Terms and Conditions of Participation

 

Age Categories

Category A
– up to 14 years of age (born on 31 October 2011 or later)

Category B
– 15–17 years of age (born between 31 October 2008 and 30 October 2011)

Members of Pre-College programs at German universities of music are eligible to participate; full-time degree students are not eligible.
The competition is open to participants of all nationalities.

 

Venue

The competition will take place from 30 October to 1 November 2026 at the following venues:

Category A

Musikschule Mannheim
Börsensaal
E 4, 14
68159 Mannheim

Category B

Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und
Darstellende Kunst Mannheim
Kammermusiksaal
N 7, 17
68161 Mannheim

 

Competition Program

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The performance duration is:

• Category A: 15–20 minutes

• Category B: 20–25 minutes

The program must demonstrate a special ability to interpret the piano music of Wolfgang Amadé Mozart; therefore, it must contain a significant proportion of works by W. A. Mozart. In addition, it should showcase the participants’ diverse expressive abilities.

 

Program Requirements

Category A

Several works or individual movements by W. A. Mozart must be performed, including one fast and one slow piece.
In addition, works by other Classical-period composers are permitted.
The minimum duration of Mozart works must be at least 10 minutes.

 

Category B

Several works or individual movements by W. A. Mozart must be performed, including the first and second movements of a sonata.
In addition, works by other Classical-period composers are permitted.
The minimum duration of Mozart works must be at least 15 minutes.

 

All presented pieces must be original works for solo piano; solo parts from concertos are not permitted.
Repeats of formal sections within a piece are allowed.
The jury may interrupt the performance if the prescribed duration is exceeded.
Program changes are accepted until 15 September 2026 and must be submitted in writing.

 

Prizes

Category A                                 Category B

>1st Prize: €600                     >1st prize €1,000

>2nd Prize: €400                    >2nd prize €800

>3rd Prize: €200                     >3rd prize €600

 

First prizes may not be shared. If second or third prizes are shared, the jury—together with a representative of the Mozart-Gesellschaft Kurpfalz—will determine the exact prize amount. Additional special prizes may be awarded.

 

Registration

Applications are open immediately and must be submitted exclusively via the website of the Mozart-Gesellschaft Kurpfalz
(www.mozart-kurpfalz.de).

The number of participants is limited to:

• Category A: 40 participants

• Category B: 36 participants

Admission is granted in the order of application receipt and will close upon reaching the maximum number of participants, or no later than 31 July 2026.
An application is considered valid only once all required documents have been received.

 

Registration Fee

• Category A: €30

• Category B: €50

The fee must be transferred free of charge to the recipient to the following account of the Mozart-Gesellschaft Kurpfalz:

IBAN: DE48 8306 5408 0005 4603 79
BIC: GENODEF1SLR

The registration fee is non-refundable, except in the event that the competition is cancelled due to force majeure.

 

Required Documents

• Proof of payment of the registration fee

• A high-resolution passport photograph of the participant

• Participants from a Pre-College program at a German university of music must additionally submit confirmation of nomination and a certificate of enrollment

All application documents must be submitted exclusively via the website of the Mozart-Gesellschaft Kurpfalz (www.mozart-kurpfalz.de).
The registration form is also available for download on the website.

 

 

Jury

Each category will be evaluated by a jury consisting of four members, including at least one professor from the Mannheim University of Music and Performing Arts, at least one representative from another university of music, and one member of the board of the Mozart-Gesellschaft Kurpfalz.

All participants will be evaluated by all jurors using a point system. The maximum score is 25 points. No highest or lowest scores will be discarded. However, jurors’ evaluations will not be counted in the following cases:

• if the participant is a current or former student of the juror, or

• if there is a personal or family relationship between the participant and the juror.

The jury is automatically dissolved after the final submission of scores.
The jury’s decisions are final and not subject to appeal.

 

 

Schedule

The performance order will be determined by a transparent drawing of lots on 10 August 2026.

Participant registration is possible on all three competition days from 08:00 in front of the respective competition hall.

Each participant will be assigned a warm-up room immediately before their performance. The warm-up time is:

• Category A: 40 minutes

• Category B: 50 minutes

The competition performances in both categories will take place in parallel, approximately at the following times:

• Friday, 30 October: 10:00 – approx. 18:00

• Saturday, 31 October: 10:00 – approx. 18:00

• Sunday, 1 November: 10:00 – approx. 13:30

The final concert of the competition, including the announcement of results and presentation of certificates, will take place on Sunday, 1 November at 17:00 in the Kammermusiksaal, N 7, 17.

Prize winners are required to attend in order to receive their prizes and diplomas.

Competition performances and the final concert are open to the public.

 

Important Information

Sufficient practice rooms are available at both educational institutions.

By submitting their application, participants grant permission for the competition to record them and their performances in image and/or sound, and to use these recordings for promotional and informational purposes.

The competition assumes no responsibility for participants’ personal property.
Participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodation expenses.