12th Witold Lutosławski
International Cello Competition
Warsaw, 1 - 12 May 2024

Announcement

ORGANISER

The 12th Witold Lutosławski International Cello Competition is organised by the National Institute of Music and Dance and the Foundation for the Promotion of Young Cellists (hereinafter collectively referred to as the Organiser).

The Competition is funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.

PLACE AND DATES

The performances of the participating musicians will take place from 1 to 11 May 2024 at the National Philharmonic Hall in Warsaw at 5 Jasna Street.

The Prize Winners’ Concert, combined with an awards ceremony, will be held at the National Philharmonic Hall in Warsaw on 12 May 2024.

PARTICIPANTS OF THE COMPETITION

The Competition shall accept cellists who will not have reached the age of 30 on 1 May 2024. The lowest age limit has not been set. Download Consent of a legal guardian of a minor participant: click.

Candidates with Belarusian or Russian citizenships shall have to attach, to the Application Form, a statement in which they condemn Russia’s military activities against Ukraine as well as actions undertaken by the Russian Federation which violate international law.

APPLICATIONS AND QUALIFICATION FOR THE COMPETITION

The applications for the Competition should be submitted until 20 February 2024.

The application process consists in filling in the Application Form to be found at the muvac.com website.

In the appropriate fields of the Application Form, the Participant shall provide, amongst other things, the following information and materials:
a) the selected programme of performances in all the rounds/stages of the Competition
b) an audio-video qualification recording of works selected out of those indicated in the PROGRAMME.

Download Technical requirements for preselection recording: click

The video part of the qualification recording shall authenticate the performance at the stage of accepting the Candidates’ applications and shall not be made accessible to the Qualification Committee. In order to make the qualification process unbiased, the score given by the Qualification Committee shall only be based on the anonymous audio part of the Candidates’ recordings.

Each Participant shall be informed of his or her qualification until 5 March 2024.

The qualifiers shall bear the entry fee in the amount of 150 euros.

SCHEDULE OF THE COMPETITION

The Competition shall consist of three rounds/stages:

a) First Round: The Participant presents the compositions indicated in the PROGRAMME. The programme of the First Round must be played from memory. Not more than 18 Participants may qualify for the Second Round.
b) Second Round: The Participant presents the compositions indicated in the PROGRAMME. In the Second Round, the Sacher Variation by Witold Lutosławski must be played from memory. Not more than 4 Participants may qualify for the Third Round (Finals).
c) Third Round / Finals: The Participant presents two cello concertos selected from those listed in the PROGRAMME. The Participant plays alongside a symphony orchestra. Except the Concerto for cello and orchestra by Witold Lutosławski, all the compositions must be played from memory.

The Organiser shall hire pianists-accompanists. They will be available at the Participants’ disposal free of charge. The Organiser shall assign an accompanist to each Participant at his or her own request.

The Organiser shall hire cellists-accompanists to perform the bass part in the Sonatas by Luigi Boccherini in the First Round of the Competition. They will be available at the Participants’ disposal free of charge. The Organiser shall assign an accompanist to each Participant.

The Participant may arrive with his or her own pianist and/or cellist providing that he or she will inform of this fact in the relevant section of the Application Form at the stage of applying for the Competition. In this case, the Organiser shall not bear the costs of hiring the accompanist or any other costs relating to the accompanist’s stay at the Competition.

The Organiser shall provide all the Participants with the same conditions of practice, rehearsal and performance during each round/stage of the Competition.

COSTS OF TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION

The Participants and their accompanists shall arrive at the Competition at their own expense.

The Organiser shall not provide accommodation for the Participants or their accompanists during the course of the Competition.

The Participants are requested to inquire at the relevant authorities whether they need a visa to enter Poland. If this is the case, the Organiser will send the requisite invitation.

JURY OF THE COMPETITION

The Jury panel shall consist of 5 Polish and 6 foreign music artists. Prof. Krzysztof Jakowicz shall act as President of the Jury.

PRIZES

The Participants shall be awarded the following main prizes:
First Prize – 20000 euros
Second Prize – 10000 euros
Third Prize – 5000 euros
Fourth Prize – 2500 euros.

Apart from the main prizes, the Jury of the Competition may award the following special prizes:
a) An award for the outstanding performance of the Cello Concerto by Witold Lutosławski in the amount of 2000 euros.
b) An award for the outstanding performance of the Sacher Variation for solo cello by Witold Lutosławski in the amount of 1000 euros.
c) An award for the outstanding performance of Grave by Witold Lutosławski in the amount of 1000 euros.

There will also be additional special prizes, e.g. in the form of concert invitations from philharmonic, cultural and artistic institutions, as well as media, cash and material prizes. The ultimate list of all these prizes shall be announced before the opening of the Competition.

CONTACT

The up-to-date information about the Competition along with the Rules and Regulations will be published at the dedicated website of the Competition www.lutoslawski-cello.art.pl

Please address all enquiries concerning the Competition to the following address: lutoslawski@nimit.pl

PROGRAMME

Part 1
Programme of the selection recording

  1. Johann Sebastian Bach – Prelude from one of the Cello Suites (BWV 1007-1012)
  2. Witold Lutosławski – Sacher Variation for solo cello
    or
    Krzysztof Penderecki – Scherzo. Vivace from the Suite for solo cello
  3. Alfredo Piatti – one of the Caprices Op. 25 Nos. 2-12
    or
    David Popper - one of the Etudes, Op. 73 Nos. 12, 15, 20, 29, 33

Part 2
Programme of the competition performances – First Stage

  1. Witold Lutosławski – Grave (PWM/Chester)
  2. Fryderyk Chopin – Largo from the Sonata in G minor for piano and cello Op. 65
  3. Johann Sebastian Bach – Allemande and Courante from a selected cello suite (BWV 1007-1012)
  4. Luigi Boccherini – any Sonata for cello and basso continuo (Participant’s own choice)

The Organiser provides a cellist-accompanist. The Participant of the Competition may also arrive with his or her own cellist.

The programme of the First Round must be played from memory.

Part 3
Programme of the competition performances – Second Stage

  1. Witold Lutosławski – Sacher Variation for solo cello (PWM/Chester)
  2. & 3. One composition from Group 2.A and one composition from Group 3.A or one composition from Group 2.B and one composition from Group 3.B

The total time of two selected compositions should not exceed 40 minutes.

2.A
Ludwig van Beethoven – Sonata in A major Op. 69
Ludwig van Beethoven – Sonata in C major Op. 102 No. 1
Ludwig van Beethoven – Sonata in D major Op. 102 No. 2
Franz Schubert – Sonata in A minor “Arpeggione” D. 821
Fryderyk Chopin – Sonata in G minor for piano and cello Op. 65
Richard Strauss – Sonata in F major Op. 6
Johannes Brahms – Sonata in F major Op. 99
Johannes Brahms – Sonata in D major Op. 78

3.A
George Crumb – Sonata for Violoncello Solo
Henri Dutilleux – 3 Strophes sur le nom de Sacher
Andrzej Krzanowski – Relief V for solo cello (1986) (PWM)
Krzysztof Penderecki – Divertimento for solo cello (1994) (Schott)
Elliott Carter – Figment I
György Ligeti – Sonata for solo cello

2.B
Benjamin Britten – Sonata in C major for cello and piano Op. 65
Witold Szalonek – Sonata for cello and piano (1958) (PWM)
Alfred Schnittke – Sonata for cello and piano No. 1 (1978)
Francis Poulenc – Sonata for cello and piano FP 143
Claude Debussy – Sonata in D minor L.135

3.B
Ludwig van Beethoven - 7 Variations in E flat major
Robert Schumann – Adagio and Allegro for cello and piano Op. 70
Robert Schumann – Fantasiestücke Op. 73
Robert Schumann – Fünf Stücke im Volkston Op. 102
Paul Hindemith – Phantasiestück in B major Op. 8 No 2 from Three Pieces for cello and piano

Part 4
Programme of the competition performances – Finals

1.A
Witold Lutosławski – Concerto for cello and orchestra

1.B. One of the selected concertos:
Carl Philippe Emanuel Bach – Cello Concerto in A major Wq 172, H 439
Joseph Haydn – Cello Concerto in C major Hob. VIIb/1
Joseph Haydn – Cello Concerto in D major Hob. VIIb/2

All the concertos, except the Concerto for cello and orchestra by Witold Lutosławski, must be played from memory.