Rules

1.1. Schedule

• Registration opens: 1 January 2027.
• Deadline for registration and submission of videos: 1 March 2027.
• Announcement of candidates admitted to the semi-final: no later than 15 March 2027.
• Confirmation of participation and final programme: no later than 31 March 2027.
• Welcome, piano trials, draw and opening ceremony: 25 May 2027.
• Semi-finals: 26 and 27 May 2027.
• Rehearsals with orchestra: 28 May 2027.
• Final round and prize-giving ceremony: 29 May 2027.

After 31 March 2027, the programme may be changed only in the event of force majeure recognised by the Artistic Direction.

The semi-final and final rounds are open to the public and will take place at the Espace culturel, chemin de la Pralay 4, 1294 Genthod, Switzerland.

2.1. Age Categories

• Category A: candidates aged 7 to 14 inclusive on 29 May 2027 (born between 30 May 2012 and 29 May 2020 inclusive).
  • Category B: candidates aged 7 to 18 inclusive on 29 May 2027 (born between 30 May 2008 and 29 May 2020 inclusive).

A candidate may enter only one category. The date of birth stated on the candidate’s identity document shall be deemed authoritative.

Candidates who are minors must be accompanied throughout the Competition by a parent or legal guardian.

2.2. Number of Candidates and Order of Performance

A pre-selection jury appointed by the Organiser reviews the applications and videos and will, in principle, select up to twelve semi-finalists in each category.

The order of performance will be determined by a draw at the opening ceremony on 25 May 2027.

The order of performance in the final may be adjusted by the Artistic Direction, the jury and the conductor for orchestral or stage-related reasons.

2.3. Schedule, Conduct and Force Majeure

Candidates will perform on the piano selected by the Organiser and will be allocated a piano trial period, the timing of which will be communicated in advance. Practice rooms will be made available subject to availability. Each finalist will be given a comparable amount of rehearsal time with the orchestra and must comply with the conductor’s instructions.

Late arrival may result in the loss of the allocated time slot or in disqualification, except in exceptional circumstances recognised by the Organiser.

In the event of force majeure, administrative restrictions, unavailability of the venue or orchestra, or an insufficient number of candidates, the Organiser may alter the dates, schedule or format of the rounds, or cancel the Competition. In the event of cancellation, the Organiser’s liability shall be limited to reimbursement of the registration fees paid. Travel, accommodation, visa and other personal expenses will not be reimbursed.

Category A

Round
Pre-selection by video (maximum 15 minutes)

– One or more works from the Baroque period ;
– One virtuoso étude ;
– One work of the candidate’s choice.

Semi-final (maximum 25 minutes)

A free-choice programme which must include the following :

– One or more movements from a sonata by Haydn, Mozart or Beethoven ;
– One Romantic work ;
– One or more modern or contemporary works ;
– One Swiss work selected from the following: Caroline Charrière:L’enfance en éclats + Toccata; Peter Mieg: Lettres à Goldoni, No. 1 Allegro molto AND No. 3 Allegretto comodo; Frank Martin: Clair de lune; Michel Runtz: Regard sur E.S. (Erik Satie).

N.B. One of the works in the programme must represent the candidate’s country of origin or country of residence; an original composition by the candidate may fulfil this requirement.

Final

First movement of one of the following concertos :

W. A. Mozart: Concerto K. 414, I – Allegro ;
L. van Beethoven: Concerto No. 1, Op. 15, I – Allegro con brio ;
L. van Beethoven: Concerto No. 2, Op. 19, I – Allegro con brio ;
E. Grieg: Concerto, Op. 16, I – Allegro molto moderato.

 

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Category B

Round
Pre-selection by video (maximum 20 minutes)

– One prelude and fugue by J. S. Bach, F. Mendelssohn or Shostakovich ;
– One virtuoso étude ;
– One work of the candidate’s choice.

Semi-final (maximum 35 minutes)

A free-choice programme which must include the following:

– One movement from a sonata by Beethoven or Schubert ;
– One Romantic work ;
– One modern or contemporary work ;
– One Swiss work selected from the following: Peter Mieg: Sonata IV, 4th movement, Allegro; Arthur Honegger: Hommage à Ravel; Frank Martin: Prelude No. 8; Michel Runtz: Éclats.

N.B. One of the works in the programme must represent the candidate’s country of origin or country of residence; an original composition by the candidate may fulfil this requirement.

Final (Complete concerto)

L. van Beethoven: Concerto No. 3, Op. 37;
F. Liszt: Concerto No. 1;
S. Rachmaninov: Concerto No. 2, Op. 18;
F. Chopin: Concerto No. 2, Op. 21.

 

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3.3. Performance, Duration and Scores

Works must be performed from memory, except for works composed after 1950, which may be performed with the score; the concerto in the final must be performed from memory.

Performance time is measured from the first note to the last note, including pauses. The jury may stop a performance once the permitted time has been reached, without this automatically resulting in a penalty. Repeats are permitted provided that the maximum performance time is respected.

Candidates experiencing difficulty in obtaining a score should contact: contact@genevemusicale.com.

Only one work performed in the pre-selection round may be repeated in the semi-final. A single work may fulfil more than one programme requirement, including those relating to a musical period, the candidate’s country of origin or residence, and the Swiss repertoire.

4.1. Application and Pre-selection Videos

Registration becomes final upon receipt of the complete application and payment. The online registration form specifies the documents to be submitted, including:

• an official document enabling verification of the candidate’s identity and date of birth ;
• the contact details of the legal guardian ;
• a recent photograph ;
• a curriculum vitae stating the candidate’s current and recent teachers ;
• the proposed Competition repertoire and copies of any scores requested ;
• links to the pre-selection videos.

Each work submitted for pre-selection must be recorded in full, in a single take, without editing or alteration of the sound. Works may be submitted in separate files. The camera must remain fixed and must show the candidate’s face, hands, keyboard and pedals. Recordings must have been made during the twelve months preceding 1 March 2027.

4.2. Registration Fee and Insurance

The registration fee is CHF 120. It is compulsory, payable upon registration and non-refundable, except in the event that the Competition is cancelled by the Organiser. Any bank charges shall be borne by the candidate.

Bank details: Genève Musicale, chemin Pré-Félix 34, 1294 Genthod, Switzerland; PostFinance SA, 3003 Bern, Switzerland; IBAN CH61 0900 0000 1565 2232 2; BIC/SWIFT POFICHBEXXX. Payment reference: registration fee and candidate’s full name.

Travel, accommodation, visa, insurance and subsistence expenses shall be borne by the candidate. The Organiser may provide information regarding possible accommodation with host families but cannot guarantee availability.

Semi-finalists will receive a letter of invitation but remain responsible for complying with the formalities required for entry into Switzerland. Each candidate must have valid health, accident and third-party liability insurance covering Switzerland. The Association accepts no liability for illness, accident, theft, loss, delay or cancellation arising from circumstances beyond its control.

Category	1st Prize	2nd Prize	3rd Prize
A	CHF 3’000	CHF 1’500	CHF 700
B	CHF 5’000	CHF 3’000	CHF 1’500

 

 

Special prizes may also be awarded, including the Audience Prize, the Young Jury Prize and the Prize for the Best Performance of a Swiss Work.

Prize-winners shall participate in the prize-giving ceremony.

In the event of a tie, the amounts of the prizes concerned shall be combined and divided equally. With the agreement of the donors concerned, the Organiser may increase the total amount awarded.

6.1. Jury Procedures and Conflicts of Interest

The pre-selection jury and the jury for the Competition rounds are appointed by the Organiser. The jury for the Competition rounds consists of five members. The Organiser also appoints a Secretary to the Jury, who has no voting rights.

A jury member may neither assess nor discuss the case of a candidate who is currently their student, who has regularly studied with that jury member during the two years preceding the Competition, or with whom the jury member has a family, professional, contractual or financial relationship liable to compromise their impartiality.

Any relevant relationship must be declared before the Competition rounds. The jury member concerned shall not score the candidate and shall take no part in the deliberations concerning that candidate; the candidate’s average score shall be calculated on the basis of the scores awarded by the other jury members.

At least three eligible jury members must be available to assess each candidate. These rules also apply to the pre-selection jury.

No communication concerning assessment may take place between a jury member and a candidate while the latter is participating in the Competition.

6.2. Scoring

The semi-final and final rounds are scored from 5 to 10, in increments of 0.5. Each jury member shall submit their scores individually and confidentially to the Secretary to the Jury at the end of each round and before any discussion takes place. The scores are final.

6.3. Admission to the Final

The three candidates with the highest average scores in the semi-final shall be admitted to the final. The jury may admit a fourth candidate where the difference between the third- and fourth-highest average scores does not exceed 0.10 points.

If more than one candidate falls within this margin, the jury shall decide by secret ballot, subject to a maximum of four finalists. The jury may select fewer than three finalists if the required standard has not been met. The admission of a fourth finalist does not confer any entitlement to an additional prize.

6.4. Final Ranking

The final score consists of 30% of the semi-final average and 70% of the final average.

The resulting ranking determines the order of the prizes. In the event of a tie, the jury may decide by secret ballot or award a joint prize. It may also decide not to award a prize. All calculations shall be verified by the Secretary to the Jury. Scores and deliberations are confidential, and the jury’s decisions are final.

7.1. Authorisation in Connection with the Competition

The candidate authorises the Association, free of charge and for an indefinite period, to use the candidate’s name, photograph, biography, programme, results, pre-selection videos, as well as any images or recordings supplied by the candidate or made by or on behalf of the Association in connection with the Competition, for the organisation, broadcasting, archiving and promotion of the Competition and its future editions.

7.2. Data Protection

Personal data submitted upon registration are processed by the Association Genève Musicale, 34 chemin du Pré-Félix, 1294 Genthod, Switzerland, contact@genevemusicale.com.

They are used to verify eligibility, review applications, organise the Competition, communicate with candidates, prepare programmes, publish results and carry out authorised communications relating to the Competition.

Application files are stored within the Google Workspace environment managed by the Association. To the extent necessary, data may be disclosed to the jury, the orchestra, technical service providers and partners involved in organising the Competition.

Copies of identity documents will be deleted as soon as they are no longer required and, in any event, no later than three months after the Competition. Other data will be retained for as long as necessary for the organisation of the Competition, compliance with legal obligations and the maintenance of the Competition’s official archives.

Requests for access, rectification or deletion may be sent to contact@genevemusicale.com.

Submission of the registration form constitutes full acceptance of these Regulations by the candidate and, where the candidate is a minor, by their legal guardian.

In the event of any discrepancy between the different language versions, the French version shall prevail. These Regulations are governed by Swiss law.

Approved by the Organising Committee on 27 August 2026.