Regulation Soloist & Chamber Music Competition  in presence

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​APPLICATION DEADLINE 25th APRIL 2026

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Art. 1

​The competition is open to young italian or foreign musicians.

 

Art.2

The main goal of the competition is to promote musical culture, encouraging youth to study music

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Art.3

 The  ISCHIA INTERNATIONAL SOLOIST & CHAMBER MUSIC COMPETITION IN PRESENCE  will take place between 7th May to 10th May  2026  in the  “VILLA ARBUSTO” -

             in via  Angelo Rizzoli   in the  municipality of  Lacco Ameno  and in the  AUDITORIUM  of the

             I.C. FORIO 2  " Don Vincenzo Avallone" in  Via Parroco L. D'Abundo, 36 - Forio   on the  Ischia   

             island (NA) .

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The competition  is open to musicians of any nationality, who can compete in different categories, from children to adults  up to 38 years old (see categories below).

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In 2026, ISCHIA INTERNATIONAL SOLOIST &  CHAMBER MUSIC COMPETITION  organizes both a face-to-face competition and an online competition. IT IS  POSSIBLE to apply for both the online and  live  competition.

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Art. 4

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Categories will be as follows, according to age :

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SECTION 1    Soloist Prize  (Singers and all Instruments -except Piano)

Cat. JUNIOR  up to 9 years old 

Cat. A              up to 12 full yrs. old

Cat. B              up to 15 full yrs. old

Cat. C              up to 18 full yrs. old

Cat. D              up to 23 full yrs. old

Cat. E              up to 38 full yrs. old

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SECTION 2   Chamber Music Prize (Duo included Piano four hands -Trio and Ensamble up to 9 elements)

Cat. F              medium age up to 14 years old

Cat. G             medium age up to 20 years old

Cat. H             medium age up to 38 years old

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(Orchestra , Choir )

Cat. I medium age up to 40 years old

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Repertoire (one round – free repertoire)

SECTION 1 

Cat. JUNIOR maximum 5 minutes

Cat. A  maximum 8 minutes

Cat. B  maximum 10 minutes

Cat. C  maximum 15 minutes

Cat. D  maximum 20 minutes

Cat. E  maximum 25 minutes

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SECTION 2 

Cat. F maximum 10 minutes

Cat. G maximum 15 minutes

Cat. H maximum 20 minutes

Cat. I  maximum 20 minutes

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A little flexibility of 1 minute tolerance  is possible. PLEASE DON’T EXCEED THE 1 MINUTE TOLERANCE

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No minimum timing required

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Art.5 

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It is Possible to apply to a higher  age category (but  not to a younger one), but  it’s possible to apply only to one category in the same Section . 

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However, solists from Section 1 are allowed to take part also in the Section 2 and viceversa.

 

 

Art.6

 

The association may apply some changes to this announcement in the future and possibly suppress a category, if competitors are not enough. In that case, the attendance fee will be refunded. Furthermore, the association will not be responsible for any damages or losses due to competitors, during all the competition.

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Art.7 

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Before any examination, competitors will be asked by the examination board to show the following documents:

                                              1) ID card 2) Two copies of the sheet music program.

Simplified pieces are not allowed.

 

Art. 8

Competitors will be examined in alphabetical order, beginning from a letter randomly chosen on the first day of the competition.

 

Art. 9

For all competitors of section 1 and 2 the program is free choice repertoire;

For competitors the performance by memory is NOT strictly necessary;

 

Art. 10

Results will be published at the end of the examinations for each category.

 

Art. 11

Competitors who have been taking lessons in the last two years from members of the examination board

(or are related to any of them) are not allowed to take part in the competition. In the application form is strictly necessary to put the teacher’s name. The full list of the examination board will be available on the website www.ischiapianocompetition.com

 

Art.12

The examination board will be formed by musicians, teachers and renowned musical personalities.

 

Art.13

The examination board may stop players, if the max. time is expired.

 

Art.14

The board’s decisions are final and irrevocable. The examination board may also decide not to give any prize due to a low-level general performance of the candidates.

 

Art. 15

The award ceremony for the First, Second , Third and Fourth winners will be held at the end of the examination of each category. Absolute First Prize Winners of each category will take part in the Major Award Ceremony that will be held on May 10th 2026 in “VILLA ARBUSTO ”, in via Via Angelo Rizzoli in the municipality of LACCO AMENO - ISCHIA ISLAND ( Naples) .

Absolute First Prize Winners who won’t be present at the final concert, won’t be awarded any prize.

 

Art. 16
The calendar of the examinations and the date of convocation (from which each competitor will know the day and the time of the call for his/her category) will be published on the association website www.ischiapianocompetition.com

Each candidate, therefore, in order to know the day of convocation, will have to visit the website or call the secretary of the association “Note sul Mare” (tel. 0039/ 081 5071403 or 0039/ 333 3283159 ) .

 

Art. 17

Candidates will have to provide for their staying during the competition.

 

Art. 18

Pursuant to Art. 10 of the Law n° 675/96 on Personal Data Protection, the musical association “Note sul Mare declares that all requested personal datas will be used only to send informations strictly related to the competition. However, pursuant to Art. 1 of the same Law, the owner of the data can forbid its use.

 

Art. 19

The application to the competition entails the unconditional acceptance of the rules of the present announcement.

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Application fee:

Cat. JUNIOR  €45

Cat. A  €55

Cat. B €55

Cat. C €55

Cat. D €65

Cat. E €70

Cat F-G-H      2^ section € 35 per person until to 5 elements - € 25 per person from 6 to 9 elements .

Cat. I              2^ section € 20 per person from 10 to 19 elements  until to a maximum of € 300,00 --

                                        € 18,00 per person from 20 elements upwards until to a maximum of 450 euro

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​SECTION 1 : Pianist accompanist of the competition € 20,00 for each performance upon reservation Cat. Junior- A- B

                                                                                            € 30,00 for each performance upon reservation Cat. C- D- E

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PRIZES:

Points from 98 to 100: First Absolute Prize and diploma

Points from 95 to 97  : First Prize and diploma

Points from 90 to 94  : Second prize and diploma

Points from 85 to 89:   Third prize and diploma

Points from 80 to 84:   Fourth prize and diploma

Points below 80: Mention

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ABSOLUTE PRIZES AND SCHOLARSHIPS:
The first absolute prizes with highest points will get a scholarship  prize

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SECTION 1

Cat. JUNIOR  : First absolute prize with HIGHEST POINTS  €50

Cat. A: First absolute  prize with HIGHEST POINTS  €80

Cat. B: First absolute prize with HIGHEST POINTS €100

Cat. C: First absolute prize with HIGHEST POINTS €140

Cat. D: First absolute prize with HIGHEST POINTS €200

Cat. E: First absolute prize with HIGHEST POINTS €400 -   A Concert to be held during the season 2027. The concert is listed

 in “ CLASSICA FESTIVAL NOTE SUL MARE” in Ischia

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SECTION 2 

Cat. F : First absolute prize with HIGHEST POINTS €100

Cat. G: First absolute prize with HIGHEST POINTS €250 

Cat. H: First absolute prize with HIGHEST POINTS €400 + 2 conncerts to be held during the season 2026/2027 .

 

- 1 concert is listed in “ CLASSICA FESTIVAL NOTE SUL MARE” in Ischia

- 1 concert is listed in the Concert Season of the ASSOCIAZIONE MUSICALE DIDATTICA.MENTE MUSICA in Bergamo

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Cat. I: First absolute prize with HIGHEST POINTS  €500

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It will be possible to divide the echonomic prize in the case of ex- aequo (exactly equal score)

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FIRST ABSOLUTE PRIZE means exactly: points no less than 98\100

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“With highest points” means that, for example, in the case of  two absolute prizes in one category, one with 98\100 and one with 99\100, the economic prize will be won by the candidate who obtained the highest score.

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* Just a formal reimbursement is provided for all award concerts.

 

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Art. 20

Private agreements are being made with several musical associations, in order to give prize winners the opportunity to play in their festivals. – At the end of the Competition the Absolute Winner of the Ischia Piano Competition will be mentioned.

 

Art. 21

Recordings , television or radio broadcasting of the performances won’t give competitors any right to any reward

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APPLICATION

Application deadline 25th April 2026

To apply to Ischia International Soloist & Chamber Music Competition  you need to send:

• Name, Family name, birth place and date, Nationality, Address, phone number, email address, Italian TAX CODE (If available) – If the candidate is under 18 years old also give those data from a parent\tutor – you can USE THE APPLICATION FORM .

• Repertoire (music program chosen) for the competition 

• A portrait photo for the competition graphics

• Privacy statement paper with signature (downloadable HERE (pdf) or HERE (doc))

• Payment must be net of charges banking .

• The registration fee can be payed by bank transfer: Banca Prossima - C/C n° 69467   headed to                                      “Associazione Musicale Note sul Mare”                                                                                                                          IBAN: IT91W0335901600100000069467 ;   BIC/ SWIFT : BCITITMM                                                                                  Filiale di Milano 20121 - Piazza Paolo Ferrari 10 – Milano

• Candidates will have to fill out the application form  and send it within and not beyond April 25th 2026  (  if you have any difficulties, please contact us   via e- mail to ischiachambermusic@gmail.com ). 

• Proof of payment must be attached to the application form.

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​Art.22

The application to  ONLINE   Competition  ALLOWS  the application to  PRESENTIAL  Competition.

On registration for the competition applicants tacitly accept all rules contained in this notification. The Italian version of this announcement will be deemed official in the case of any subsequent contestation.

The application fee is one-time payment and it includes participation in the competition. The registration fee will be refunded only in the event that the competition cannot be held due to the decision of the artistic direction. In case of a change of mind  of the candidate it will not be possible to refund the registration fee.

It will not also be possible to switch from Online to Presential competition and Vice-Versa after the deadline of 25th April.

 

Art. 23

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This cultural event is not comparable to the sweepstakes, as intended by D.P.R.430/2001, art.6 com.1. Therefore, the Resolution n.8/1251 of the 28th October 1976 decides that the prizes will not be income taxed at the source.However,we specify that the final prizes will be added to Your personal income and the winners will have to pay own compulsory contributions on the basis of Your income tax return.