In 1994, 30 years ago, Françoise Thinat realised her dream of offering Orléans a major international piano event devoted to new music and the early 20th century repertoire.
The gamble paid off: from the very first edition, the Competition was a real unifying event with artists from all over the world, young talents who today are among the great professionals of classical and contemporary music. We need only mention that in the prize list of this first edition we find Hideki Nagano, today the official pianist of the Ensemble Intercontemporain, a legendary group created by Pierre Boulez in 1976 and which will accompany our three finalists in October 2024 in Vortex Temporum by Gérard Grisey.
If the Competition has evolved while keeping at heart the fundamental principles of the first edition, 30 years later it remains “dreamy” and still offers new challenges. This is why we are presenting a new formula: the Competition will welcome pianists from all over the world in Orléans, as usual, but it will also go abroad to meet these young pianists who will be the professionals of tomorrow: we will thus organise a first ‘nomadic’ tour which will begin in the spring of 2024 in Chicago, and will continue in Orléans and Shanghai. The candidates selected at the end of this first round will then perform in the second round, the Semi-Final recital and the Final, from October 26 to November 2, 2024 in Orléans, all in the form of a real piano festival. On November 4, the three finalists will perform at the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris for the first time with the Ensemble Intercontemporain for a creation by Bastien David in which the three finalists will play… together!
On the artistic side, new music will, as always, be at the forefront: each candidate will be able to propose a free choice of works in his or her programme, throughout the four rounds. Not forgetting the special prizes, the new piece by Bastien David, co-commissioned with the Ensemble Intercontemporain, and the composition prize once again in partnership with Radio France. The repertoire of the beginning of the century will also have its place, notably in the final where the works of three French composers are proposed to the candidates, works marvellously recorded and interpreted by Françoise Thinat to whom I sincerely wish to dedicate this anniversary edition which would not exist without her!
In the first round, candidates will now have to propose a work from before 1900 to show how 20th and 21st century music can be associated with other repertoires and vice versa.
Once again, an ambitious, dreamy but above all smiling edition… It is with this optimism and enthusiasm that Françoise Thinat has imbued the spirit of the Competition which, thirty years later, continues to inspire its candidates, in particular thanks to the work of the team and of our wonderful association!
Isabella Vasilotta, Artistic director
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To find out all about the programme for the second phase of the 16th Competition, click here.
Click here to see the competition catalogue.
The pdf rules of the 2024 Competition can be downloaded here.
Wilhem Latchoumia, France, Pianist – President of the Jury
Winston Choi, Canada, Pianist
Maroussia Gentet, France, Pianist
Chen Jiang, China, Pianist
Anne Montaron, France, Radio Producer
Imri Talgam, Israel, Pianist
October 10, 2023 (at 2.30 pm, French time) : A one-hour webinar for pianists wishing to register for the 16th Competition. Find here the video.
December 6, 2023 Application deadline
January 9, 2024 Notification of candidates selected for the Competition
January 15, 2024 Deadline for programme modification – 1st round
January 29, 2024 Online draw (to determine the running order of the candidates)
AROUND THE WORLD:
FIRST ROUND
– CHICAGO, USA: March 16-17, 2024, 3.00pm / Roosevelt University — Rudolph Ganz Memorial Hall
– ORLÉANS, France: April 24-27, 2024, 4.00pm / Conservatoire d’Orléans — Salle de l’Institut
– SHANGHAI, China: May 11-12, 2024, 3.00pm / Shanghai Conservatory of Music — He Luting Concert Hall
May 30, 2024: Jury deliberation and Announcement of selected candidates
ORLEANS:
Oct. 26 – Oct. 27, 2024: SECOND ROUND
Salle de l’Institut
Oct. 28 – Oct. 29, 2024: SEMI-FINAL RECITAL
Salle de l’Institut
Nov. 2, 2024 (3.00pm): FINAL
Théâtre d’Orléans – Scène nationale
Final of the Competition with the Ensemble intercontemporain, conducted by Léo Margue.
3 finalists
PARIS:
November 4, 2024 (8.00pm): CONCERT OF THE FINALISTS
Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord, Paris
Concert of the finalists of the 16th International piano competition of Orléans,
with the Ensemble intercontemporain, directed by Léo Margue
And Winston Choi et Imri Talgam.
World premiere of the work commissioned from Bastien David, Je suis orage – a piece for three pianists and ensemble.
1st ROUND:
CHICAGO
Roosevelt University
430 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL
USA
Rudolph Ganz Memorial Hall
ORLEANS
Conservatoire de musique
4 Place Sainte-Croix
45000 Orléans
France
Salle de l’Institut
SHANGHAI
Shanghai Conservatory of Music
No. 20 Fenyang Road, Xuhui District,
Shanghai, P.R.China
Zip Code: 200031
He Luting Concert Hall
2ND ROUND & SEMI-FINAL RECITAL:
ORLEANS
Salle de l’Institut
4 Place Sainte-Croix
45000 Orléans – France
FINAL ROUND:
ORLEANS
Théâtre d’Orléans
Boulevard Pierre Ségelle
45000 Orléans – France
CONCERT OF THE FINALISTS:
PARIS
Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord
37 bis Boulevard de la Chapelle
75010 Paris – France
Participation conditions
Applications
For help on how to film this video, applicants are advised to watch the videos of the online first round of the 14th International piano competition of Orléans 2020 on our YouTube channel: Concours international de piano d’Orléans.
When sending the files, please indicate in writing the titles of the pieces and the names of the composers as well as the order of performance.
Page 5 of the Rules document, see the paragraph : *Tips for filming yourself
Only Youtube links and MP4 files (sent by email/Wetransfer) are both accepted. Please contact us if you require further technical information.
=> Please ensure that the documents and files you submit are of adequate quality.
It must be paid when submitting an application:
Bank: Société Générale Orléans, 14 avenue des Droits de l’Homme 45000 Orléans – France
IBAN code: FR76 3000 3015 4000 0509 0641 706
SWIFT code: SOGEFRPPBeneficiary: Orléans Concours International
Payment by cheque only issued from a French bank account is accepted.
Do not hesitate to contact the Competition organisers if you need any help or have any questions (info@oci-piano.fr).
Discover the Call for applications for composers
André Chevillion – Yvonne Bonnaud Composition Prize – €5,000
Offered by the Foundation André Chevillion – Yvonne Bonnaud under the aegis of the Fondation de France.
Full details on our Competition rules.
Like all other awards, the Composition Prize will be announced and givento the laureate at the official ceremony following the Final of the Competition, on November 2nd, 2024.
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