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A warm Invitation to Nuremberg

For nearly half a century, the Nuremberg International Organ Week, ION for short, and the International Organ Competition have been closely linked.Many an international career started with winning the Nuremberg International Organ Competition.

Since 2011, under the new concept devised by Prof. Dr. Christoph Bossert, the perspec-tive has shifted to focus mainly on the rich organ landscape of southern Germany and its development of sounds, as well as an in-depth look at German and in particular southern German organ literature. In addition to a profoundly informed, stylistically oriented interpretation of organ music, ranging from early organ music through to the present, and the link between specific instruments and the organist’s interpretation, the competition puts its emphasis on young organists profiling their artistic stance, right through to the opportunity to improvise. This also includes a chance to present their own compositions, as well as their choice of specific literature so as to present unusual sound phenomena. The organ and its repertoire are to be presented both in a historic context and in a future-oriented eagerness to experiment. For this, the ION is looking for outstanding young artists.

The chairman of the jury will be renowned French organist and organ teacher, Prof. Christophe Mantoux (Paris).

The other jury members are Christoph Bossert (Germany), László Fassang (Hungary), Gregory Hand (USA), Rie Hiroe (Japan), Vita Kalnciema (Latvia), and Louis Robilliard (France).

Unlike other competitions, the names of the competitors are known to both the audi-ences and the jury members. In addition to the high-ranking international jury, Berlin journalist, musicologist and organist, Bernhard Schrammek, and the ION’s artistic director, Folkert Uhde, will be commenting on the course of the competition – without a vote, but with a voice, discussing performances with the audiences.

ORGAN INTERPRETATION COMPETITION3 – 11 JUNE 2016

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Conditions of Participation

The competition is open to organists of all nationalities born on or before 27 June, 1985. Applications must be submitted by 1 February, 2016 at the latest.

Competition Procedure In a preliminary round, the sound recordings submitted with the application will be assessed. Up to twelve participants will then be invited to the first public round, to St Gumbertus’ Church in Ansbach, and St Sebaldus’ Church in Nuremberg, the historic domain of Johann Pachelbel. The six best from this round will compete in the second round, with public concerts in St Elizabeth’s Church and in the Church of Our Lady, both in Nuremberg. The final with the remaining three participants will be held in the Meis-tersingerhalle in Nuremberg.

Prizes and AwardsThe international jury awards the following prizes and awards:

Johann Pachelbel AwardFirst Prize: 8,000 € Second Prize: 4,000 € Third Prize: 2,000 €

Antalffy-AwardSpecial award for the best performance on historic instruments in the course of the competition, in the form of a concert tour to play on historic and important organs in Hungary. The award was endowed by Balázs Szabó, 2011 ION prize winner, and finan-cially supported by the organ builders, AerisOrgona Kft.

Award of the International Max Reger SocietyThe award is endowed with 1,000 € and includes an engagement for a concert played on the Reger organ in Weiden/Upper Platinate during the Weiden Max Reger Festival.

Award Winners’ ConcertsOver 30 concert organisers, both at home and abroad, have expressed interest in inviting the 2016 ION award winners to perform. Present offers include Ansbach, Bad Kissingen, Berlin-Karlshorst, Bottrop, Dresden-Plauen, Eichstätt, Essen, Hahnenklee, Halberstadt, Halle/ Saale, Hamburg, Hanover, Heilsbronn, Kevelaer, Landshut, Naum-burg, Neu-Ulm, Neuwied, Nördlingen, Nuremberg, Paderborn, Recklinghausen, Rothen-burg ob der Tauber, Schopfheim, Schweinfurt, Schwerin, Trier, Überlingen, Weißenburg, Wesel, Vienna and Zurich.

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The following engagements are already fixed and are a binding element of the competition:

17 August, 2016 Trier (Constantine Basilica)6 July, 2017 Schopfheim28 July – 6 August, 2017 Ansbach (Bach Week)16 September, 2017 Rothenburg ob der Tauber19 September, 2017 Neuwied31 December, 2017 Dresden-Plauen1 June, 2018 Neuwied

Radio Recording and CDBavarian Radio – Studio Franken promises the winner of the First Prize the prospect of a radio production on one of the organs in the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region. The renowned “Spektral Records” label would then publish a CD of this radio recording, as a co-production with BR KLASSIK – Studio Franken. Details will be discussed if and when the production materialises.

Special AwardsConcerto21

One of the prize winners will be selected by Folkert Uhde for the programme Concerto21 of the Alfred Toepfer Stiftung F.V.S.

Audience AwardAfter the third round, the audience awards an Audience Award which is not endowed with a cash prize.

Time Schedule 2016 1 February Deadline for applications1 March Information about results of preliminary round29 May–2 June Practice times for first round2 June Registration of participants in Nuremberg3/ 4 June 1st round in St Gumbertus’ (Ansbach) and St Sebaldus’ (Nuremberg)6–8 June 2nd round in St Elizabeth’s and Our Lady’s Church (Nuremberg)11 June 3rd round and presentation of awards in Meistersingerhalle (Nuremberg)

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REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round (Sound Recording) - MAX REGER: Toccata A minor op. 80 no. 11 - Two pieces of different character, participant’s choice, from volume III of the collection “Caecilia” (Organ Pieces for Study, Concert and Use in Public Church Services, edited by Carl Ferdinand Becker. A 3-volume collection of organ pieces from the period 1720 to 1850). The music is available for download on the ION website at www.ion-musica-sacra.de/festival-2016/orgelwettbewerb/downloads.html

First Round (Ansbach and Nuremberg) Part 1 on the Wiegleb Organ in St Gumbertus’ Church -  JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH: Prelude and Fugue C major BWV 545 or Prelude and Fugue G major BWV 541 or Prelude and Fugue A major BWV 536 -  JOHANN GOTTFRIED WALTHER: A concerto arrangement, participant’s choice -  either FELIX MENDELSSOHN BARTHOLDY: Sonata A major, op. 65 no. 3 or Sonata D major op. 65 no. 5 or ROBERT SCHUMANN: Two fugues from “Six Fugues on the Name BACH” op. 60

The overall length of the programme must not exceed 35 minutes.

Part 2 on the Peter Organ in St Sebaldus’ Church - JOHANN PACHELBEL participant’s choice of works (might also be sets from a chorale partita) (10 minutes) - one or more organ works composed after 1930, participant’s choice (10–15 minutes)

The overall length of the programme must not exceed 25 minutes.

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Second Round (Nuremberg) The six best participants from the first round will compete in the second round. Two participants each will play in a lunchtime concert at 12.15 p.m. in St Elizabeth’s Church and in a concert at 5 p.m. in the Our Lady’s Church, both in Nuremberg.

Part 1 on the Bittner Organ in St Elizabeth’s Church There is a free choice of programme for this part (20 minutes). This might consist of several, also shorter, pieces of various styles and/or one or several improvisation(s) and /or one or several own composition(s).

Part 2 on the Klais Organ in Our Lady’s Church - JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH: Passacaglia C minor BWV 582 - A selection of various works from the repertoire of southern German Baroque of the 17th century (15 minutes)

The overall length of the programme must not exceed 30 minutes.

Third Round (Final) on the Steinmeyer Organ in Meistersingerhalle (Nuremberg) The three best participants of the Second Round will play in the Final. - JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH: The Unfinished Counterpoint from the Art of the Fugue, from BWV 1080 - MAX REGER – A representative organ work, a selection of 25 to 40 minutes’ duration

The overall length of the programme must not exceed 50 minutes.

When selecting the repertoire, participants should take into account that each work must only be played once during the competition.

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Jury Members

Christoph Bossert has won numerous awards, including the “Johann

Pachelbel Award” for organ interpretation at the 1979 ION. He taught at the

Conservatoires of Stuttgart, Esslingen and Trossingen, and since 2007 has

been head of the department for organ and church music at the Würzburg

Academy of Music.

Extensive concert activities have taken him to Europe, Asia and America,

and in addition he has made numerous recordings for radio and TV as

well as on CD. He is the initiator of the project “The Organ as European

Cultural Asset” aiming at saving and maintaining the historic organ

heritage in eastern Europe.

László Fassang has won many prizes in major organ competitions, including

the Gold Medal for Improvisation at the “Royal Bank Calgary International

Organ Festival and Competition”. In addition, in 2004, he was awarded the

coveted “Grand Prix de Chartres” in the categories “Interpretation” and

“Audience Award”. He has undertaken concert tours in Europe, Japan and

the USA. His concert performances are particularly notable because of his

improvisation, demonstrating the versatility of the organ by integrating

elements from jazz and folk music. He currently teaches at the Franz Liszt

Music Academy in Budapest which recently appointed him Junior Professor

for Organ.

Gregory Hand is Assistant Professor for Organ at the University of Iowa,

USA. His teaching and concert activities cover various European countries

as well as North and South America. As a harpsichordist, he appears with

many ensembles, including Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Opera Theater

and Ars Antiqua. His special interest is the field of German Romantic organ

building.

Rie Hiroe studied organ in Tokyo and with a DAAD scholarship in Hanover

and Stuttgart. She has won numerous international awards, including

the “Grand Prix de Chartres” in the categories “Interpretation” and

“Audience Award” as well as the “Johann Pachelbel Award” for organ

interpretation at the 1994 ION – Musica Sacra. She tours extensively, with

concerts in Europe and the USA as well as Japan, and since 2007 has

worked as Associate Professor and Head of the Organ Department at the

Tokyo University of the Arts.

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Jury Members

Vita Kalnciema studied piano and organ in Riga. She has won several major

competitions, including the César Franck Competition in Haarlem. She has

given organ concerts all over Europe and in Canada, and she has made

numerous radio and CD recordings. Currently she is teaching as a professor

at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music. Her particular interest is

Latvian organ music.

Louis Robilliard was Professor of Organ at the Conservatoire National de

Region de Lyon until 2005 and is titular organist at the Cavaillé-Coll organ

in the Church of Saint-François de Sales in Lyon. He is highly regarded

internationally, as a performer and teacher, and his worldwide concert

activities and frequent invitations to hold master classes are an impressive

proof of this. As a member of the Commission Nationale Superieure des

Monuments Historique, Robilliard in addition has been particularly

committed to preserving and restoring historic organs in France.

Christophe Mantoux is professor for organ at the Conservatoire regional

and the Pôle supérieur (PSPBB) in Paris, as well as titular organist at

St Severin’s Church in Paris. In 1984 he won the “Grand Prix de Chartres”

in the “Interpretation” category. His career as a concert organist has taken

him to Europe, North and South America as well as to South Korea and

Japan. He is a member of the Commission Nationale Supérieure des

Monuments Historiques.

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Nuremberg, St Sebaldus’ Church: Peter Organ

built in 1975 by Orgelbauwerkstätte Willi Peter, Cologne,

overhauled in 2014 by Werkstätte für Orgelbau Benedikt Friedrich, Ober-

asbach, and Orgelbau Mühleisen, Leonberg

Nuremberg, St Elizabeth’s Church: Bittner Organ

built in 1903 by Orgelbaufirma Bittner, Eichstätt, refurbished in 2013 by

Münchner Orgelbau Johannes Führer.

It has two sets of bellows:

Set 1: Reconstruction of the original bellows on the roof truss

Set 2: Bellows of identical build, set up on the gallery by Orgelbau Maderer,

Nuremberg, in 1994, for better tuning consistency

Nuremberg, Church of Our Lady’s: Klais Organ

built in 1988 by Johannes Klais Orgelbau Gmbh & Co KG,

Bonn

Nuremberg, Meistersingerhalle: Steinmeyer Organ

built in 1963 by Orgelbauwerkstätte G.F. Steinmeyer & Co.,

Oettingen

Ansbach, St Gumbertus’ Church: Wiegleb Organ

built in 1738 by Johann Christoph Wiegleb (1690-1749),

from Wilhermsdorf, organ builder to the Ansbach court

and county, reconstructed 2004-2007 by Orgelmakerij

Reil, Heerde / Netherlands

Competition Instruments

For the dispositions of all competition organs, please visit the ION website at

www.ion-musica-sacra.de/service/orgeldispositionen.html where details are available for downloading.

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Please apply by filling in the application form on the ION website at www.ion-musica-sacra.de/festival-2016/orgelwettbewerb/anmeldung.htmlby 1 February, 2016 at the latest. The application comprises the fully completed application form and the timely transfer of the application fee.

The application must be supplemented by the following: - an artist’s CV in tabular form, including the candidate’s professional training and degrees/diplomas, as well as a list of all of the applicant’s organ teachers (with start and finish dates of instruction), and information about artistic activity and any prizes or awards received so far;- one digital, high-resolution portrait photograph of the applicant;- a list of pieces for the various competition rounds. This selection is binding and may not be changed subsequently;- three sound recordings in MP3 format of the applicant, consisting only of the pieces for the preliminary round stated below;- the disposition(s) of the organ(s) played on the recording submitted, stating also the organ builder, and the year of construction, but not the church/location of the instrument.

The application fee of 100 €, from which no transfer fees are due, must arrive at the ION offices before or on 1 February, 2016: IBAN DE40 7605 0101 0004 4051 51 Swift-BIC: SSKNDE77XXX. Direct bank debits must be marked with the addition “Application Fee Competition” and the applicant’s name. There will be no refund of the application fee, either for unsuccessful applicants, or for those withdrawing from the competition at a later date. Incomplete applications and those not meeting the above requirements will not be considered.

All applicants will be notified by 1 March, 2016, at the latest, whether their application for the competition was successful.

Practice times for the first round will be announced to participants in due course; these times are binding. At present, it is envisaged that practice times will be between 29 May and 2 June, 2016, but this cannot be guaranteed.

Participants’ order of performance for each of the rounds will be determined by ballot. If any participant is or was a pupil of a member of the jury, the jury member concerned will have no vote for the participant in question. Jury decisions are incontestable and final, and not subject to legal recourse. Any attempt by a participant or his/her registration assistant to contact a jury member will lead to immediate disqualification from the competition. Participants will also be disqualified if they or their registration assistants attend the practice times of other participants.

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Participants will meet their own travel expenses. Overseas participants may apply for a travel subsidy from the ION Office. There is, however, no entitlement to this subsi-dy. Each competition participant will be provided, free of charge, with a hotel room in Nuremberg by the ION for the duration of his/her participation. Ansbach (1st round) can be reached by public transport within a reasonable time.

Participants are provided with registration assistants by the ION. Participants may also, at their own cost, provide their own registration assistants, but these may not be the applicant’s former or current teachers.

Participants who want to acquaint themselves with the instruments to be played during the competition may make an appointment to do so with the ION Office. After their application to participate in the competition has been confirmed, participants may no longer play on these instruments, with the exception of practice times allocated to them in the context of the competition. Violation of this rule will lead to exclusion from the competition.

Parts of the competition may be recorded and broadcast by radio or TV and photo-graphed by the press. The ION reserves the rights to use these radio recordings for a CD publication. In any case, competition participants renounce their rights and royalties in this context.

The jury reserves the right to award none or only some of the prizes. The prizes will be presented in Meistersingerhalle during an event on the day of the final round. The winners must be present to accept their award in person. In the course of this event, the winner of the First Prize will play a piece of his/her choice taken from the pro-gramme for the final round. All participants undertake to honour the engagements allocated to them, should they win one of the awards. The allocation of the award winners’ concerts will be on Sunday morning, 12 June, 2016, in Nuremberg. The ION will neither act as an agent for either of the parties, nor take any responsibility for these events.

In specific cases, cash prizes are liable to tax. For foreigners, the ION might by obliged to deduct tax and pass it on to the relevant finance authority.

As in September, 2015

Subject to change!

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Thank you

For help with the organisation and implementation of the 2016 International Organ Interpretation Competition, our thanks go to

Hotel NH Nürnberg City Center, Ringhotel Loew‘s Merkur,

Sparkasse Nürnberg,

Bayerischen Rundfunk – Studio Franken,

the label “Spektral Records”,

Balázs Szabó, and organ builders AerisOrgona Kft.,

the Internationa Max Reger Society,

Concerto21,

all hosting church congregations in Ansbach and Nuremberg, as well as Meistersingerhalle Nuremberg,

all colleagues at home and abroad who have offered invitations for concert performances

and to the church congregations who have offered their instruments to participants for their preparation.

s Sparkasse Nürnberg PrivateBanking

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