57th Competition: the 20 finalists announced!

After deliberation, Catherine Larsen-Maguire and Jacques Mercier, the two conductors who auditioned all the candidates, unveiled the list of twenty selected for the final rounds:

Find out more about the candidates’ profiles and backgrounds soon!

• 10 nationalities are represented
• 5 women are part of the selection (one more than in 2019), in a proportion almost identical to the registrations
• 29 years old on average, with candidates aged between 20 and 35
• 6 candidates were already present among the selected in 2019

Out of a total of almost 300 registrations (including the opening of waiting lists following cancellations), 176 candidates attended the auditions. This represents approximately 40% of cancellations, mainly due to health constraints (closed border, imposed quarantine, contact cases, etc.)

Number of applicants who passed the preliminaries by city

The twenty candidates are expected in September in Besançon, for the final rounds with orchestra.
They will conduct the Victor Hugo Franche-Comté Orchestra during the first and second rounds of the Competition.
From the semi-finals, a maximum of eight candidates will be selected to conduct the Orchestre National de Lyon in the Opera and Oratorio rounds and for the Final on 18 September 2021.

They will be judged by a professional jury of seven international personalities, chaired by Paul Daniel.
The conductor Xian Zhang had to cancel her presence and will not be replaced.

Health constraints disrupted the organisation of the pre-selections, however, they could be held in all the cities initially planned.

In person in Paris and Besançon between 20 April and 5 May 2021:

• in Paris, with the pianists Paul Montag and David Berdery at the École normale de musique de Paris – Alfred-Cortot
• in Besançon, still with Paul Montag and David Berdery, at the Ledoux Theatre (made available at the last minute to replace the Conservatoire de musique, closed for health reasons)

In video in Beijing and Montreal, postponed on 24 and 28 June 2021 :

• at the Beijing Central Conservatory with two local pianists, Zhang Mengyao and Li Meiyan
• at the Montreal Conservatory with two local pianists, Romain Pollet and Paméla Reimer

In Berlin in person, postponed from 1 to 4 July

with David Berdery and Thomas Palmer (pianist who participated in the preselections in 2019, replacing Paul Montag) at the Institut Français de Berlin (replacing the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler, unavailable on the new dates)