4.

Podium time per participant: 40 minutes (incl. orchestra rehearsal).

REPERTOIRE

The choice of repertoire is FREE.

When applying to the IFFCC, all applicants will be required to choose ONE piece for every round of the IFFCC from the list below depending on the podium time provided for every participant (see "Podium time per participant").

B. BARTÓK

Concerto for Orchestra, Sz. 116, BB123 (1st OR 4th movement)

L. V. BEETHOVEN

Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21 (1st movement) OR

Symphony No. 3 in E♭major, Op. 55 „Eroica“ (1st movement) OR

Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 (1st movement) OR

Egmont, Op. 84 (overture)​​​ OR

Overture to Coriolan, Op. 62​​​​​

J. BRAHMS

Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68 (4th movement) OR

Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90 (1st movement) OR

Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98 (1st movement)

A. BRUCKNER

Symphony No. 3 in D minor, WAB 103 (1st movement)

C. DEBUSSY

Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, L. 86

F. J. HAYDN

Symphony No. 104 in D major (H. 1/104) (1st movement)

W. A. MOZART

Symphony No. 35 in D major, K. 385 (1st movement) OR

Symphony No. 39 in E♭ major, K. 543 (1st movement)

G. ROSSINI

Il barbiere di Siviglia (overture)

P. TCHAIKOVSKY

Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 (1st movement)

C. M. V. WEBER

Der Freischütz (J. 277, Op. 77) (overture)