C. Bechstein Piano Competitions
International Rotary Youth Piano Competition
The Rotary Youth Piano Competition has been held annually since 2006. In response to the growing number of contestants, this high-level event will be organised internationally beginning in 2013.
International Horowitz Competition 2011
First held in 1995, the International Competition for Young Pianists in Memory of Vladimir Horowitz is one of the most important events of its kind in the world. At the 2011 edition, the competitors in the Junior category performed on a C. Bechstein concert grand.
C. Bechstein Conservatory Competition Baden-Württemberg 2011
The third C. Bechstein Baden-Württemberg Conservatory Competition for Piano was held at Trossingen State Conservatory in June 2011. Three main prizes and four special prizes were awarded. Young Sun Jin, a student both of solo piano at Trossingen conservatory, and of chamber music at Stuttgart conservatory, won the First Prize.
C. Bechstein Music School Piano Competitions 2010
For the first time, a "C. Bechstein Piano Competition" for music schools took place in Hamburg in 2007. Further C. Bechstein Piano Competitions were conducted 2010 in Cologne and Hanover.
C. Bechstein University Competition 2010 in Hanover
The first C. Bechstein competition for students of piano classes took place 2010 at the Hannover University of Music and Drama. The standard was extraordinarily high, the first two award winners can be experienced in 2011 concerts.
C. Bechstein Award Promoting Young Musicians Düsseldorf 2009
The good relationship between C. Bechstein Center Düsseldorf and Robert Schumann University Düsseldorf becomes apparent at this university through the C. Bechstein Award Promoting Scholars and Young Students, which was awarded in 2004 and most recently 2009.
C. Bechstein Conservatory Competition Baden-Württemberg 2009
The second C. Bechstein University Piano Competition in Baden-Württemberg was carried out at the University of Music and Performing Arts Mannheim in 2009. The first prize went to Mzia Jajanidze.
International Carl Bechstein Piano Competition Ruhr 2006
For the International Carl Bechstein Piano Competition Ruhr 2006 there were 250 competitors from 50 countries. A top-class jury chose Bulgarian pianist Evgeny Bozhanov as winner.
C. Bechstein Competitions promote Young Musicians
Carl Bechstein has encouraged young musicians of its time. Following on from that, C. Bechstein Pianofortefabrik AG holds piano competitions worldwide in order to offer young pianists a forum. Prizes include concert engagements in the C. Bechstein concert series, because young musicians need performances in order to gather concert experience and simultaneously draw attention to themselves.
In 2006 C. Bechstein Pianofortefabrik AG in cooperation with the Folkwang University organized the 1st International Carl Bechstein Piano Competition Ruhr. Two hundred fifty competitors from more than 50 countries took part. In four rounds, a top-class jury selected the award winners, who enjoyed prize monies totaling € 15,000.
In addition, Bechstein's strategy includes organizing competition especially for universities of individual cities or regions, such as for example in Baden-Württemberg, Düsseldorf and Hanover. Thus, musicians who don't register for big international competitions are promoted regionally and at an early stage. Bechstein considers the music school competition as broad-based promotion in the broadest sense. Focus is on reciprocal performances, competition as motivation to practice and fun in making music.
Bechstein advances with the times: In China Bechstein supports the first Video Piano Competition. At the Zhou Guangren Young Pianist Award videos of participants under 18 years of age are judged publicly in Internet by well-known jurors like Christopher Elton (Professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London), Bernd Goetzke (Professor at the Manhattan School of Music in New York) and Andre Pisarev (Professor at the Tschaikowsky Conservatory in Moscow).
