Sendai International Music Competition

01. Pre-Selection

The Applicant must record his or her performance of all pieces of his or her choice from the following in ①, ② and ③ on a DVD (DVD-Video format*), or must upload the video data of his or her performance of them. Total performance duration shall be approximately 30 minutes.
If the Applicant chooses to record on DVD, on the label side of the DVD as well as on its case, the following must be clearly written in block letters: the Applicant’s name in full, the full titles of the chosen pieces, and the date and place they were recorded.
(In addition, those who apply online must clearly indicate on the label side of the DVD the identification number issued at the time of the online application.)
In case of choosing to upload the video data, only the following information shall be included in the filename: the Applicant’s name in full, and the full titles of the chosen pieces.
(NO additional information such as name of accompanist, date/place of recording, etc. shall be included in the filename.)

  • ① Select two pieces from the list below.
     (The Applicant may select two pieces by the same composer.) Examples of combination
    • Paganini: Caprices op.1 <except for No.13, No.14, No.16, No.19 and No.20>
    • Wieniawski: Ecole Moderne op.10
       No.2 La Vélocité
       No.5 Alla Saltarella
       No.7 La Cadenza
       No.9 Les Arpéges
    • Ernst: 6 Polyphonic Etudes for violin solo, No.6 “The Last Rose of Summer”
    • Ernst: Grand Caprice on Schubert’s Der Erlkönig, op.26
  • ② Select one Sonata from the list below and perform both I. and II.
    • J.S.Bach: Sonata No.1 in G minor for violin solo, BWV1001: I. Adagio II. Fuga
    • J.S.Bach: Sonata No.2 in A minor for violin solo, BWV1003: I. Grave II. Fuga
    • J.S.Bach: Sonata No.3 in C major for violin solo, BWV1005: I. Adagio II. Fuga
  • ③ Select one piece from the list below.
    • Paradis: Siciliano
    • Chopin (arr. Milstein): Nocturne (No.20) in C sharp minor, op. posth.
    • Schumann (arr. Joachim): Abendlied, op.85-12
    • Tchaikovsky: Valse Sentimentale, op.51-6
    • Dvořák: Songs my mother taught me
    • Dvořák: 4 Romantic pieces, op.75-1
    • Dvořák: 4 Romantic pieces, op.75-4
    • Faure: Berceuse, op.16
    • Debussy (arr. Heifetz): Beau soir
    • Sibelius: Romance, op.78-2
    • Suk: Love song, op.7-1
    • Ravel: Piece en forme de Habanera
    • Achron: Hebrew melody, op.33
  • ・The recording must be made on or after November 1, 2014.
  • ・All pieces of the Applicant’s choice from above repertoire must be recorded on the same day at the same venue.
  • ・The DVD or video data must be unedited, taken from the same camera angle throughout and must clearly show the Applicant’s hands and face.
  • ・The DVD or video data may be excluded from judgment if it was perceived that the hand movement of the Applicant during his or her performance does not synchronize with the sound.
  • ・An automatic audio volume control function of video camera (AGC, ALC, etc.) shall not be used. This is because it reduces dynamics and nuances and often results in a recording which does not accurately represent the performance. The DVD or video data shall not have extremely loud (or quiet) sound volume, and shall not contain noise.
  • ・The DVD or video data must NOT contain, in image or in sound, the name of the Applicant, as the Pre-Selection will be carried out anonymously.
  • *The DVD-Video format is the standard created by the DVD Forum, and is the recording medium playable on commonly used DVD players.

02. Preliminary Round

The Contestant shall perform ①, ② and ③ below.

  • ①Mozart: Adagio in E major, K261
     Mozart: Rondo in C major, K373
    • ・Bärenreiter edition shall be used.
    • ・The Contestants shall perform without a conductor.
  • ② Bartók: Sonata for violin solo, Sz117, 1st movement
  • ③ Select one piece from the list below.
    • Paganini: Caprices op.1 <except for No.13, No.14, No.16, No.19 and No.20>
    • ・The Contestant may choose the same piece he or she selected for the Pre-Selection.

03. Semifinal Round

The Contestant shall perform both ① and ② below.

  • ① Schumann: Violin Concerto in D minor
  • ② Select one piece from the list below.
    • Saint-Saëns: Introduction and Rondo capriccioso, op.28
      Saint-Saëns: Havanaise, op.83
    • Sarasate: Carmen Fantasy, op.25
    • Ravel: Tzigane

04. Final Round

The Contestant shall perform both ① and ② below.

  • ① Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor, op.64
  • ② Select one piece from the list below.
    • Stravinsky: Violin Concerto in D
    • Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No.1 in D major, op.19
      Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No.2 in G minor, op.63
    • Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No.2 in C sharp minor, op.129

<Notes about the performance>

  • ・All performances shall be performed from memory.
  • ・All performances shall be open to the public.
  • ・In the selection process, performances may be shortened in some part(s) in the interests of time.

<Note about changing the pieces>

  • If a Contestant wishes to change his or her program for the Preliminary, Semifinal and/or Final Rounds, he or she must give notice to the Secretariat in writing no later than Tuesday, March 15, 2016. (Fax or e-mail is acceptable.)