TERMS OF THE COMPETITION COMPETITION PROCEDURES
1. THE 13TH INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION of young pianists «A STEP TOWARDS MASTERY» will be held in St. Petersburg from 7 to 14 June 2023.
2. VENUE OF THE COMPETITION: St. Petersburg.
3. THERE ARE NO RESTRICTIONS ON THE STATUS OF THE PARTICIPANT (for example: music school, higher school, academy, conservatory or private education).
4. THE AGE OF THE PARTICIPANTS shall be up to 19 years inclusive.
5. THE COMPETITION PARTICIPANTS SHALL BE DIVIDED INTO THREE AGE CATEGORIES: CATEGORY A – participants whose age shall be up to 11 years inclusive (born after 14 June, 2011), CATEGORY B – from 12 to 15 years inclusive (born after 14 June, 2007), CATEGORY C – from 16 to 19 years inclusive (born after 14 June, 2003).
6. THE ORDER OF THE PARTICIPANT’S PERFORMANCE shall be established by drawing lots. In the draw, the contestants of the category «A» and «B» involved personally. The contestants of the category «C» – online (date to be announced later).
7. THE COMPETITION IS HELD IN THREE ROUNDS with a qualifying stage: qualifying stage – based on the submitted video materials; I and II rounds – performance of solo programs; III round – performance with a symphony orchestra.
8. THE DATE, TIME AND PLACE OF THE COMPETITION: • The qualifying round is from 1 to 15 April 2023. • I and II rounds – from June 7 to June 12, 2023, the Concert Hall of «St. Petersburg Children’s Art School No. 4» (Bukcharestskaya str., 35, korp. 1, St. Petersburg). The concert hall has a capacity of 350 seats. Grand piano «STEINWAY & SONS». • Round III – June 13, 2023, beginning at 19:00, Concert Hall of the State Academic Capella of St. Petersburg (20 Moika River Embankment). • The closing ceremony of the competition and the concert of the laureates – June 14, 2023, beginning at 16:00, Small Philharmonic Hall named after I. M.I. Glinka (Nevsky prospect, 30).
9. NO MORE THAN 2/3 OF THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE FIRST ROUND GO TO THE SECOND ROUND. IN THE THIRD ROUND PASSES: • category «A» – no more than 4 participants; • category «B» – no more than 3 participants; • category «C» – no more than 3 participants
10. THE COMPETITION WINNERs shall take part in the final concert. The exclusive right for video, audio records and photography belongs to the Organizing Committee of the Competition. No honorariums are paid to the participants for video or audio records made during the concert.
11. THE PRIZE FUND IS 1 000 000 rubles:
Category A – 150 000 rubles
Category В – 250 000 rubles
Category С – 350 000 rubles
Grand prize – 250 000 rubles
Independently of the prizes listed above, the following special prizes may be awarded:
• For the best performance of Rachmaninoff’s works
• Concert with a symphony orchestra for a contestant, noted by the jury members, on one of the best stages in St. Petersburg
12. THE ENTRANCE FEE IS 10,000 rubles from a participant. The bank commission (if any) is paid by the applicant himself. Details for the transfer of the entry fee will be posted no later than February 1, 2023 on the official website of the competition. Without the advance payment an applicant shall not be admitted to the Competition. In the event that an applicant who has paid its entrance fee is unable to or no longer wishes to take part in the Competition for any reason, the fee shall not be refunded. The application and all correspondence relating to the participation in the Competition should be in Russian and English, or translated into these languages. Failure to meet the abovementioned requirements or to provide complete information may result in the rejection of the application. The application should be submitted to the Music School № 4 using the electronic form available on the Competition’s website. Other options are allowed (e-mail: steptomastery@yandex.ru; mail: School of Arts for Children № 4, ul. Bukcharestskaya, 35, korp. 1, 192071, St. Petersburg. The School will not return submitted documents and materials, which will become the School’s property.).