Every two years, piano fever breaks out in Bonn. Now it’s time again: the International Telekom Beethoven Competition Bonn (ITBCB) will take place for the tenth time from 30 November to 10 December 2023.
Which young pianists have qualified this year? What do they have to achieve in the competition rounds and can the audience have a say in the competition? Who is actually behind the piano competition? We would like to answer these questions here.
Did you know: You can attend all the competition rounds in the preliminary round up to and including the semi-finals free of charge! For the exciting chamber music and orchestral finals, you can purchase tickets.
Are you not in Bonn? The entire competition will be streamed live. You can watch it on the ITBCB homepage and also take part in the audience votes. You can find all past competitions and concerts in the media library there.
28 pianists from 16 nations were admitted to the competition by a pre-selection jury based on the videos submitted. 24 pianists have arrived for the competition. They come from countries such as the USA, South Korea, Ukraine, France and Japan. The most represented country of origin is China.
A total of 143 pianists applied for this year’s competition – a new record in the competition’s history. Perhaps also interesting: there were 80 male, 62 female and 1 diverse applicant. 12 female and 15 male candidates were admitted.
A special feature of the ITBCB is the involvement of host families for the pianists. For many years, Bonn citizens have been volunteering their time and helping to make the international guests feel welcome in Bonn.
It's a real marathon to get through a competition like the ITBCB. From the preliminary round to the final, a finalist has to complete a total of 5 performances in 8 days, each of which can last up to an hour. Repertoire from all eras solo, in chamber music and with orchestra is required. Of course, Beethoven’s music is of particular importance and is represented in every round.
The exact list of works for each round can be found on the detailed pages of the rounds (in the schedule above).
Fancy a few more facts and figures? On average, a finalist plays 226 pages of music throughout the competition. In the overall programme of the competition, 42 Beethoven works will be played. In total, all participants have submitted 112 works. The total duration of music played in the competition is 44 hours.
The question of how the performance of musicians can be measured is debatable. Competitions are a means for creating a snapshot of a field of participants – and for finding an artist who can convince different jurors with the breadth of his or her skills and stylistic range of expression. Because even if jury decisions at the ITBCB follow an assessment manual that categorises various qualities (such as technique, understanding of time style, text fidelity and stage presence), these decisions remain individual personal decisions made by the 9 international jurors. The majority principle decides for each candidate; only in stalemate situations does the jury chairman Pavel Gililov have the right to decide.
The ITBCB jury consists of internationally active pianists who also enjoy a special reputation as teachers. Their excellence is an important criterion for Artistic Director Pavel Gililov, who assembles and chairs the jury. Many of them have many years of experience as jurors of major piano competitions. The jury includes professors from the Julliard School, the Mozarteum University Salzburg and the Hanover University of Music. The winner of the first edition of the ITBCB, Jingge Yan, is also a member of the preliminary jury who admits the applicants to the competition.
There is more than one way for the audience to get involved in the evaluation of the candidates. You don’t even have to be there: There are also voting channels for listeners of the livestreams (on the ITBCB homepage).
The initiative to found the ITBCB came from Deutsche Telekom AG and Pavel Gililov as the artistic director in 2005. The pianist is an internationally renowned piano teacher who has produced numerous award-winning pianists at the Cologne and Salzburg music academies. His aim was and is to use the competition to promote young musical talent. Bonn and the cultivation of Beethoven, which is rooted here, was the ideal place for him to organise a new international competition that places special emphasis on this giant of the piano repertoire.
Since 2005, competitions have been held every two years. Over the years, the international reputation of the ITBCB has grown. For many pianists, it is a special feeling to take part in a competition at the birthplace of Beethoven. The close cooperation with Beethovenfest Bonn, which organises the competition, also provides concert engagements at the festival for the prizewinners. The participants also benefit from the musical partners here on site: the Beethoven Trio Bonn is a co-performer and juror at the chamber music final. The Beethoven Orchestra Bonn will accompany the finalists as they perform the Beethoven piano concertos. The prizewinner will receive concert engagements with the municipal orchestra.
