Rules

Artists who perform all over the world and are dedicated to Johann Sebastian Bach’s music, decided to support our competition.

Ottavio Dantone, Borbála Dobozy, Christine Schornsheim, Andrea Marcon, Pierre Hantai,
Mahan Esfahani (harpsichord)

Piotr Anderszewski, Garrick Ohlsson, Roman Rabinowich, Christopher Czaja Sager (piano)

Mischa Maisky, Jiří Bárta (cello)

Erich Bosgraaf (flute)

Václav Luks (harpsichord, conductor)

Catherine Mackintosh, Gil Shaham, Pavel Šporcl (violin)

Petr Šefl (harpsichordist, historical instruments restorer).

1. The competition consists of one round.

2. The competition will be held at the J. S. Bach Elementary School of Arts in Dobřany (Stromořadí 439, 334 41 Dobřany). The competition is organized by ‘The Bach Academy in Dobřany’ Endowment Fund in partnership with the J. S. Bach Elementary School of Arts in Dobřany.

3. The competition is open in two basic groups: A (five categories) and B (one category). Pupils receiving private tuition and elementary school of arts pupils are in Group A, whereas students of music grammar schools (15 – 18 years old), conservatoires and music academies are in Group B.

4. Competition categories and time limits:

5. The entrant’s age on 31 December 2025 is relevant when included in a category.

6. Competitors included in a younger category can choose their compulsory piece from a higher category; not the other way round.

7. Younger participants can compete in an older category.

8. Only the actual duration of performing the piece will be included within the time limit. If the time limit in a given category is exceeded, the judges may stop the competitor’s performance. Failure to adhere to the lower time limit by the competitors will result in their disqualification.

9. Playing from memory is not obligatory. Page turners are not permitted.

10. When performing music by J. S. Bach, repetitions must be observed (if they are part of the author’s work). Stylish embellishments during repetitions, one’s own cadences and similar are expected.

11. We recommend the competitors to use an URTEXT edition of sheet music (G. Henle Verlag, Bärenreiter and others).

12. The competitors will have an opportunity to perform one of the pieces by J. S. Bach on a copy of a German harpsichord made to the design of the Michael Mietke original, Berlin 1710, built in the J. Bečička – St. Hüttl – P. M. Šefl studio.

13. The final order of the performed pieces must be given at the competitors’ attendance registration.

14. The competition is open for the public.

15. The panel of judges has the right to request to see the sheet music before the start of a competition category.

16. Awarding of prizes, extraordinary prizes and certificates of merit is decided upon by an international panel of judges. No legal action can be taken.

17. After the announcement of results the judges will be available to the competitors for interviewing.

18. A winner announcement and prize awarding ceremony will take place at the end of each day of the competition.

19. The organizer is entitled to take photographs and make audio and video recordings during the competition and the winners’ concert. The competition participants are not entitled to any reward for these recordings and publishing thereof for non-commercial purposes.

20. Members of audience and the competitors are not allowed to take photographs or make audio and video recordings in the concert hall during the competition.

21. The competitors are cordially invited to perform at the gala concert, which will take place in the J. S. Bach Elementary School of Arts concert hall in Dobřany either on Sunday 26^th or on Monday 27^th October 2025.

22. Scheduled competition programme:

23. The exact schedule of the competition will be published in “Schedule” section at least two weeks prior to the start of the competition.

1. The international panel of expert judges will consist of seven members:

2. The decisions taken by the panel of judges are final.

3. The panel of judges is not obliged to award all the prizes. It is not possible to award one prize to more than one competitor within one category. The panel of judges can award an extraordinary prize.

1. Members of the panel evaluate each competitor individually. Each judge gives the competitor points ranging between 1 and 25. The judges hand over their scorecards to the secretary at the end of each competition category.

2. The secretary strikes out the highest and lowest scores awarded by the panel and calculates the mean value of the points awarded by the remaining five judges.

3. If the competitors score an identical mean value of points, the panel will take a decision on the competitors’ placement.

4. In each category, the panel of judges can award one first, one second and one third place, and certificates of merit at degree I., II. and III.

5. The result score sheet will include points awarded by all judges.

The A1, A2, A3 categories – 1^st prize CZK 4 000 / 2^nd prize CZK 2 500 / 3^rd prize CZK 1 250 

The A4, A5, B1 categories – 1^st prize CZK 6 000 / 2^nd prize CZK 4 000 / 3^rd prize CZK 2 500

Main Prize – C. Bechstein piano S2 Zimmermann

J. S. Bach Elementary School of Arts in Dobřany, semi-budgetary organization 

C. Bechstein Europe, s.r.o. Hradec Králové – general partner

The deadline for submitting applications is 30 September 2025. An electronic application form is available in the section Application.

Competition fee A1, A2, A3 – CZK 1 000 / A4, A5, B1 – CZK 1 200

The application is deemed valid upon the payment of the competition fee.

Accommodation and catering are not provided for the competitors by the organizer of the competition.

Where:
J. S. Bach Music School in Dobřany

Adress:
Stromořadí 439
334 41 Dobřany
Czech Republic

Web: www.bachacademy.eu
Email: mail@bachacademy.eu

Telephone:
+420 377 972 943
+420 736 472 478

IČ: 07171382
DIČ: CZ07171382

1. Compulsory piece – one or more pieces selected from the pre-specified music by J. S. Bach.

The competition programme will include at least one work of music by J. S. Bach selected from the list of compulsory pieces in the given category.

B1 category – 2 compulsory pieces (one of each subcategory).

2. One or more pieces of music by J. S. Bach of own choice – it is not permitted to choose compulsory pieces from any lower category.

3. One or more pieces from a different musical era from the worldwide repertoire of own choice
(we recommend that you perform a piece originating from your country).

A1 category

Age: up to 9 years of age (as per age on 31 Dec 2025)

Time limit: 4 – 8 min

Compulsory pieces options:

• Minuet in B Flat Major BWV Anh. 118 (unknown author, Piano Notebook for A. M. Bach)
• March in D Major BWV Anh. 122 (C. Ph. E. Bach, Piano Notebook for A. M. Bach)
• Polonaise in G Minor BWV Anh. 125 (C. Ph. E. Bach, Piano Notebook for A. M. Bach)

A2 category

Age: 10 – 11 years of age (as per age on 31 Dec 2025)

Time limit: 6 – 10 min

Compulsory pieces options:

• Prelude in D Minor BWV 926 (Little Preludes and Fughettas)
• Prelude in C Minor BWV 934 (Little Preludes and Fughettas)
• Prelude in D Major BWV 936 (Little Preludes and Fughettas)

A3 category

Age: 12 – 13 years of age (as per age on 31 Dec 2025)

Time limit: 9 – 13 min

Compulsory pieces options:

• Prelude in F Major BWV 928 (Piano Notebook for W. F. Bach)
• Minuet in G Major BWV 843 (Piano Notebook for W. F. Bach)
• Fugue in C Major BWV 953 (Piano Notebook for W. F. Bach)

A4 category

Age: 14 – 15 years of age (as per age on 31 Dec 2025)

Time limit: 13 – 17 min

Compulsory pieces options:

• Invention in E Major BWV 777 and Sinfonia in E Major BWV 792
• Invention in F Minor BWV 780 and Sinfonia in F Minor BWV 795
• Invention in B Flat Major BWV 785 and Sinfonia in B Flat Major BWV 800

A5 category

Age: 16 – 18 years of age (as per age on 31 Dec 2025)

Time limit: 18 – 22 min

Compulsory pieces options:

• French Suite in D Minor BWV 812 Allemande, Sarabande
• French Suite in C Minor BWV 813 Allemande, Sarabande
• French Suite in E Flat Major BWV 815 Allemande, Sarabande

B1 category

Age: 16 – 18 years of age (as per age on 31 Dec 2025)

Time limit: 24 – 28 min

I. Compulsory pieces options:

• Toccata e moll BWV 914
• Toccata g moll BWV 915
• Toccata G dur BWV 916

II. A prelude and a fugue of own choice of the Well-Tempered Clavier I and II BWV 846 – 893