REGULATIONS on holding the XIII International Competition of Young Pianists "Step to Mastery"
Dedicated to the memory of Yuri Temirkanov
1. FOUNDER AND ORGANIZER
Founder and Organizer – Saint Petersburg State Institution of Supplementary Education "Children's School of Arts named after Y. K. Temirkanov"
With the support of:
St. Petersburg Cultural Committee;
International Fund for Cultural Initiatives of Maestro Temirkanov;
Resource and Methodological Center for the Development of Education in the Sphere of Culture and Art of the St. Petersburg State Budgetary Institution of Additional Professional Education “Institute of Cultural Programs”.
2. GENERAL PROVISIONS
The International Competition for Young Pianists "Step to Mastery" (hereinafter referred to as the competition) has been held since 1995. In 2026, the competition is dedicated to the memory of the outstanding Soviet and Russian conductor Yuri Temirkanov.
The competition is held in the specialty "Piano" (solo).
The composition of the Organizing Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Organizing Committee) is approved by the order of the Saint Petersburg State Institution of Supplementary Education "Children's School of Arts named after Y. K. Temirkanov" (hereinafter referred to as the Organizer) by September 1, 2025.
The composition of the Jury is formed by the Organizing Committee and approved by the order of the Organizer by October 1, 2025.
3. OBJECTIVES AND TASK OF THE COMPETITION
Objectives:
preservation of the cultural heritage of Russia;
preservation and strengthening of national performing traditions;
prestige growth of musical education.
Tasks:
identification of talented pianists;
improvement of the solo performance skills of children and young people;
acquisition of experience in creative and concert activities.
4. COMPETITION SCHEDULE
Competition period is from January 20 to June 10, 2026.
In-person events of the competition are held from June 3 to June 10, 2026 in Saint Petersburg (Russia).
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From January 20, 2026 To March 20, 2026 (inclusive) |
Submission of applications |
| From April1 to April 14, 2026 | Qualifying stage (video recordings) |
| April 15, 2026 | The results of the qualifying round are published on the official website of the competition: https://steptomastery.ru |
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June 3, 2026 Start at 15:00 |
The opening ceremony of the competition. Conducting a draw to determine the order of performance of the contestants in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd rounds. The direct presence of the contestant or his authorized representative at the draw is mandatory. Venue: Russia, Saint Petersburg, Bukharestskaya St., 35, bldg. 1, lit. A, (concert hall of the Saint Petersburg State Institution of Supplementary Education "Children's School of Arts named after Y. K. Temirkanov") |
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June 3, 2026 No later than 21:00 |
The results of the draw are published on the official website of the competition: https://steptomastery.ru |
| June 4 - 8, 2026 |
I and II rounds (in person) The results of the I, II rounds are published on the official website of the competition: https://steptomastery.ru no later than the next day after the auditions of each category. Venue: Russia, Saint Petersburg, Bukharestskaya St., 35, bldg. 1, lit. A, (concert hall of the Saint Petersburg State Institution of Supplementary Education "Children's School of Arts named after Y. K. Temirkanov") |
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June 9, 2026 Start at 19:00 |
III round (in person) Performance with a symphony orchestra in the concert hall. Место проведения: Россия, Санкт-Петербург, Михайловская ул., д. 2, Большой зал Санкт-Петербургской академической филармония имени Д.Д. Шостаковича |
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June 10, 2026 Start at 16:00 |
Closing ceremony of the competition Laureates' Concert Presentation of awards Место проведения: Россия, Санкт-Петербург, Невский пр., д. 30, Малый зал имени М.И. Глинки Санкт-Петербургской академической филармонии имени Д.Д. Шостаковича |
5. ORDER OF THE COMPETITION
Competition auditions are held in three rounds, and a qualifying round.
The qualifying round is held via video recordings.
The average number of participants in face-to-face rounds is no more than 60, in all three categories.
The direct presence of the contestant or his/her authorized representative at the draw is mandatory. If the contestant is unable to be present at the draw, he/she must inform the Organizing Committee of the competition via e-mail: info@steptomastery.ru.
The Organizing Committee of the competition awards him/her one of the remaining numbers.
A contestant who fails to appear for the draw and fails to notify the Organizing Committee of the competition of his/her absence will not be allowed to participate in the competition.
I and II rounds - performance of solo programs;
III round - concert performance with a symphony orchestra.
No more than 50% of the contestants from the first round in each age category will advance to the second round.
6. AGE GROUPS OF COMPETITORS
The age of the contestants at the closing time of the competition must be no older than 19 years inclusive.
The age of the contestant is determined as of 10.06.2026.
The contestants are divided into three age categories:
Category "A" - up to 11 years inclusive (dates of birth - 11.06.2014 and later);
Category "B" - from 12 to 15 years inclusive (dates of birth - in the period from 11.06.2010 to 10.06.2014);
Category "C" - from 16 to 19 years inclusive (dates of birth - in the period from 11.06.2006 to 10.06.2010).
7. PROCEDURE FOR SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE COMPETITION
The application for participation in the competition (hereinafter referred to as the application) shall be filled out electronically on the official website of the competition: https://steptomastery.ru, section "Application", in Russian or English.
The application deadline is 23:59 Moscow time on March 20, 2026.
The following documents and materials shall be attached to the application:
- a copy of the identity document of the contestant: for citizens of the Russian Federation - a passport or birth certificate, for foreign citizens - a passport of a foreign citizen or other document established by the law of a foreign state or recognized in accordance with an international treaty of the Russian Federation as an identity document of a foreign citizen;
- a brief description of relevant experiences and accomplishments - biography of the contestant (up to 1.000 characters);
- a color photo of the contestant for publications of the competition materials: a digital version from 3 to 5 MB and no less than 300x600 dpi in size, acceptable formats are jpeg, bmp, png;
- a link to the video recording for the qualifying round of the competition, prepared in accordance with Section 8 "Video Recording Requirements".
The application shall include a list of the pieces to be performed in all rounds of the competition (qualifying round, I, II, III rounds).
The contestant shall accurately indicate the titles, parts, keys, timing of the submitted pieces, and the composers' names and initials.
When submitting an application, the contestant or his/her legal representative also gives consent to the Organizer to process personal data, as well as to distribute personal data on the Internet.
All materials and documents submitted to the competition will not be returned.
Incomplete applications or applications without the accompanying materials (documents) listed above, as well as without consent to the processing of personal data, will not be accepted for consideration.
Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered. The Organizing Committee reserves the right not to consider an application containing inaccurate information about the contestant or the program being performed, as well as if the program being performed does not comply with Section 13 of these Regulations.
By submitting an application on the website https://steptomastery.ru, the contest participant confirms that he/she fully accepts and undertakes to comply with the conditions in these Regulations.
8. VIDEO RECORDING REQUIREMENTS
Video materials must be easily accessible via links specified in the application on a personal computer or other device. Video materials must not require registration on the resource (platform) or downloading of the video.
Ссылки на видеозаписи должны быть размещены в ресурсах, позволяющих осуществлять просмотр файлов на территории Российской Федерации: https://files.mail.ru; https://disk.yandex.ru, TeraBox, OneDrive или аналоги.
The link must be openly accessible until the end of the competition.
Video recordings with a resolution of at least 720 pixels (HD format) are allowed to participate.
Video recording must show the performer's face and hands, from the right side of his/her figure.
Video filming must ensure identification of the performer: the contestant must be clearly visible in full growth.
At the beginning of the video recording, the performer/teacher must clearly and distinctly announce the last and the first names of the contestant and the program being performed.
Video recording for the qualifying round must be carried out without turning off or stopping the video camera, from the beginning to the end of the performance program; pauses in the recording between pieces are allowed (without turning off or stopping the video camera).
All pieces must be performed by heart.
The following are not allowed: additional sound processing, editing and montage of video material.
9. COMPETITION PROCEDURE
Competition auditions are held in three rounds, and a qualifying round.
The qualifying round is held via video recordings.
The average number of participants in face-to-face rounds is no more than 60, in all three categories.
I and II rounds - performance of solo programs;
III round - concert performance with a symphony orchestra.
No more than 50% of the contestants from the first round in each age category will advance to the second round.
No more than 4 contestants from each age category advance to Round III.
The winners of the competition take part in the final concert.
10. TERMS OF PARTICIPATION IN THE COMPETITION
Competitors are required to comply with the terms of this Regulation.
There are no restrictions regarding the status of a contestant.
A contestant can submit an application on behalf of an organization (legal entity) or on his/her own behalf.
For competition auditions, the instruments provided are grand pianos from Steinway&Sons and Bösendorfer. – рояли фирмы «Steinway&Sons» и Bösendorfer.
For the duration of participation in the competition, competitors will be provided with auditoriums for daily individual lessons, as well as conditions for acoustic rehearsals in concert halls (according to a special schedule).
All rounds of the competition will be broadcasted on the social network VKontakte: https://vk.com/dshi4spb
11. FINANCIAL SUPPORT
There is no entry fee for contestants..
All expenses related to the preparation of video recordings, placement of materials, payments for travel, food and accommodation of contestants and accompanying persons, contestants bear themselves or at the expense of the sending organization.
12. PRIZES AND AWARDS
The contestant who wins the Grand Prix is awarded the title of "Grand Prix Laureate";
The contestant who wins the first place is awarded the title of "First Degree Laureate";
The contestant who wins the second place is awarded the title of "Second Degree Laureate";
The contestant who wins the third place is awarded the title of "Third Degree Laureate";
The contestant who wins the fourth place is awarded the title of "Diploma Winner".
Special prizes/certificates may be established by agreement with the Organizing Committee and jury members.
Contestants participating in the second round are awarded certificates for successful participation.
The finalists of the competition take part in the closing ceremony of the competition free of charge.
Contestants who do not receive a diploma at the closing ceremony will have their documents sent electronically within 30 days after the end of the competition to the email address specified in the application.
13. COMPETITION PROGRAM
Competition pieces for all rounds must be performed by heart.
The declared program is not subject to change.
Qualification round Program
Etude and two pieces of the contestant's choice.
The pieces may or may not be included in the program of the first, second and third rounds (at the contestant's discretion).
1. Category A
I round
Several diverse musical compositions in different styles.
Duration of the round – no longer than 10 minutes.
II round
Several diverse musical compositions, including one piece by a composer from contestant’s country.
Duration of the round – no longer than 15 minutes.
III round
First part of one of the piano concertos with orchestra:
J.S. Bach – Concerto No. 5 in F minor, BWV 1056
J. Haydn – Concerto in D major Hob. XVIII/II
W. Mozart – Concerto in A major (KV 414)
L. Beethoven – Concerto No. 1 in C major Op.15
Note: at the request of the contestant, first part of a piano concerto from the repertoire of category "B" may be included in the program of the III round.
2. Category B
I round
One virtuoso etude (C. Czerny, M. Moszkowski, F. Chopin, F. Liszt,
S. Rachmaninoff, C. Debussy, etc.)
First part of a classical sonata (J. Haydn, W. Mozart, L. Beethoven)
A musical piece (or several pieces) of the contestant's choice
Duration of the round - no longer than 20 minutes.
II round
A free program of several musical pieces in different styles, including a piece by a composer from contestant’s county, and an extended work by a romantic composer.
Duration of the round - no longer than 25 minutes.
III round
First part of one of the piano concertos with orchestra:
L. Beethoven - Concerto No. 3 in C minor op. 37
F. Chopin – Concerto No. 1 in E minor
E. Grieg – Concerto in A minor op.16
S. Rachmaninoff – Concerto No. 2 in C minor op.18
S. Prokofiev – Concerto No. 1 in D - flat major
Note: at the request of the contestant, first part of a piano concerto from the repertoire of category "C" may be included in the program of the III round.
3. Category C
I round
Concert etude
классическая соната все части (Й. Гайдн, В. Моцарт, Л. Бетховен)
Piece written by a Russian composer (Russian or Soviet)
Duration of the round - no longer than 30 minutes
II round
Cyclic polyphonic work by J.S. Bach (suite, prelude and fugue, fantasy and fugue, etc.);
An extended work by a romantic composer or a romantic cycle, a piece by a composer from contestant’s county.
Duration of the round - no longer than 40 minutes.
III round
First part of one of the piano concertos with orchestra:
R. Schumann - Concerto No. 1 in A minor op. 54
F. Chopin – Concerto No. 1 in E minor
F. Chopin – Concerto No. 1 in E minor
P. Tchaikovsky – Concerto No. 1 in B - flat minor
S. Rachmaninoff – Concerto No. 2 in C minor op.18
S. Prokofiev – Concerto No. 1 in D - flat major
14. ORGANIZING COMMITTEE OF THE COMPETITION
The Organizing Committee performs the following functions:
distribution of information about the competition and collection of sets of documents from participants;
registration of participants;
preparation/transfer of materials to members of the Competition jury;
coordination of competition events and winners award.
15. COMPETITION JURY
The competition jury is formed of the prominent figures in the world musical culture.
The jury reserves the right.
The jury members have the right to:
interrupt the performance of a competitor whose program exceeds the established time or does not meet other requirements of these Regulations;
not award all diplomas;
award several diplomas of equal degree.
The jury members do not have the right to evaluate their own students.
The jury members are obliged to:
give their scores on individual evaluation sheets immediately after the end of the performance of each age group;
sign individual and summary evaluation sheets;
sign the final protocol.
Each jury member gives one score to the competitor on a 25-point system in whole numbers on a special form of the individual evaluation sheet.
When assigning scores, the jury members are guided by the following criteria:
features of their own creative interpretation of the performed repertoire;
understanding of style, compositional patterns in the process of embodying an artistic image;
владение исполнительской культурой (чувство формы, красочная звуковая палитра, ритмоинтонирование, точность артикуляции, выразительность динамики и т.д.);
technical mastery of the performed work;
artistry, brightness of creative self-expression;
musicality of performance;
culture of sound;
stylistic literacy of the performed works;
artistry.
Participants who have scored an average score of at least 21.00 are allowed to participate in the subsequent round (relevant for each round).
The decision on the results of the competitive auditions is made by open voting of the jury members and is documented in the protocol.
In the event of a tie in the number of votes, the vote of the chairman of the competition committee is considered decisive.
The jury's decision is final and is not subject to revision.
The Organizing Committee does not issue reviews or feedback on the performances of the participants.
Any disputes are not permitted.
16. CONTACT INFORMATION
Organizing committee of the competition:
Россия, 192071, Санкт-Петербург, ул. Бухарестская, д. 35, корп. 1, лит. А.
Saint Petersburg State Institution of Supplementary Education "Children's School of Arts named after Y. K. Temirkanov"
Tel.: +7 (812) 360-17-17, +7 (812) 360-62-74, +7 (812) 360-91-95
E-mail: info@steptomastery.ru
Official website of the competition: https://steptomastery.ru
17. FINAL PROVISIONS
In the event of any disputes regarding the information contained in these Regulations, the Regulations in Russian shall prevail.
In the event of changes being made to these Regulations after the start of the qualifying stage, the contestants shall be notified of these changes.
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