Invitation
Dear musicians,
It is with great pleasure that we would like to inform you that the 53rd International Competition of Young Musicians in the category of viola will take place in Belgrade from the 7th till the 17th of December 2026.
The Belgrade Festivals Center (CEBEF), the cultural institution of the City of Belgrade, has been recently chosen by the City of Belgrade as the Competition’s founder, to take over the principal role in organizing the competition, with the purpose of guaranteeing greater international visibility and artistic results. The “Guarnerius” Art Centre will host the first and second stage, while the RTS Music Production is our partner for the final stage and its RTS Symphony Orchestra is the official orchestra of the competition.
We are proud and happy to have the opportunity to welcome to Belgrade gifted young violists and to enable them to show their commitment to the instrument and their passion for playing.
The jury will gather together esteemed performers and pedagogues:
Jutta Puchhammer-Sédillot, Canada/Austria
Tomoko Akasaka, Japan/Germany
Lihay Bendayan, Israel/Switzerland
Zoran Jakovčić, Croatia/USA
Milan Milisavljević, USA
Nemanja Marjanović, Serbia
Dejan Mlađenović, Serbia
All violists up to 30 years of age on the first day of the competition are eligible to participate.
The registration fee 100 EUR can be paid via Tickets.rs site. In case the candidate has already paid the registration fee, it is required to send the receipt that confirms it. In case the candidate cancels his/her participation, the registration fee will not be refunded.
The competitors are responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs.
The organizers of the competition will provide all competitors with an official piano accompanist for the purposes of performing compositions within the second and third stages of the competition. The competitor may bring his own accompanist, in which case he will bear his/her expenses.
The organizers of the competition commit to provide competitors with rooms for daily practice of two hours minimum, as well as rehearsals with an accompanist / the orchestra within the second and third stage of the competition.
The three best competitors will be awarded monetary prizes:
1st prize – 10 000 euros
2nd prize – 5 000 euros
3rd prize – 3 000 euros,
and special awards will be given to the best Serbian competitor in the finals and for the best performance of the compulsory piece.
The jury reserves the right not to award prizes. All prizes are indivisible.
The applications will be open from the 20th of June till the 20th of September 2026.
Please, let us know the exact list of the compositions you have chosen, so that the jury, the accompanist and the orchestra may be familiar with your choice.
ASSIGNED COMPETITION REPERTOIRE
STAGE 1
Duration: up to 35’ (including breaks and stage entrance/exit)
A) Johann Sebastian Bach
One of the following works or their combination within the given time frame:
- Suite No. 6 for Cello(transcription for viola) – two movements by the candidate’s choice
- Partita No. 1 in B minor for Solo Violin(transcription for viola) – two movements of the candidate’s choice with corresponding doubles
- Chaconnefrom the Partita in D minor(transcription for viola)
B) Aleksandar Simić – Kaddish for viola solo
Mandatory piece by a domestic composer
C) Caprice or Étude
One of the following:
- Anzoletti – 12 Études (Dodici Studi), Edizioni Ricordi
- A. Hoffmeister – 12 Viola Etudes, Edition Peters
- Vieux – Études pour Alto(Twenty Études)
STAGE 2
Duration: up to 45’, not shorter than 40’ (including breaks and stage entrance/exit)
A) One of the following sonatas for viola and piano (or solo viola):
- Brahms – Sonata in F minor, Op. 120 No. 1
- Brahms – Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 120 No. 2
- Hindemith – Sonata “Fantasie”, Op. 11 No. 4
- Hindemith – Solo Sonata, Op. 11 No. 5
- Hindemith – Sonate für Bratsche Solo, Op. 25 No. 1
- Schubert – Sonata “Arpeggione”
- v. Beethoven – Notturno, Op. 42 (Edition Schott, W. Primrose)
- Shostakovich – Sonata, Op. 147
B) One piece with piano:
- Enescu – Concert Piece
- Schumann – Adagio and Allegro
- Bruch – Romanze
- M. von Weber – Andante and Rondo Ungarese
- Pärt – Fratres
- Britten – Lachrymae, Op. 48a
C) One virtuoso piece:
- Petrović – RhapsodyNo. 2 for solo viola
- Penderecki – Cadenzafor solo viola
- Patterson – Tides of Mananan
- S. Bach – Chromatic Fantasy(arr. Zoltán Kodály)
- Berio – Sequenza VI
FINALS
A) Mandatory piece:
- Stamitz – Viola Concerto in D major, 1st movement with cadenza (with piano accompaniment)
B) One concerto with orchestra of the candidate’s choice:
- Walton – Viola Concerto (Edition Oxford Uiversity Press 1929)
- Bartók – Viola Concerto (Edition Boosey & Hawkes)
- Schnittke – Viola Concerto
- Hindemith – Der Schwanendreher
For any other infomation, please visit www.mtmo.rs website or address to the email