Rules and Regulations of the Seventeenth Annual International Chopin Piano Competition

Presented by Fryderyk Chopin Society of Texas, Inc.

Founder/Competition Director: Nina Drath

I.

1. The Seventeenth Annual International Chopin Competition will be held in Corpus Christi, Texas on January 17, 2009.

2. The jury will consist of prominent European and American judges.

3. The competition will be held at St. Pius X Church, located at 5620 Gollihar Street, Corpus Christi, TX.

II.

1. The competition is open to pianists of all nationalities born between 1982 and 1992.

2. The Competition consist of two stages: Semifinals - by DVD - and the Finals with a performance before the Jury in Corpus Christi on January 17, 2009.

III.

Applications for participation in the Competition should be made on the attached form, either typewritten or legibly printed by hand, and must be received at the following address by November 17, 2008.  Application forms can be downloaded <HERE>.

Fryderyk Chopin Society of Texas, Inc.

4610 Abner Drive

Corpus Christi, Texas USA 78411

The application must include:

1. one recent portrait photograph on glossy paper, not larger than 5" x 7", for use in the Competition program and press publications;

2. a certified copy of the applicant’s birth certificate;

3. short biography;

4. proof of musical studies (copies of diplomas, degrees or recommendations from the applicant’s teacher);

5. one DVD, on which applicant performs required repertoire (See Section X)

6. a cashier’s check or money order for the application fee of $100.00 USD with the name of the applicant payable to the Fryderyk Chopin Society of Texas, Inc.

Incomplete documents will not be accepted. The Fryderyk Chopin Society of Texas, Inc. does not return any documents or DVDs.

IV.

1. Applications received after November 17, 2008 will not be considered by the Admissions Committee. The Admissions Committee will be appointed by the Board of the Fryderyk Chopin Society of Texas, Inc.

2. The decisions by the Admissions Committee are final.

3. The number of competitors participating in the finals will be limited to three (3), unless Admissions Committee decides differently.

V.

1. The Admissions Committee will mail the notification of acceptance or rejection by November 22, 2008.

2. Acceptance constitutes an agreement between the Fryderyk Chopin Society of Texas, Inc. and the applicant regarding his or her participation in the Finals of the Competition in accordance with these Regulations.

3. All pianists accepted to compete in the Finals must submit an additional application fee of $50.00 USD to the Fryderyk Chopin Society of Texas, Inc. by January 1, 2009.

4. The application fee for anyone withdrawing after January 1, 2009 will not be refunded.

VI.

1. All travel expenses to and from Corpus Christi are the responsibility of the competitors.

2. Private accommodations in Corpus Christi will be provided for each contestant, if desired, along with transportation to and from the Competition. The person who wishes to stay in a hotel needs to make his or her own reservations. Please indicate your accommodation preference on the application.

3. The Fryderyk Chopin Society will make pianos available to practice to all competitors.

VII.

Finalists must check in at the Registration Desk at St. Pius X Church by 8:30 AM on the day of the Competition (January 17, 2009) to determine the order of the auditions.

VIII.

1. The order of auditions will be determined by drawing numbers prior to the competition.

2. The finals will be held in public. Winners will be announced and prizes will be awarded 45 minutes following the last audition. The Winners’ Recital and Luncheon will be held on January 17, 2009 at The Town Club. The cost of the meal will be $40 per person.

IX.

All auditions and performances during the Finals of the Competition may be:

1. broadcast on radio and/or television;
2. recorded and later broadcast on radio and/or television;
3. photographed by the press, with the approval of the Director of the Competition, without remuneration to the pianist.

X.

The repertoire requirements of the Competition are based on the first stage of the 2010 Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland and include the following pieces to be played from memory:

1. Two Etudes, one from each group indicated below. At least one Etude must be different from the one performed during the Preliminary Round.

a. C major, Op. 10, No.1 C-sharp minor, Op. 10, No.4 G-flat major, Op. 10, No.5 F major, Op. 10, No.8 C minor, Op. 10, No.12 A minor, Op. 25, No.11

b. A minor, Op. 10, No. 2 C major, Op. 10, No.7 A-flat major, Op. 10, No.10 E-flat major, Op. 10, No. 11 A minor, Op. 25, No. 4 E minor, Op. 25, No. 5 G-sharp minor, Op. 25, No. 6 B minor, Op. 25, No. 10

2. One of the following nocturnes:

B major, Op. 9, No. 3 D-flat major, Op. 27, No. 2 G major, Op. 37, No. 2 C minor, Op. 48, No. 1

F-sharp minor, Op. 48, No. 2 E-flat major, Op. 55, No. 2 B major, Op. 62, No. 1 E major, Op. 62, No. 2

3. A ballade or barcarole F-sharp major Op.60 or Fantasia F minor Op. 49

4. One of the following waltzes:

E-flat major, Op. 18 A-flat major, Op.34, No. 1 F major, Op.34, No. 3

A-flat major, Op. 42 A-flat major, Op. 64, No. 3

5. One or more of the following pieces:

Allegro de concert A major, Op.46 Bolero C major, Op. 19

Berceuse D-flat major, Op. 57

One or more Etudes of the contestant’s choosing, excluding those he/she performed in the preliminary and first stage auditions (see point #1, section X).

(If the contestant chooses Etudes de la Methode des Methodes, the whole cycle has to be played in its original order: F minor, No. 1 A-flat major, No. 2 D-flat major, No. 3)

Impromptu A-flat major, Op. 29 Impromptu F-sharp major, Op. 36

Impromptu G-flat major, Op. 51 Nocturne C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 1

Preludes from Opus 28: group a or b or c, or two consecutive groups - a and b or b and c.

Group a: A major, No. 7 F-sharp minor, No.8 E major, No. 9 C-sharp minor, No.10 B major, No. 11 G-sharp minor, No. 12	Group b: F-sharp major, No. 13 E-flat minor, No.14 D-flat major, No.15 B-flat minor, No. 16 A-flat major, No. 17 F minor, No. 18
Group c: E-flat major, No. 19 C minor, No. 20 B-flat major, No. 21 G minor, No. 22 F major, No. 23 D minor, No. 24

Prelude C-sharp minor, Op. 45

Rondo C minor, Op. 1

Rondo a la Mazur F major, Op. 5

Rondo E-flat major, Op. 16

Scherzo B minor, Op. 20

Scherzo B-flat minor, Op. 31

Scherzo C-sharp minor, Op. 39

Scherzo E major, op. 54

Tarantela A-flat major, op. 43

Waltz A minor, Op. 34, no. 2

Waltz D-flat major, Op. 64, No. 1

Waltz C-sharp minor, Op. 64, No. 2

Variations B-flat major, Op. 12 on the theme "Je vends des Scapulaires"

The pieces may be performed in any order except the etudes which have to be played one after the other.

Performing time in the first stage: 40-45 minutes.

Should the contestant overrun the time limit, the Jury may stop his/her performance.

The applicants should indicate the order in which the pieces are to be played.

XI.

All decisions made by the Jury are final.

XII.

The winners of each level will be awarded the following prizes:

First Prize: $1500 USD

Second Prize: $750 USD

Third Prize: $500 USD

Other prizes may be announced later. The Fryderyk Chopin Society of Texas, Inc. reserves the right to award the First Prize Winner with an engagement for a double performance in the following concert season of the Chopin Society.

The prize winners receive the title of Winners in the Seventeenth Annual International Chopin Piano Competition sponsored by the Fryderyk Chopin Society of Texas, Inc.

Winners of the first and second prizes from the 2002-2009 Competitions are eligible to compete in the 2010 Grand prix Piano Competition in Corpus Christi, Texas. This separate piano competition is to select a Grand Prix Winner.

The application form can be downloaded <HERE>.