# List of classical music competitions

European Classical music has long relied on music competitions to provide a public forum that identifies the strongest players and contributes to the establishment of their professional careers. This is a list of current competitions in classical music, with each competition and reference link given only once. Many offer competitions across a range of categories and in these cases they are listed under "General/mixed". Competitions with age restrictions are listed under "Young musicians".

## Chamber music

* Asia-Pacific Chamber Music Competition, for piano trios and string quartets, in Melbourne, Australia, every four years
* Franz Schubert and Modern Music Competition, voice and piano duo, piano trio, Graz, Austria, every three years
* Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition (Indiana, US)
* International Chamber Music Competition Hamburg for piano trios and string quartets (Hamburg, Germany)
* International Shostakovich Chamber Music Competition (Moscow, Russia)
* Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, held in Melbourne, Australia, every four years

## Choral/voice

* Australian Singing Competition (Sydney, Australia)
* Bampton Classical Opera Young Singers' Competition (UK)
* BBC Singer of the World competition (Cardiff, Wales)
* Boris Christoff International Competition for Young Singers (Sofia, Bulgaria)
* Concurs Internacional de Cant Francesc Viñas (Barcelona, Spain)
* International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition (Leipzig, Germany)
* Neue Stimmen International Singing Competition (Gütersloh, Germany)
* International Stanisław Moniuszko Vocal Competition (Warsaw, Poland)
* International Stasys Šimkus choir competition (Klaipėda, Lithuania)
* International Tchaikovsky Competition (Moscow, Russia)
* International Vocal Competition 's-Hertogenbosch ('s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands)
* Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award
* The Klaudia Taev Competition for Young Opera Singers (Pärnu, Estonia).
* Marilyn Horne Song Competition, competition for classical singers and piano accompanists since 1997.
* Queen Elisabeth Music Competition (Brussels, Belgium)
* Queen Sonja International Music Competition (Oslo, Norway)

## Composition

* Gaudeamus International Composers Award (Netherlands)
* George Enescu International Competition (Composition section) (Bucharest, Romania)
* International Composers Festival, Hastings and Bexhill, East Sussex, United Kingdom
* International Uuno Klami Composition Competition (Kotka/Kouvola, Finland)
* Masterprize International Composing Competition
* Queen Elisabeth Music Competition (Brussels, Belgium)
* 60x60 – International (New York, US)
* Tōru Takemitsu Composition Award (Tokyo, Japan)

## Conducting

* Cadaqués Orchestra International Conducting Competition (Spain)
* Donatella Flick Conducting Competition (UK)
* Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition (Germany)
* International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors (France)
* Jorma Panula Conducting Competition (Finland)
* Leeds Conductors Competition (UK)
* Nicolai Malko Competition For Young Conductors (Denmark)
* Sir Georg Solti International Conductors' Competition (Germany)
* The Grzegorz Fitelberg International Competition for Conductors (Poland)
* Tokyo International Music Competition for Conducting (Japan)

## General/ mixed

* EUROPAfest (Bucharest, Romania)
* Long-Thibaud-Crespin Competition (previously International Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition; Paris, France)
* Nishinihon International Music Competition (Fukuoka, Japan)
* Mykola Lysenko International Music Competition (Kyiv, Ukraine)
* Windsor Festival International String Competition (Windsor, UK)

## Instrumental

* ARD International Music Competition (Munich, Germany)
* Gaudeamus Competition (Netherlands)
* International Joseph Joachim Violin Competition Hanover
* International Performers Competition Brno (Brno, Czech Republic)
* Leos Janacek International Competition (Brno, Czech Republic)
* Montreal International Music Competition (Montreal, Canada)
* Mykola Lysenko International Music Competition (Kyiv, Ukraine)
* Queen Elisabeth Music Competition (Brussels, Belgium)
* TROMP international music competition & Festival (Eindhoven, Netherlands)
* Frauchi International Competition and Festival (Moscow, Russia)

## Piano/keyboard

* Anton Rubinstein Competition (Dresden, Germany)
* Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition (Tel Aviv, Israel)
* Ciutat de Carlet International Piano Competition (Valencia, Spain)
* Clara Haskil International Piano Competition (Vevey, Switzerland)
* Cleveland International Piano Competition (Cleveland, US)
* Concours Géza Anda (Zurich, Switzerland)
* Dallas International Piano Competition (Dallas, US)
* The Dranoff International Two Piano Foundation (Dallas, US)
* Epinal International Piano Competition (Epinal, France)
* EPTA - International Piano Competition Svetislav Stančić (Zagreb, Croatia)
* Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition (Bolzano, Italy)
* George Enescu International Competition (Piano section) (Bucharest, Romania)
* Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition (Salt Lake City, US)
* Hamamatsu International Piano Competition (Hamamatsu, JP)
* Hilton Head International Piano Competition (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, US)
* Honens International Piano Competition (Calgary, Canada)
* International Chopin Piano Competition (Poland)
* International Ettore Pozzoli Piano Competition (Seregno, Italy)
* International Franz Liszt Piano Competition (Utrecht, Netherlands)
* International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition (organ; Leipzig, Germany)
* International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs (Paris, France)
* International Tchaikovsky Competition (Russia)
* ISANGYUN Competition (Tongyeong, South Korea)
* José Iturbi International Piano Competition (Los Angeles, US)
* Kissingen Piano Olympics (Kissinger Klavierolymp, Bad Kissingen, Germany)
* Lagny-sur-Marne International Piano Competition (Lagny, France)
* Leeds International Pianoforte Competition (Leeds, UK)
* Maria Canals International Music Competition (Barcelona, Spain)
* Mykola Lysenko International Music Competition (Kyiv, Ukraine)
* Paloma O'Shea International Piano Competition (Santander, Spain)
* Panama International Piano Competition (Panama City, Panama)
* Peabody Mason International Piano Competition (Boston, US)
* Petr Eben International Organ Competition (Opava, Czech Republic)
* Pilar Bayona Piano Competition (Spain)
* Queen Elisabeth Music Competition (Belgium)
* Ricard Viñes International Piano Competition (Lleida, Spain)
* Sendai International Music Competition (Sendai, Japan)
* St Albans International Organ Competition (St Albans, UK)
* Sussex International Piano Competition (Worthing, UK)
* Sydney International Piano Competition (Sydney, Australia)
* Valencia International Piano Competition Prize Iturbi (Valencia, Spain)
* Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (Fort Worth, US)
* World International Piano Competition (Santa Fe, US)
* Silicon Valley Open Doors International Piano Competition (San Francisco, California)

## String instruments

* Carl Flesch International Violin Competition (London, UK; 1945–1992)
* Carl Nielsen International Music Competition (Odense, Denmark)
* Città di Brescia International Violin Competition (Brescia, Italy)
* Dallas International Violin Competition (Dallas, US)
* George Enescu International Competition (Violin, Cello section) (Bucharest, Romania)
* Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition (Poznań, Poland)
* International Arthur Grumiaux Competition for Young Violinists (Brussels, Belgium)
* International Brahms Competition (Pörtschach am Wörthersee, Austria)
* International Fritz Kreisler Competition (Vienna, Austria)
* The International Harp Contest in Israel (Jerusalem, Israel)
* International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition (Helsinki, Finland)
* International Tchaikovsky Competition (Moscow, Russia)
* International Violin Competition Henri Marteau (Lichtenberg and Hof, Germany)
* International Violin Competition of Indianapolis (Indianapolis, US)
* International Violin Competition Leopold Mozart in Augsburg (Augsburg, Germany)
* ISANGYUN Competition (Tongyeong, South Korea)
* Klein Competition (San Francisco, US)
* Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition (Isle of Man, UK)
* Maurice Vieux International Viola Competition (France)
* Michael Hill International Violin Competition (New Zealand)
* Moscow International David Oistrakh Violin Competition (Moscow, Russia)
* Mstislav Rostropovich International Cello Competition (Paris, France)
* Mykola Lysenko International Music Competition (Kyiv, Ukraine)
* Paganini International Competition (Genoa, Italy)
* Primrose International Viola Competition (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
* Queen Elisabeth Music Competition (Belgium)
* Sendai International Music Competition (Sendai, Japan)
* Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition (Shanghai, China)
* Singapore International Violin Competition (Singapore)
* USA International Harp Competition (Bloomington, Indiana, US)
* Windsor Festival International String Competition (Windsor, UK)
* Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists (Richmond, VA, US in 2021)

## Woodwind instruments

* BBC Young Musician of the Year (UK)
* Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition (Indiana, US)
* Gregynog Young Musicians Competition (Wales, UK)
* International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition (Leipzig, Germany)
* International Russian Rotary Children Music Competition (Russia)
* International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians (Moscow, Russia)
* Jeunesses Musicales International (Various)
* New York International Piano Competition (New York, US)
* Prague Spring International Music Competition (Prague, Czech Republic)
* Sydney Eisteddfod (Sydney, Australia)

## Young musicians

* ABC Young Performers Awards (Sydney, Australia)
* International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians (Russia)
* Eurovision Young Musicians (Europe)
* Thomas & Evon Cooper International Competition (Oberlin College, US)