European Classical music has long relied on music competitions to provide a public forum that identifies the strongest players and contributes to the establishment of their professional careers.
This is a list of current competitions in classical music, with each competition and reference link given only once.
Many offer competitions across a range of categories and in these cases they are listed under "General/mixed".
Competitions with age restrictions are listed under "Young musicians".
Chamber music
thumb|Roman Kramsztyk Koncert (1918)
Bucharest International Music Competition | Wind Quintet & Brass Quintet
International Chamber Music Competition Hamburg for piano trios and string quartets (Hamburg, Germany)
International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition of New England (Boston, Massachusetts, US)
International Contest–Festival of Chamber Ensemble Performance (Magnitogorsk, Russia)
International Maria Yudina Competition of Young Pianists, Duo Pianists and Chamber Ensembles (St. Petersburg, Russia)
International Radio Competition for Young Musicians Concertino Praga (Prague, Czech Republic)
International Shostakovich Chamber Music Competition (Moscow, Russia)
International String Quartet Competition Radom Chamber Orchestra (Radom, Poland)
Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition (previously named the Asia-Pacific Chamber Music Competition) for piano trios and string quartets (Melbourne, Australia)
Quebec Music Competition (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) Live and Online
St Martin's Chamber Music Competition (London, UK)
"Salieri – Zinetti" International Chamber Music Competition (Verona/ Mantova, Italy)
Sydney Eisteddfod Musica Viva Chamber Music Award (Sydney, Australia)
Terem Crossover International Music Competition instrumental ensembles (Saint-Petersburg, Russia)
Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition (Trondheim, Norway)
Triomphe de l'Art International Music Competition (Brussels, Belgium)
Central European String Quartet International Composition Competition (Budapest, Hungary)
Choral/voice
thumb|Candlelight Master Young Boy Singing (1650)
Australian Concerto and Vocal Competition (Townsville, Australia)
Australian Singing Competition (Sydney, Australia)
Barry Alexander International Vocal Competition (US)
BBC Singer of the World competition (Cardiff, Wales)
Boris Christoff International Competition for Young Singers (Sofia, Bulgaria)
Concours international de chant de Toulouse (Toulouse, France)
Concours International Nei Stemmen (Luxemburg City, Luxemburg)
Concurs Internacional de Cant Francesc Viñas (Barcelona, Spain)
Concurs Internacional de cant Jaume Aragall (Barcelona, Spain)
Elena Obraztsova International Competition for young opera singers (St. Petersburg, Russia)
Elizabeth Connell Prize International Singing Competition for Sopranos
International Early Music Vocal Competition "Canticum Gaudium", Poznan, Poland
International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition (Vienna, Austria)
International Hilde Zadek Voice Competition (Vienna, Austria)
International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition (Leipzig, Germany)
International Singing Competition Neue Stimmen (Gütersloh, Germany)
International Stasys Šimkus choir competition (Klaipėda, Lithuania)
International Tchaikovsky Competition (Moscow, Russia)
International Vocal Competition 's-Hertogenbosch ('s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands)
International Voice Competition – Gerda Lissner Foundation (New York, US)
International Zdeněk Fibich Competition in interpretation of melodrama
The Featured NY.
International Singing Competition (New York, US)
Jan, Edward, Józefina Reszke Vocal Competition
Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award
The Klaudia Taev Competition for Young Opera Singers (Pärnu, Estonia).
Lotte Lehman League Art Song Contest
Montserrat Caballe International Singing Competition (Zaragoza, Spain)
National Anthem Bicentennial (Fort McHenry, US)
NTD International Chinese Vocal Competition (New York, USA)
Nuovo Canto Opera Competition in Milano
Operalia, The World Opera Competition (Paris, France)
Prague Christmas (Prague, Czech Republic)
Quebec Music Competition (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) Live and Online
Queen Elisabeth Music Competition (Brussels, Belgium)
Queen Sonja International Music Competition (Oslo, Norway)
Triomphe de l'Art International Music Competition (Brussels, Belgium)
Vancouver International Music Competition (Vancouver, Canada)
Youth Zeal Music Competition (Helsinki, Finland)
Composition
thumb|Laurent de La HyreAllegorical Figure of Music
Alba Rosa Viëtor Composition Competition (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
Alexander Zemlinsky Prize for Composition (Cincinnati, US)
ARBORETUM Krzysztof Penderecki International Composers' Competition (Radom, Poland)
Bucharest International Music Competition | Composition for Wind Quintet & Brass Quintet
Competition for Young Composers dedicated to Maestro Gian Carlo Menotti (Spoleto, Italy)
Cum Laude Music Awards.
International Consonant Chamber Music Composition Contest
Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame (New York City, US)
Gardner Composition Competition (American Viola Society, US)
Gaudeamus International Composers Award (Netherlands)
George Enescu International Competition (Composition section) (Bucharest, Romania)
Henryk Mikołaj Górecki International Composers Competition (Cracow, Poland)
International Antonín Dvořák Composition Competition (Prague, Czech Republic)
International Composers Festival, Hastings and Bexhill, East Sussex, United KingdomHome | Composers Festival, accessdate: 4 June 2020
International Composition Prize (Sacile PN, Italy)
International Uuno Klami Composition Competition (Kotka/Kouvola, Finland)
Isla Verde Bronces International Brass Composition Contest (Córdoba, Argentina)
Kazimierz Serocki International Composers' Competition (Warsaw, Poland)
Lake George Music Festival Composition Competition (New York, US)
Masterprize International Composing Competition
Mauricio Kagel Composition Competition (Vienna, Austria)
Midi & MP3 Composition Music Contest for Composers
Northwest Indiana Symphony Composition Competition (Indiana, US)
PARMA Student Composer Competition (North Hampton, US)
Project Trio Composition Competition (Brooklyn, US)
Quebec Music Competition (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) Live and Online
Queen Elisabeth Music Competition (Brussels, Belgium)
60x60 – International (New York, US)
RED NOTE New Music Festival Composition Competition (Illinois, US)
Reveille Trumpet Collective Composition Prize
Royal Northern Sinfonia Young Composers' Competition (Newcastle, UK)
SAMADIS International Composition Competition (New York City, US)
Tōru Takemitsu Composition Award (Tokyo, Japan)
Zvi Zeitlin Memorial International Composer's Competition
Conducting
thumb|Conductor Tetiana Kalinichenko
Cadaqués Orchestra International Conducting Competition (Spain)
Donatella Flick Conducting Competition (UK)
Guido Cantelli Conducting Competition (Italy)
Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition (Germany)
International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors (France)
International Conducting Competition Jeunesses Musicales Bucharest (Romania)
Jorma Panula Conducting Competition (Finland)
Leeds Conductors Competition (UK)
Nicolai Malko Competition For Young Conductors (Denmark)
Sir Georg Solti International Conductors' Competition (Germany)
The Grzegorz Fitelberg International Competition for Conductors (Poland)
Tokyo International Music Competition for Conducting (Japan)
General/ mixed
American Virtuoso International Music Competition (Washington D.C., US)
Appassionato International Youth Music Festival (Quebec, Canada)
Brilliant Talent Discovery Awards International Music Competition
Vancouver International Music Competition (Vancouver, Canada)
The American Prize (Connecticut, US)
The American Protege Gala Concert at Stern Auditorium (New York, US)
Balys Dvarionas International Competition for Young Pianists and Violinists (Lithuania)
Cleveland Aradhana – South Indian Classical Music Competition (Cleveland, US)
E-Gré National Music Competition (Brandon, Canada)
EUROPAfest (Bucharest, Romania)
France Music Competition (Landes le Gaulois, France)
Franz Schubert and Modern Music International Music Competition, GrazFranz Schubert and Modern Music International Music Competition (retrieved 8 January 2015)
International Crescendo Music Awards Competition (Tulsa, US)
Long-Thibaud-Crespin Competition (previously International Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition; Paris, France)
Nishinihon International Music Competition (Fukuoka, Japan)
ON STAGE International Classical Music Competition (Online Competition)
Quebec Music Competition (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) Live and Online
Rising Stars Grand Prix – International Music Competition (Berlin, Germany)
Naumburg Competition (New York, US)
Washington International Competition (Washington, US)
The World Competition (entirely online; New York & Bologna)
Triomphe de l'Art International Music Competition (Brussels, Belgium)
Instrumental
Calabria International Piano Competition (Calabria, Italy)http://www.calabriamusicfestival.com/"
American Protege International Concerto Competition (New York, US)
Viseu International Guitar Competition (Viseu, Portugal)
Vancouver International Music Competition (Vancouver, Canada)
"Arrasate Hiria" International Accordion Competition (Arrasate, Spain)
ARD International Music Competition (Munich, Germany)
Australian Concerto and Vocal Competition (Townsville, Australia)
Budapest International Guitar Competition (BIGC; Budapest, Hungary)
Classica Nova International Music Competition (Hannover, Germany)
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Conservatory Competition (Berlin, Germany)
The 1st International IMMA Records Classical Music Competition
Gaudeamus Competition (Netherlands)
International Guitar Competition & Festival (Berlin, Germany)
International Joseph Joachim Violin Competition Hanover
International Performers Competition Brno (Brno, Czech Republic)
International Radio Competition for Young Musicians Concertino Praga (Prague, Czech Republic)
Italy Percussion Competition (Montesilvano Pescara)
Leos Janacek International Competition (Brno, Czech Republic)
Montreal International Music Competition (Montreal, Canada)
Matosinhos International Competition (Online)
Quebec Music Competition (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) Live and Online
Queen Elisabeth Music Competition (Brussels, Belgium)
Ronald Sachs International Music Competition – Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, Piano (North Carolina, US)
TROMP international music competition & Festival (Eindhoven, Netherlands)
TONALi Music Competition (Hamburg, Germany)
SVIRÉL International Music Competition and Festival for Soloists and Chamber Groups (Slovenia)
Triomphe de l'Art International Music Competition (Brussels, Belgium)
Furioso Violin Competition (online)
Youth Zeal Music Competition (Helsinki, Finland)
Zodiac International Music Competition (online)
Large Ensembles
Ictus International Music Competition. (online international competition for bands, orchestras and jazz ensembles)
Musicology
Annual Musicology Competition (Worldwide)
Piano/keyboard
thumb|Maurizio Balzola at the piano
Vienna Youth International Piano Competition (Vienna, Austria)
Aarhus International Piano Competition (Aarhus, Denmark)
Ambitus Orgelconcours (The Netherlands)
American Paderewski Piano Competition (Los Angeles, US)
American Protege International Piano and Strings Competition (US)
Anton Rubinstein Competition (Dresden, Germany)
Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition (Tel Aviv, Israel)
Astral National Auditions (Philadelphia, US)
Beethoven National Piano Competition (Chantilly, US)
BNDES International Piano Competition (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition (New York, US)
César Franck International Piano Competition (Brussels, Belgium)
Ciutat de Carlet International Piano Competition (Valencia, Spain)
Clara Haskil International Piano Competition (Vevey, Switzerland)
Cleveland International Piano Competition (Cleveland, US)
Concours Géza Anda (Zurich, Switzerland)
Dallas Chamber Symphony International Piano Competition (Dallas, US)
The Dranoff International Two Piano Foundation (Dallas, US)
Dublin International Piano Competition (Dublin, Ireland)
Epinal International Piano Competition (Epinal, France)
EPTA - International Piano Competition Svetislav Stančić (Zagreb, Croatia)
Eugen d'Albert International Music Competition (Giubiasco, Switzerland)
Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition (Bolzano, Italy)
Malta International Piano Competition, Valletta/Mdina, Malta
Festival for Creative Pianists (US)
George Enescu International Competition (Piano section) (Bucharest, Romania)
Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition (Salt Lake City, US)
Hamamatsu International Piano Competition (Hamamatsu, JP)
Hilton Head International Piano Competition (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, US)
Holland International Piano Competition (The Hague, Netherlands)
Honens International Piano Competition (Calgary, Canada)
International Carl Bechstein Piano Competition (various, Europe)
International Piano Competition "Johann Sebastian Bach" (Würzburg, Germany)
International Beethoven Piano Competition Vienna (Internationaler Beethoven Klavierwettbewerb Wien; Vienna, Austria)
International Chopin Piano Competition (Poland)
International Cochran Piano Competition (Poland/Australia)
International Ettore Pozzoli Piano Competition (Seregno, Italy)
International Franz Liszt Piano Competition (Utrecht, Netherlands)
International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition for Children and Youth (Szafarnia, Poland)
International Geelvinck Fortepiano Concours (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
International Goedicke Organ Competition (Moscow, Russia)
International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition (organ; Leipzig, Germany)
International Mozart Piano Competition (Frascati (Rome), Italy)
International Mozart Piano Competition (Salzburg, Austria)
International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs (Paris, France)
International Radio Competition for Young Musicians Concertino Praga (Prague, Czech Republic)
International Tchaikovsky Competition (Russia)
International Telekom Beethoven Competition (Bonn, Germany)
ISANGYUN Competition (Tongyeong, South Korea)
JMIPC – James Mottram International Piano Competition at the Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester, England)
José Iturbi International Piano Competition (Los Angeles, US)
Karlovac International Piano Competition (Karlovac, Croatia)
Kerikeri National Piano Competition (Kerikeri, New Zealand)
Kissingen Piano Olympics (Kissinger Klavierolymp, Bad Kissingen, Germany)
Lagny-sur-Marne International Piano Competition (Lagny, France)
Leeds International Pianoforte Competition (Leeds, UK)
Maria Canals International Music Competition (Barcelona, Spain)
NTD International Piano Competition (New York, US)
Olga Kern International Piano Competition (Albuquerque, New Mexico, US)
ON STAGE International Classical Music Competition (Online Competition)
Paloma O'Shea International Piano Competition (Santander, Spain)
Panama International Piano Competition (Panama City, Panama)
Peabody Mason International Piano Competition (Boston, US)
Petr Eben International Organ Competition (Opava, Czech Republic)
Pilar Bayona Piano Competition (Spain)
Quebec Music Competition (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) Live and Online
Queen Elisabeth Music Competition (Belgium)
Ricard Viñes International Piano Competition (Lleida, Spain)
Ronald Sachs International Music Competition
The Gurwitz International Piano Competition, (San Antonio, Texas, US)
San Diego International Piano Competition and Festival for Outstanding Amateurs (San Diego, California, US)
Seattle Symphony Piano Competition (Seattle, Washington, US)
Sendai International Music Competition (Sendai, Japan)
The Shean Piano Competition (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)
St Albans International Organ Competition (St Albans, UK)
Sussex International Piano Competition (Worthing, UK)
Sydney International Piano Competition (Sydney, Australia)
Thailand International Chopin Piano Competition (Bangkok, Thailand)
Triomphe de l'Art International Music Competition (Brussels, Belgium)
US New Star Piano Competition (San Jose, US)
Valencia International Piano Competition Prize Iturbi (Valencia, Spain)
Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (Fort Worth, US)
Vancouver International Music Competition (Vancouver, Canada)
Vigo International Piano Competition (Vigo, Spain)
World International Piano Competition (Santa Fe, US)
Youth Zeal Music Competition (Helsinki, Finland)
Young Pianist of the North International competition (Newcastle upon Tyne, UK)
String instruments
thumb|Lady Blunt Stradivari violin (1721)
American Protege International Piano and Strings Competition (US)
Animato International Violin Competition (Brisbane, Australia)
Antonio Janigro International Cello Competition (Croatia)
Appassionato International Youth Music Festival (Quebec, Canada)
Carl Flesch International Violin Competition (London, UK; 1945–1992)
Carl Nielsen International Music Competition (Odense, Denmark)
Città di Brescia International Violin Competition (Brescia, Italy)
Furioso violin Competition (online)
George Enescu International Competition (Violin, Cello section) (Bucharest, Romania)
Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition (Poznań, Poland)
International Arthur Grumiaux Competition for Young Violinists (Brussels, Belgium)
International Brahms Competition (Pörtschach am Wörthersee, Austria)
International Fritz Kreisler Competition (Vienna, Austria)
International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition (Helsinki, Finland)
International Violin Competition Leopold Mozart in Augsburg (Augsburg, Germany)
International Radio Competition for Young Musicians Concertino Praga (Prague, Czech Republic)
International Tchaikovsky Competition (Moscow, Russia)
International Violin Competition Henri Marteau (Lichtenberg and Hof, Germany)
International Violin Competition of Indianapolis (Indianapolis, US)
ISANGYUN Competition (Tongyeong, South Korea)
Klaipeda International Cello Competition (Klaipeda, Lithuania)
Klein Competition (San Francisco, US)
Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition (Isle of Man, UK)
Maurice Vieux International Viola Competition (France)
Michael Hill International Violin Competition (New Zealand)
Moscow International David Oistrakh Violin Competition (Moscow, Russia)
Paganini International Competition (Genoa, Italy)
Primrose International Viola Competition (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
Quebec Music Competition (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) Live and Online
Queen Elisabeth Music Competition (Belgium)
Ronald Sachs International Music Competition
Mstislav Rostropovich International Cello Competition (Paris, France)
Sendai International Music Competition (Sendai, Japan)
Schoenfeld International String Competition (Harbin, China)
The Shean Strings Competition (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)
Singapore International Violin Competition (Singapore)
STREICHWERK International String Competition (Berlin, Germany)
Stulberg International String Competition (US)
Washington International Competition for Strings (Washington, D.C., US)
National Chamber Ensemble Outstanding Young Artist Achievement Award Competition (Arlington, VA, US)
Windsor Festival International String Competition (Windsor, UK)
Triomphe de l'Art International Music Competition (Brussels, Belgium)
Vancouver International Music Competition (Vancouver, Canada)
Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists (Richmond, VA, US in 2021)
Youth Zeal Music Competition (Helsinki, Finland)
Young Talents with Orchestra, competition for violin and piano with orchestra (Milan, Italy)
Woodwind instruments
thumb|Bassoon (made by Fox)
American Protege International Woodwinds and Brass Competition (US)
American Protege International Music Talent Competition (US)
Appassionato International Youth Music Festival (Quebec, Canada)
Australian Youth Classical Music Competition (Geelong, Australia)
Austral National Auditions (Philadelphia, US)
BBC Young Musician of the Year (UK)
Chetham's Flute Competition (Manchester, UK)
Città di Barletta Young Musician International Competition (Barletta, Italy)
Concours de Genève Prix international d'interprétation & de composition (Geneva, Switzerland)
Concours de Musique et des Beaux Arts – Quebec Music Competition|Concours International de Musique et des Beaux Arts (Quebec, Canada)
Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition (Indiana, US)
Forte International Music Competition and Festivals
Gillet-Hugo Fox Competition – Bassoon and Oboe competition (US)
Malta International Woondwinds Competition, Valletta/Mdina, Malta
Gregynog Young Musicians Competition (Wales, UK)
Henri Tomasi International Woodwind Quintet Competition (Marseille, France)
Hugo Kauder Society-International Music Competition (New Haven, US)
International Clarinet Celebration Young Artists Competition (Portland, OR)
International Chamber Music Competition for ensembles 20-30yrs (Wollongong, Australia)
International Competition for Young Classical Guitarists (Siracusa, Italy)Competition for Young Classical Guitarists
International Crescendo Music Awards Competition (Tulsa US)
International Flute Competition Camerata Strumentale (Timişoara, Romania)
International Independent Music Competition "Individualis" (Ukraine)
International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition (Leipzig, Germany)
International Radio Competition for Young Musicians Concertino Praga (Prague, Czech Republic)
International Russian Rotary Children Music Competition (Russia)
International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians (Moscow, Russia)
Jeunesses Musicales International (Various)
Johansen International Competition for Young String Players (Washington DC, US)
Midwest Young Artists Discover National Chamber Music Competition (Illinois, US)
National Young Artist Competition (Charleston, US)
National Arts Centre Orchestra Bursary Competition (Ottawa, Canada)
New York International Piano Competition (New York, US)
Olympic Challenge Competition (children; Montclair, US)
PianoArts North American Piano Competition for High School and College Students (US)
Prague Spring International Music Competition (Prague, Czech Republic)
Quebec Music Competition (Montreal, Quebec, Canada)
RESEO Award (Brussels, Belgium)
The Respighi Prize Music Competition for Young Composers & Soloists (New York, US)
Ronald Sachs International Music Competition
Russian Music Competition (US)
Saint Paul String Quartet Competition (US)
Sydney Eisteddfod (Sydney, Australia)
Tartini Music Competition for violin (Piran, Slovenia)
Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition – Saxophone and Clarinet (US)
VSA International Young Soloists Competition (Washington, DC, US)
Wideman Piano Competition (Shreveport, US)
William C. Byrd Young Artist Competition (Flint, US)
Young Musicians
ABC Young Performers Awards (Sydney, Australia)
See also
European Union of Music Competitions for Youth
List of Recipients of the Terence Judd Award
World Federation of International Music Competitions
References
External links
List of Classical Music Competitions at MusicaNeo
Directory of International Piano Competitions
Musicalchairs.info List of Competitions
ClassicalNet: Festivals, Competitions, Concerts & Concert Venues
World Federation of International Music Competitions
Competitions Classical music
