Information and Rules
Concours 2027 – Information AND RULES
Concours musical international de Montréal – Piano 2027
April 24 through May 5, 2027.
* PLEASE NOTE THAT THE INFORMATION AND RULES WILL BE UPDATED SHORTLY *
ELIGIBILITY
The Concours is an elite-level international competition open to classical violinists of all nationalities, born between 1995 and 2009, in the early stages of a professional performing career.
Laureates from previous piano editions of the Concours are not eligible to apply for the Concours 2027.
All selected competitors are required to be free of all engagements and available to be in Montreal between April 22 and May 5, 2027, inclusive.
IMPORTANT DATES
- September 3, 2026: Applications open
- October 31, 2026: Application deadline
- December 22, 2026: Confirmation of participation by the invited competitors
- January 18, 2027: Confirmation of final programs for all rounds
- February 4, 2027: Announcement of the Violin 2026 competitors
- April 22: Piano 2027 competitors arrive in Montreal
- April 24-26: First Round
- April 28-29: Semifinal
- April 30: Chamber Music Round
- May 4: First evening of the Final with orchestra
- May 4: Second evening of the Final with orchestra and Closing Award Ceremony
PRIZES, AWARDS, AND GRANTS
More than $150,000 CAD in prizes, awards, and grants* will be awarded to the laureates and winners of the Concours 2027.
TRANSPORTATION AND ACCOMMODATION OFFERED BY THE CMIM
The Concours provides an economy-class return flight to Montreal for all Violin 2026 competitors, in accordance with the conditions established by the competition. The fee for one checked bag is assumed by the Concours .
Additional charges for multi-city flights, an extended stay, or other special requests are solely the responsibility of the competitor.
The Concours will arrange free accommodation with a volunteer host family in the Montreal area for all competitors. Competitors who wish to make other arrangements for travel and/or accommodation may do so at their own expense.
Travel expenses and accommodation for any person accompanying a competitor will not be assumed by the Concours .
SELECTION PROCESS
Concours officials will review all applications to ensure they are eligible, complete, and meet the required technical standards. The Concours reserves the right to disqualify any candidates who have failed to fulfill all the application requirements.
A preliminary jury, appointed by the CMIM, will review and evaluate the audition videos.
A maximum of 24 candidates will be selected to compete in the Concours 2027.
Selected candidates and all applicants will be notified of the results of the preliminary selection by December 18, 2026.
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COMPETITION ROUNDS – THIS SEcTION WILL BE upDATED SHORTLY.
Repertoire selected for performance at the competition may include works recorded for the audition videos. No other duplication of repertoire is permitted during the competition rounds.
The jury will consider the difficulty and artistic merit of the programs for each round.
Final results will be considered on the basis of the cumulative results obtained in each of the competition rounds.
___ First Round
The twenty-four (24) competitors selected must each present a program of 25 to 30 minutes of music with piano accompaniment.
The repertoire for the First Round must comprise a minimum of three works representing at least three musical periods:
- A work by J.S. Bach, Telemann, or another Baroque composer
- A virtuosic work by Bazzini, Ernst, Paganini, Saint-Saens, Sarasate, Waxman, Wieniawski, or other composer
- A work of choice from a third style period
The inclusion of a single movement of a work is permitted.
Ten violinists will be selected by the international jury to advance to the Semifinal Round.
___ Semifinal
The ten semifinalists must each perform a program of 50 to 55 minutes of music with piano accompaniment.
The repertoire for the Semifinal round must comprise a minimum of three works, including the following elements:
A complete sonata by composers such as but not limited to:
- Bartók, Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy, Enescu, Fauré, Franck, Janáček, Prokofiev, Ravel, Schnittke, Schumann, Schubert, or R. Strauss
- A work of the candidate’s choice by any composer
- A work of the candidate’s choice by a Canadian composer. For a resource list of suggested Canadian works, contact candidates@concoursmontreal.ca.
Five violinists will be selected by the international jury to advance to the Final.
___ Final
The Final comprises two stages:
I – Final: Mozart Round
Five violinists will present a concerto by W.A. Mozart for violin and orchestra with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, from the following list:
- Violin Concerto No. 1 in B flat Major, K. 207
- Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Major, K. 211
- Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major, K. 216
- Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major, K. 218
Three violinists will be selected by the international jury to advance to the Grand Final.
II – Grand Final
Three pianists will present a major concerto for piano and orchestra with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. The choice of concerto must be selected from the works listed in Appendix 2 of the rules document. Any other choice of concerto is subject to prior approval from the CMIM.
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INFORMATION
For any questions regarding submitting an application, please contact: candidates@concoursmontreal.ca
