Since its first edition in 2002, the Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition has become a staple among music competitions. Every two to three years, talents from numerous nations gather in Frankfurt to give their careers at the conducting podium important impulses. This is also true for the upcoming, ninth edition of the competition, which - albeit under some corona-related adjustments - will be held as planned from October 7 to 11, 2020.
Despite the uncertain times, a total of 437 applications from 56 countries were received by the application deadline in May 2020 - almost 150 more than for the last edition in February 2017. "We were naturally delighted by the huge interest in the Solti Competition from all over the world," says Dr. Burkhard Bastuck, Competition Director and Chairman of the Frankfurter Museums-Gesellschaft e.V. "This is testament to the high standing and reputation that the Competition has built up over the years, and that was an incentive for everyone involved to hold the Competition even in these difficult times - which we have succeeded in doing."
As in previous years, most of the applications come from the U.S. and Germany, but Russia, Spain, Italy, South Korea and China are again represented with many applications. 59 women have applied for the competition, which corresponds to a quota of 13.5%, almost the same value as in the last competition.
Out of all valid applications, 13 conductors* were invited to participate in the competition in Frankfurt. As has been the case since the competition was introduced 18 years ago, the two major Frankfurt orchestras, the hr Symphony Orchestra and the Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra, will once again accompany the entire competition. In the preliminary round on 7 October and in the semi-final on 8 October, the young conductors will conduct the hr-Sinfonieorchester in the Sendesaal of the Hessischer Rundfunk; the rehearsals on 9 and 10 October and the public final concerts on 11 October in the Alte Oper Frankfurt will be conducted by the hr-Sinfonieorchester. The rehearsals on 9 and 10 October and the public final concerts on 11 October in the Alte Oper Frankfurt will be performed by the participants together with the Opera and Museum Orchestra.
Taking into account the current requirements for protection against the corona pandemic, the final in the Alte Oper on Sunday, 11 October 2020, will be divided into two approximately 60-minute sessions: In the public competition concert at 10:00 a.m. in the Great Hall, the three finalists and the Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra will present themselves to the audience with all movements from Beethoven's Seventh Symphony - together with the rehearsals the basis for the jury's decision. The audience can also vote, because as in previous years, a separate audience prize will be awarded.
After the jury has decided on the awarding of the prize, the three finalists will perform a public prize-winners' concert at 1 p.m. with a Beethoven overture assigned to each of them. The winner will also conduct Gioachino Rossini's overture to "La Scala di Seta".
Moderator Dr. Burkhard Bastuck will announce the rankings and award the prizes, including the audience prize.
The first prize of the competition is worth 15,000 euros, the second 10,000 euros and the third 5,000 euros. The first two prizes are accompanied by invitations to conduct the Frankfurt Museum Orchestra and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, and other orchestras have also offered the prospect of guest conductorships or assistantships.
The jury for the final round, chaired by Lady Valerie Solti, patron of the competition, is composed as follows: Lady Valerie Solti (Chair), Michael Becker (Artistic Director Tonhalle Düsseldorf and Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra), Prof. Ulrich Edelmann (First Concertmaster hr-Sinfonieorchester), Dr. Markus Fein (Artistic Director and Managing Director Alte Oper Frankfurt) Stephen Maddock (OBE, Chief Executive, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra), Frauke Roth (Artistic Director Dresdner Philharmonie), Michael Sanderling (des. Chief Conductor of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra) and Michael Traub (Head of Music and Orchestra at the Hessischer Rundfunk, Orchestra Manager of the hr Symphony Orchestra).
For more information, visit www.dirigentenwettbewerb-solti.de
9. INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR COMPETITION SIR GEORG SOLTI
DIRECTOR: LADY VALERIE SOLTI
Sunday, October 11, 2020 ▪ Great Hall ▪ 10.00 AM
PUBLIC COMPETITION CONCERT
(with audience vote)
.FRANKFURTER OPERA AND MUSEUM ORCHESTRA
3 FINALISTS Direction
DR. BURKHARD BASTUCK Moderation
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92
Sunday, October 11, 2020 ▪ Great Hall ▪ 1.00 pm
PUBLIC AWARD CONCERT
(with award ceremony)
<.x>NFRANKFURTER OPERA AND MUSEUM ORCHESTRA
3 FINALISTS Conductor
DR. BURKHARD BASTUCK Moderation
Ludwig van Beethoven The Creatures of Prometheus op. 43,
Coriolan Overture op. 62, Leonore Overture No. 1 op. 138
Gioachino Rossini Overture to "La Scala di Seta"
Ticket hotline: 069 / 13 40 400
