The Sofia International Violin Competition Cantus Firmus will be held in the period 9–11 May 2025. The competition is open to violinists from all countries and nationalities who are not older than 30 years as of the opening date of the competition, i.e. they should have been born after 9 May 1995.
Application deadline: 20 March 2025.
The competition will be held in the following format:
The pre-selection shall take place through a video entry provided by the participant.
The first round and the semi-final round shall take place live in front of a jury and an audience. The repertoire shall be performed with piano accompaniment.
Participants who reach the final round shall perform with orchestral accompaniment in front of a jury and an audience.
The repertoire in the competition programme shall be performed from memory, with the exception of the sonatas in the first round and the contemporary piece by G. Arnaoudov in the final round.
PRE-SELECTION ROUND
(Video Recording)
All violinists who have submitted a complete set of documents are eligible to participate in the Competition.
Each applicant must submit a video recording of the following works:
I. Niccolò Paganini: one Caprice from 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, Op. 1 (Urtext Edition)
II. Johann Sebastian Bach: Two movements from Partitas for Solo Violin: Partita No. 1 in B minor, BWV 1002; Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004; Partita No. 3 in E Major, BWV 1006 (excluding the Ciaconna from Partita No. 2, BWV 1004).
The video recording shall be taped at the applicant’s expense.
Recordings must be uploaded to the website cantusfirmuscompetition.bg no later than 20 March 2025.
The video recording must meet the following technical requirements:
The recording must be of excellent audio-visual quality. Any post-production or editing is strictly prohibited. The recording must be made no earlier than 6 months prior to 20 March 2025. Applicants must upload a single video file to Google Drive, OneDrive, or a similar platform allowing the file to be downloaded. The recording may also be uploaded to YouTube with a hidden link.
The pre-selection results shall be announced on 1 April 2025.
First Round (9-10 May 2025)
Violin and Piano (up to 20 participants)
To be held at the Lyubomir Pipkov National Music School Concert Hall in Sofia
Up to 20 violinists selected by the jury shall be admitted to the first round of the competition. The jury will also appoint four additional (standby) candidates in case a participant withdraws or is otherwise unable to participate in the competition.
The piano accompanists for the first round and semi-final round shall be provided by Cantus Firmus, with the option of a preliminary rehearsal before the start of the competition.
Each participant must perform:
I. One of the following sonatas for violin and piano:
Claude Debussy: Sonata for Violin and Piano in G minor, L. 140
Maurice Ravel: Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2, M. 77
Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata for Violin and Piano Op. 12 No. 1 in D Major
Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata for Violin and Piano Op. 12 No. 2 in C Major
Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata for Violin and Piano Op. 12 No. 3 in E-flat Major
II. A virtuosic piece up to 10 minutes in length by one of the following composers: Niccolò Paganini, Henryk Wieniawski, Eugène Ysaÿe, Pablo de Sarasate, Maurice Ravel, Camille Saint-Saëns.
III. One of the following works by Fritz Kreisler commemorating the composer’s 150th anniversary:
a) Caprice Viennois, Op. 2
b) Recitativo und Scherzo-Caprice, Op. 6
c) Danse Espagnole from “La vida breve” (Manuel de Falla/F. Kreisler)
The results of the second round shall be announced after the end of the auditions.
Semi-final Round (Violin and Piano)
11 May 2025, morning (maximum six semi-finalists)
To be held at the Lyubomir Pipkov National Music School Concert Hall in Sofia
Up to six violinists shall be admitted to the competition semi-final round after the jury has voted.
In the semi-final round, participants must present the following repertoire:
First movement or second and third movements from one of the following violin concertos:
Ludwig van Beethoven: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major, Op. 61
Johannes Brahms: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major, Op. 77
Niccolò Paganini: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 1 in D Major, Op. 6
J. Sibelius: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D minor, Op. 47
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major, Op. 35
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in E minor, Op. 64
Henryk Wieniawski: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in F-sharp minor, Op. 14 (first movement only)
Pancho Vladigerov: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 1, Op. 11
FINAL
GALA CONCERT with Camerata Orphica NBU Orchestra
Violin and Orchestra (up to 3 participants)
Conductor: TBA
11 May 2025 Bulgaria Hall, 7:30PM
Up to three violinists shall be admitted to the competition final round after the jury has voted.
In the final round, participants must perform with an orchestra the following repertoire:
I. First movement with cadenza from one of the following concertos:
W. A. Mozart: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 3 in G Major, K. 216
W. A. Mozart: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 4 in D Major, K. 218
W. A. Mozart: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 5 in A Major, K. 219
II. G. Arnaudov: A new Bulgarian violin composition (to be sent via email after pre-selection round)
The order of appearance in all three rounds shall be determined by draw. The results shall be announced after each round.
The chosen repertoire for all rounds must be indicated in advance on the entry form.
Awards Ceremony
The diplomas will be presented to the awarded participants during the award ceremony, which will take place at the end of the Gala Concert.
AWARDS
• First prize: diploma, plaque and a cash prize of 5000 EUR
• Second prize: diploma, plaque and a cash prize of 3000 EUR
• Third prize: diploma, plaque and a cash prize of 2000 EUR
SPECIAL AWARDS
• Cantus Firmus Grand Prize: participation as soloist in concert as part of the European Music Festival, accompanied by Cantus Firmus Orchestra
• Radio "Alma Mater Classic A" Special Award: plaque and diploma**
• Incentive prizes: TBD later
• Scholarships from the Ministry of Culture (for participants from Bulgaria***)
• Prof. Emil Yanev and Prof. Liliya Gyuleva special scholarship: 1000 EUR
• Geza Anda Foundation Award A chamber music concert in Switzerland
• Fritz Kreisler Society Diploma For Best Performance of a Work by Fr. Kreisler
** Radio "Alma Mater Classic A" Prize shall be determined by the media listeners’ votes. Voting shall take place after the audio recordings are published on the radioclassica.bg website and broadcast on the radio.
*** The scholarships provided by the Ministry of Culture are granted only to pupils who are full-time students in Bulgaria at the high school level from grades 8 to 12, under 18 years of age, under the Children with Exceptional Talents Protection Programme and who are attending state, municipal, and Private schools in 2025, in accordance with the Ordinance on the Conditions and Procedure for the Implementation of the Protection of Children with Exceptional Talents. The scholarships amount to BGN 135 per month for one calendar year. Students in grade 12 receive a scholarship only for the period until they turn 18. Winners of the competition must submit their own documents to the Ministry of Culture under the quota for the Cantus Firmus Competition.
COMPETITION JURY
The jury consists of distinguished violinists and pedagogues of international renown
Prof. Michael Frischenschlager
Prof. Rūta Lipinaitytė-Savickienė
The competition jury’s evaluation process shall be guided by the rules that have been formulated by the competition organizers.
The jury’s decisions are final and shall not be subject to challenge. By registering to participate applicants agree to abide by the competition rules and hereby undertake not to challenge the jury’s decisions.
HOW TO SIGN UP
To sign up for the competition, candidates must register at www.cantusfirmuscompetition.bg, fill out the online application form and submit the following required documents and recordings:
• A short CV or artistic resume in English(free format)
• A current high resolution photo (3000x3000px)
• A copy of an ID card or passport proving age
• A declaration of informed consent that waives the right to audio/video recordings, radio/TV/online broadcasts of the open-to-the-public stages of the competition and the use of photos or video taken during the competition, as well as to data processing. Copyright and performance rights of the competition shall remain the sole property of the organisers.
• Proof of payment
• Video recording for the preliminary round. Video shall be taped at the applicant’s own expense.
Entry deadline: 20 March 2025
• Any bank fees shall be paid by the applicant. The name of the candidate must appear as the reason for the amount transferred on the bank document. Application fees shall not be refunded in case of withdrawal or no-show.
APPLICATION FEES
• Application fee: EUR 100 (to be paid no later than 20 March 2025)
• Accompanist fee: EUR 60 (to be paid upon admission to the First Round)
Bank account
Bank: UniCredit Bulbank
IBAN: BG13UNCR96601020939802
BIC (SWIFT): UNCRBGSF
CANTUS FIRMUS EAD
• Travel and accommodation expenses in Sofia during the first round, semi-final round and final round of the competition are the sole responsibility of the participants.
• All entries in all the stages of the competition are without remuneration for the participants.
• If a written invitation for a visa is required, the participant is obliged to notify the organizers.
• If requested, our competition partner travel agency C Trip is available to offer assistance for flights and hotel accommodation for all contestants in relation to their travel and stay in Sofia. If you need assistance, please contact C Trip directly at office@ctrip.bg.
• The competition organisers have no financial obligation whatsoever to any visa-related expenses for contestants. In addition, the competition organisers shall not be responsible for any decisions made by Bulgarian officials or other authorities, as well as authorities in the country of origin in relation to potential travel and visa restrictions. If needed, the competition organisers shall send invitation letters to contestants applying for entry visas, however, the final decision related to entry shall be made by the government authorities of the Republic of Bulgaria.
• The organisers reserve their right to supplement and/or amend the official competition rules. Any
additions and/or changes shall take effect after their official publication on the internet page
• Applicants agree to all competition rules by submitting the application form.
• The organizers shall not be responsible for any expenses incurred by an applicant in the event of illness or accident during the period in which the competition is held.
• The organizers shall not be responsible for stolen items, documents or musical instruments during the period in which the competition is held.
This competition is made possible with the financial support of the National Culture Fund and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Bulgaria, and also in partnership with the New Bulgarian University and the Lyubomir Pipkov National Music School in Sofia.
All recordings of the competition are broadcast on the air by Radio "Alma Mater Classic A", principal media partner of the event. The video recordings from the two rounds, as well as the final concert shall be published on the Cantus Firmus YouTube channel.
Cantus Firmus is a production company, which generates and organises a large number of concert performances of Bulgarian and international artists. Some of the company’s most successful projects have included the European Music Festival with its 24-year history, the Music of America and The Concertmasters concert series, and the Gennady Rozhdestvensky International Conductors’ Competition. Cantus Firmus manages the Cantus Firmus Orchestra, which in 2022 celebrated its 20th anniversary and which belongs to the most dynamic and elite symphony orchestras in Bulgaria. Soloists of the ensemble have included a number of world-renowned classical music stars, such as Sergei Babayan, Joshua Bell, Gil Shaham, Nigel Kennedy, Maxim Vengerov, and Pinchas Zuckerman, among many others. The Sofia Cantus Firmus Competition was established as a national competition in 2021 with the aim to motivate young Bulgarian musicians during the pandemic, to allow them to showcase their achievements, and to give them the opportunity to exchange experiences with their peers. To date, four editions of the competition have taken place, drawing numerous young instrumentalists from music schools and conservatories across Bulgaria, as well as Bulgarian students studying abroad. In 2025, the Cantus Firmus Competition becomes an international forum only for violinists.
COMPETITION TIMETABLE
8 May 2025, Thursday
5:30PM Drawing of lots for the competition
FIRST ROUND (up to 20 participants)
9 May 2025, Friday, Pipkov National Music School Concert Hall
9:30AM-8PM (up to 14 participants)
10 May 2025, Saturday, Pipkov National Music School Concert Hall
9:30AM-1PM (up to 6 participants)
2PM Announcement of the First Round results
SEMI-FINAL (up to 6 participants)
10 May 2025, Saturday, Pipkov National Music School Concert Hall
3:30-8:30PM Rehearsals with accompanist of those admitted to the Semi-Finals
11 May 2025, Saturday, Pipkov National Music School Concert Hall
9:30AM-1PM
2PM Announcement of the Semi-Final Round results
FINAL
GALA CONCERT with Camerata Orphica NBU Orchestra
Violin and Orchestra (up to 3 participants)
Conductor: TBA
11 May 2025, Saturday, Bulgaria Hall
3:30-6PM Rehearsal with orchestra
7:30PM Concert, Bulgaria Hall
The final ranking will be announced during the concert.
АDDITIONAL INFORMATION
The organizers reserve the right to supplement and/or change the official rules, with the sup-
plements and/or changes coming into effect after their official publication on the website
WE WISH ALL PARTICIPANTS SUCCESS!
COMPETITION GUIDELINES