I – Practical organization
1. The 30th Epinal International Piano Competition will be held from Friday, March 21st, to Sunday, March 30th 2025, in Epinal. It is open to pianists born after March 30th, 1994, and before March 22nd 2009, and includes a video pre-selection and four rounds open to the public.
2. Registration will be closed on November 30th, 2024. Registration forms received after this date will not be taken into consideration. The list of contestants admitted to the competition following pre-selection (maximum 80) will be published on the competition’s website from December 20th, 2024.
3. The 2025 competition might be cancelled due to sanitary conditions or government decision, or in case of an insufficient number of applications. In that case, the application fee would be returned.
4. An application fee (excluding bank charges and non-refundable) of 80€ must be wired upon registration to participate in the pre-selection. Selected contestants will then have until January 15th, 2025, at the latest, to confirm their participation and pay a participation fee of 40 € (excluding bank charges and non-refundable). No contestant will be accepted without this second payment. All bank transfers must be made in the contestant’s name.
5. Contestants must register online on this pagefrom September 1st and before November 30th 2024, by sending the following documents:
– copy of identity card or passport,
– curriculum vitae in French or English,
– a recent artistic photo in high resolution
– proof of payment of the registration fee,
– a recent and high-quality recording accessible via YouTube, made using a fixed camera with the contestant’s face and hands clearly visible at all times, without editing or post-production, with a maximum duration of 15 minutes, including a movement from a classical sonata (Beethoven, Clementi, Haydn, Mozart) and an Etude of the contestant’s choice.
Contestants must provide the YouTube video link in the registration form (only one link, multiple links will not be accepted) and specify the names of the pieces played in the video description. Both pieces can be recorded separately and assembled afterwards, but they must be sent as a single file.
By submitting the registration, the contestant authorizes the competition organisation to share the video link with the jury members and to publish the videos on the competition’s website and social media platforms. The Competition cannot be held responsible for any external technical issues related to accessing the link to the music video.
The works chosen for this pre-selection video may be performed again during the competition rounds.
– for minor contestants (according to their national legal obligations), the enclosed authorization, completed and signed by their legal representative.
Finalists of a Competition member of the World Federation of International Music Competition will be exempt from the video pre-selection and will be automatically accepted to participate in the first round in Epinal. In this case, they must provide proof of their result in the said competition during registration, fill out the online form and attach all required documents mentioned above, as well as the full registration fee of 120€ at the time of registration.
Each contestant must communicate on the registration form the contact details of a next of kin in case of need or emergency.
The association organising the competition is ensured against civil liability in the framework of the organisation of the competition. Contestants are reminded of the interest of having an insurance policy for civil liability as well as a policy covering personal injuries, including medical care.
The association organising the competition also reminds the legal representatives of minor contestants the interest of subscribing for them an insurance policy covering civil liability as well as personal injuries and medical care.
All changes of program must be requested by e-mail atsecretariat.cipe@gmail.com (no program changes will be accepted after February 15th, 2025).
6. The contestants admitted to the competition must present themselves at the Théâtre Municipal d’Epinal, rue François Blaudez, to confirm their arrival in Epinal and to formalize their participation in the competition, on Friday March 21st, 2025 between 01:00 and 05:00 pm. They must present proof of their identity : either a passport or a national identity card. The contestants will participate in a draw to determine the playing order for the first 3 rounds.
7. Travel and accommodation expenses are paid for by the contestant. However, free accommodation with host families is possible exclusively for the contestant, if requested at the moment of registration and according to availability. The contestants who have requested accommodation with host families and who will arrive before March 21st, must notify the competition office (familles.cipe@gmail.com) as well as the host family as soon as possible.
8. A practice piano will be made available in the homes of the host families or at the Conservatory. Each contestant will be allowed to play the competition piano for 5 minutes, upon completion of their registration on Friday March 21st, 2025, from 01:00 pm.
II – The Competition details
1. The competition consists of a video pre-selection and four rounds, which are open to the public. The first three rounds are eliminatory. The first round will take place from Saturday, March 22nd, to Monday, March 24th; the second round will take place on Tuesday, March 25th and Wednesday, March 26th, and the semi-final will take place on Friday, March 28th. At the end of the semi-final, the jury will choose 4 finalists. A rehearsal with the accompanying Orchestra is scheduled for the finalists on Saturday, March 29th. The final round will take place on Sunday, March 30th, 2025.
2. The Jury is composed of 7 international personalities from the music world, that of the video preselection has 3 members. The President of the Jury holds the deciding vote, should there be an equal number of votes. The Jury’s decisions cannot be questioned or appealed.
3. The Jury may interrupt the performance of a work in case the contestant’s playing is clearly insufficient, or if the time limit has been exceeded.
4. Prizes
First Grand PrizeEpinal la Belle Image
10.000€
Second Prizedu Conseil Régional Grand Est
4.000€
Third Prizedu Conseil Départemental des Vosges
2.000€
Fourth Prizede la Caisse d’Epargne
1.000€
Additional prizes will be awarded by the Jury :
Contemporary Music Prize for the best performance of the piece «Toccata pour piano Op. 120 » by Thierry Huillet in the semi-final round
Prize of “Jeunesses Musicales de France” for the best French contestant
Audience Prize attributed by the audience for the best interpretation of the Concerto.
The Jury is not obliged to award all the prizes.
Winners of the competition will also have the benefit of playing at festivals such as :Concerts Classiques d’Epinal, Rencontres Internationales de Musique de Mirecourt, Musique Espérance Saint-Dié… The organization of these concerts is solely the responsibility of their programmers.
5. Contestants in the first and second rounds may receive a certificate attesting to their participation in the competition.
6. The Competition’s public rounds may be broadcast live and/or re-broadcast by radio, television or Internet. The rounds may also be recorded and/or filmed for reproduction on various formats (CD, DVD, etc.). In keeping with the Competition’s reputation, the contestants give the Competition the right to record their performances and reproduce it or have it reproduced on any media without any financial compensation, as well as to distribute it by any means throughout the world to introduce and promote the Epinal International Piano Competition and communicate about it. This authorization is given for a 10 year period, renewable by tacit consent for the same duration, in the absence of notice of termination at least six months before expiration.
7. Entering the competition entails the acceptance of its rules and procedures ; the French text stands as legal reference. In case of a dispute, French law will be applicable.
