2025_Application-Pianist (ENG)

Wittgenstein Memorial International Piano Competition for Left-Hand

 

  1. Competition Categories (Piano Performance)

 

Professional Class

Semi-Professional Class

Amateur Class (A group / B group)

 

  1. Schedule

 

Professional Class

 

Preliminary Round

USA: Josephine Campbell Recital Hall at University of North Dakota (Grand Forks, ND)

November 17, 2024 (Saturday)

Tokyo:   Ginza Yamaha Piano Salon

December 1, 2024 (Sunday)

Osaka: Minoh Municipal Maple Hall (small hall)

December 8, 2024 (Sunday)

 

Semifinal Round

Minoh Municipal Maple Hall (large hall)

February 8, 2024 (Saturday)

 

Final Round

Minoh Municipal Maple Hall (large hall)

February 9, 2024 (Sunday)

 

Semi-Professional Class

 

Preliminary Round

Tokyo:   Ginza Yamaha Piano Salon

December 1, 2024 (Sunday)

Osaka: Minoh Municipal Maple Hall (small hall)

December 8, 2024 (Sunday)

 

Final Round

Minoh Municipal Maple Hall (large hall)

February 9, 2024 (Sunday)

 

Amateur Class (A group /B group)

 

Final Round

Tokyo:   Ginza Yamaha Piano Salon

December 1, 2024 (Sunday)

Osaka: Minoh Municipal Maple Hall (small hall)

December 8, 2024 (Sunday)

 

Award Ceremony and Gala Concert by Prize Winners (TBA)

Minoh Municipal Maple Hall (large hall)

February 9, 2024 (Sunday)

 

  1. Repertoire

 

Professional Class (required to perform only with left hand)

Preliminary Round (15-20 minutes)

  1. Required Piece: Prelude and Nocturne for left hand, Op. 9 by Alexander Scriabin
  2. Selection(s) of your choice

Semifinal Round (20-25 minutes)

  1. Required Piece: Prelude and Nocturne for left hand, Op. 9 by Alexander Scriabin
  2. Repertoire performed in the Preliminary Round plus one additional selection(s) of your choice

 

Final Round

Concerto in D for left hand by Maurice Ravel

(Required Score: 2-piano arrangement by Editions Durand)

 

Semi-Professional Class (required to perform with only one hand)

Preliminary Round (10-15 minutes)

Selections of your choice

 

Final Round (15-20 minutes)

Repertoire performed in the Preliminary Round plus one additional selection of your choice

 

Amateur Class A (required to perform with only one hand)

Final Round (up to 12 minutes)
Selections of your choice

 

Amateur Class B (required to perform with only one hand)

Final Round (up to 8 minutes)

Selections of your choice

 

  1. Terms and Conditions

 

– It doesn’t matter whether you have a disability or not.

– There is no age limit.

– The Professional Class contestants are required to perform only with left hand.

– The Semi-Professional and Amateur Class contestants are required to perform only one hand, either right or left hand.

– This competition does not require the contestants to have music degrees.

– In addition to the repertoire performed in the Preliminary Round, you will be asked to perform one additional selection of your choice.

– Evaluations for the Professional and Semi-Professional Classes will be based on the total score of the Preliminary, Semifinal, and Final Rounds.

– In the Final Round of Professional Class, Ravel’s Piano Concerto will be performed with the second piano accompaniment. If you have difficulty arranging an accompanist, please contact our office.

– You may choose to perform more than one piece as long as it stays within the time limit.

– You may choose to take repeats.

– It is not required to perform from memory.

– You will be asked to stop once you reach the time limit; however, it will not affect your evaluation.

– You can only apply for one class and one location of the competition.

– You may be asked to send the score of your repertoire after registration. The instruction of sending the score will be sent to you later.

– In the performances on February 8-9, 2025, at the Minoh Municipal Maple Hall, a 100-year-old Steinway Concert Grand Piano will be provided.

– All competition participations will be at the locations written above, except for the U.S.A Preliminary Round. You will be able to participate in the USA Preliminary Round via Yamaha Disklavier (limited to the U.S. residents only).

 

  1. Application Deadline

 

September 30, 2024 (Monday)

 

  1. How to Apply

 

Apply through the following website: https://forms.gle/mpfBpR8PkBVjogqu6

 

  1. Application Fees (Tax included)

 

Professional Class: 28,000 yens

Semi-Professional Class: 25,000 yens

Amateur Class A: 16,000 yens

Amateur Class B: 14,000 yens

 

  1. How to pay the Application Fee

 

Please pay the application fee within 2 weeks of registration.

 

Residents of Japan

Japan Post Bank (Yūcho Bank)

Sort Code: 14020

Account Number: 79935421

Name: (Left Hand Piano International Competition Executive Committee)

 

Residents of U.S.A.

Paypal

  1. Jury Panel

 

Takeo Tchinai, chair (Director of One Hand Piano Music General Incorporated Association)

Makoto Ueno (Professor at Kyoto University of Arts)

Dr. Nariaki Sugiura (Professor at University of North Dakota)

Osamu Kawakami (Lecturer at Elizabeth College of Music, Lecturer at Kunitachi College of Music)

Minoru Tsuzaki (Professor Emeritus, Kyoto City University of Arts)

Jun Takaoka (Winner of the 1st International Left Hand Piano Competition Professional Piano Division)

 

  1. Prizes

 

Professional Class

1st Prize: 300,000 yens (2nd and 3rd prizes will be offered but the amount is TBA)

 

Semi-Professional Class

1st Prize: 100,000 yens (2nd and 3rd prizes will be offered but the amount is TBA)

 

Amateur Class A: Top Prize 20,000 yens

Amateur Class B: Top Prize 10,000 yens

 

  1. Notes

 

  1. All participants will receive comments from the jury members.
  2. If you need to change your repertoire after registration, you may inform us until the application deadline of September 30, 2024.
  3. We will not accept any late applications.
  4. There will be no refund of the application fee.
  5. The copyrights of your performances, video, and sound recordings belong to the One Hand Piano Music General Incorporated Association.
  6. All rounds of the competition may be broadcast live or may be recorded and videotaped for subsequent broadcast, video, or audio recording use.

 

  1. Miscellaneous

 

  1. If you require a visa to enter Japan, it is your responsibility to obtain it. For details, please contact the Japanese embassy or consulate in your place of residence.
  2. The organizer will not be responsible for any physical, material, or mental damage or harm to contestants during the period of this competition or during the period of projects related to this competition.
  3. Participants will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation expenses related to competition participation.
  4. The personal information of applicants collected in this competition will be managed by the organizer in accordance with Japanese law and will be used only for the administration of this competition.
  5. Prize money shall include taxes in accordance with Japanese tax law.
  6. If a dispute arises between the applicant and the organizer, it will be resolved through mutual consultation in good faith. In the event that the dispute cannot be resolved or is not expected to be resolved through negotiations, all court proceedings regarding this application shall be brought before the Kobe District Court or the Kobe Summary Court. The court of first instance shall have exclusive jurisdiction.
  7. Please register your computer email address, not your mobile phone. Please register the domain lefthandpianocompetition.com and set it up so that you can receive emails.

 

Organizer: One Hand Piano Music General Incorporated Association

Management: Left Hand Piano International Competition Executive Committee

 

Left Hand International Piano Competition

Minoh City Maple Hall

5-11-23 Minoh, Minoh-shi, Osaka, Japan 562-0001

Email: contact@lefthandpianocompetition.com

 

*The competition reserves the right to make any changes into the application guidelines and other information related to the Competition.

 

I think it might be better to say something like, “Any person, regardless of disability, is welcome to apply.” Or something like that. Because the way it is now could either sound insensitive, or it could sound like you’re trying to correct a misconception of the competition as only being for those with disabilities. I don’t know, ha!

 

Is there an age minimum? If not, then maybe consider, “There are no age restrictions.”

 

Meaning, contestants who make it to the Final Round must perform Ravel’s Piano Concerto? I think this just needs a subject rather than it being passive.

 

I’m not sure if it matters, but this makes it sound like repeats are not expected, but you can opt to take them. Is it generally expected that a contestant would take repeats? If it doesn’t matter, it can remain as is.