Boroondara Eisteddfod Piano Concerto Competition

The Zelman Symphony presented the Final of the Boroondara Eisteddfod Piano Concerto Competition each year from 2002 to 2019 inclusive.

Entrants were required to first perform in a heat with piano accompaniment. Three finalists were then selected from the heats and performed with the Zelman Symphony in a Sunday afternoon concert.

Rules applicable in 2019

The rules associated with the heats are described in the City of Boroondara's "Information for Entry" publication.

The rules and guidelines that follow are applicable to the three finalists.

Finalists' selections must be nominated from the list, below.

Works Suitable for the Final

Unless otherwise noted, finalists must nominate two selections, each from any concerto (unless otherwise noted) from the following composers:

• Beethoven
• Brahms (only Piano Concerto No.1 in D minor, Op.15)
• Chopin
• Grieg
• Liszt
• Mendelssohn
• Mozart
• Prokofiev (only Piano Concertos Nos.1, 2 and 3)
• Rachmaninov
• Saint-Saëns
• Schumann
• Tchaikovsky

Whilst the finalists' preferences will be considered, the selections that are to be performed in the final will be determined by the Zelman Symphony's Artistic Director & Principal Conductor.

Time Limit - Final

As per the City of Boroondara's "Information for Entry" publication, the time limit for the Final of the Piano Concerto Competition is nominally 15 to 25 minutes, and finalists should ensure that each selection they intend to nominate, where a selection is one or more movements from a concerto, falls within this range. Entrants should either time their own performance or refer to other sources such as CD recordings or online music sites.

However, as each finalist's selection is to be determined in advance by the Zelman Symphony's Artistic Director & Principal Conductor, this time limit will NOT be enforced during the performance.

Winner's Encore

The winner of the competition will be asked to perform a short solo work (without orchestra) at the conclusion of the concert. Each finalist is to ensure such a work has been prepared, and a duration of some three to six minutes in length would be appropriate.

Rehearsals for Finalists

Each finalist will attend one of the following rehearsals:

• 7.30 to 10.15 p.m. Tuesday 4 June 2019 at Leo Baeck Centre (LBC)
• 7.30 to 10.15 p.m. Tuesday 11 June 2019 at LBC

There will then be three compulsory rehearsals prior to the Final:

• 7.30 to 10.15 p.m. Tuesday 18 June 2019 at LBC
• 7.30 to 10.30 p.m. Thursday 20 June 2019 at Hawthorn Arts Centre (HARTS)
• 10.00 to 11.45 a.m. on the morning of the Final, Sunday 23 June 2019, also at HARTS.

Attendance times at each rehearsal will, as much as possible, be selected to suit each finalist's availability on any night. In each case, finalists will generally be required for no more than one third of each rehearsal's duration.

Boroondara Eisteddfod

https://www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/recreation-arts/boroondara-arts/about-us/boroondara-eisteddfod

Change History

• 22 September 2019 - Gary Kirby: revised after the 2019 Eisteddfod