International Piano Competition “ARS MODI”
First edition – 2025
1. Ars Modi APS announces the First Edition of the “ARS MODI” International Piano Competition, with the aim of promoting musical culture by encouraging and rewarding young pianists’ piano studies and the composition of new piano music.
2. PARTICIPANTS – The Competition is open to pianists of all nationalities, aged 18 or over on the day of the final competition, and born after 1990.
3. SECTIONS AND SPECIAL PRIZE – The Competition is divided into two Sections: Soloist-Pianists and Composer-Pianists. There is also Special Prize, available to participants of both Sections.
4. PHASES – The Competition consists of an online preliminary phase and an in-person final phase.
PRELIMINARY PHASE – The preliminary phase will take place online and involves submitting one or more videos containing the candidate’s musical performances. The videos must be free of cuts, edits, audio effects, or reverberations. They must be shot with a fixed camera and in a single take. They must have been recorded after January 1, 2024, and must clearly show the pianist’s face and hands. Videos must be submitted via a link to a hosting website (YouTube, personal websites, etc.).
FINAL PHASE – The final phase of the Competition will take place in person in Cavalese (Trento, Italy) at the “Palazzo della Magnifica Comunità di Fiemme”. Performances will be open to the public and will be held on the following dates, starting at 9:00 a.m.:
– Saturday, November 15, 2025 for the Soloists-Pianists section
– Sunday, November 16, 2025 for the Composers-Pianists section
The final stage consists of a live performance of a free musical program in the presence of the Jury. Up to EIGHT candidates for each section will be admitted to the final stage.
FOR BOTH SECTIONS – The musical program is free for both phases. Music already presented in the preliminary phase cannot be performed in the final phase. Candidates must provide all scores in PDF format for the final phase. The program for the preliminary phase must last between 10 and 20 minutes.
FOR THE SOLOISTS-PIANISTS SECTION – Performance of the program from memory is mandatory for both phases. The program for the final phase must last between 30 and 40 minutes.
FOR THE COMPOSERS-PIANISTS SECTION – Performance of the program from memory is not required. The program for the final phase must last between 20 and 30 minutes. The musical program must consist of the candidate’s own compositions; the candidates may also perform music of other composers (up to 5 minutes in the preliminary phase, up to 10 minutes in the final phase); the use of electronic equipment is not permitted. The piano may only be prepared in a non-invasive and non-damaging manner; extemporaneous improvisations are not permitted; all music performed must be presented with its score (the purpose of the competition is to promote pianist-composers and create new musical repertoire that can be performed by other pianists).
JURY FOR SOLOISTS-PIANISTS
The jury for the Soloists-Pianists Section will be composed as follows:
– Roberto Cominati, Italy (PRESIDENT) – pianist (International Concertist)
– Bertrand Giraud, France – pianist (Anima Records Paris – Opus Artis Paris)
– Ivana Marija Vidović, Croatia – pianist and writer (Epidaurus Music Festival)
– Pierluigi Piran, Italy – pianist (Conservatorio di Padova)
– Edoardo Bruni, Italy – pianist and composer (Conservatorio di Vicenza)
JURY FOR COMPOSERS-PIANISTS
The jury for the Composers-Pianists Section will be composed as follows:
– Edoardo Bruni, Italy (PRESIDENT) – pianist and composer (Conservatorio di Vicenza)
– Bertrand Giraud, France – pianist (Anima Records Paris – Opus Artis Paris)
– Ivana Marija Vidović, Croatia – pianist and writer (Epidaurus Music Festival)
– Lamberto Lugli, Italy – pianist and composer (Conservatorio di Pesaro)
– Federico Agostinelli, Italy – composer (Conservatorio di Pesaro)
Jury members are NOT permitted to present their own students (candidates who have received even one lesson since January 1st, 2023, to the date of the competition). The artistic direction of the competition reserves the right to replace members of the Jury in the event of the absence of the Masters listed.
SOLOISTS-PIANISTS SECTION
First prize: €1,000 for TWO concerts to be held in 2026
Second prize: €500 for ONE concert to be held in 2026
Third prize: €200 scholarship
COMPOSERS-PIANISTS SECTION
First prize: €1,000 for TWO concerts to be held in 2026 and publication by AGENDA BOLOGNA of a selection of the pieces performed (at the discretion of the jury)
Second prize: €500 for ONE concert to be held in 2026
Third prize: €200 scholarship
SPECIAL PRIZE “EDOARDO BRUNI”
Pianists from both sections admitted to the final phase are eligible for this prize: composer Edoardo Bruni will award a special prize consisting of a €200 scholarship for the best performance of his compositions, to be chosen from the following groups:
A) Three Waltzes, Op. 8 B) Intermezzo I and Waltz, from the Four Pieces, Op. 1
C) Modal Preludes Nos. 1, 2, and 5 D) Modal Preludes Nos. 3, 4, and 6
This performance must be held during the final round and will be included in the total playing time of the final round. This prize will be awarded by the joint jury of both sections (Maestri Bruni, Vidovic, and Giraud). The scores will be available in PDF format upon request.
The cash prize for the first and second prizes consists of payment for the concerts and will be awarded in a single payment after all scheduled prize concerts have been performed. The concerts will be organized by Ars Modi or partner organizations and will be agreed upon by January 31, 2025. Travel expenses incurred to participate in the prize concerts will be borne by the candidates. On the other hand, Ars Modi or the partner organization will provide the artist with accommodations for the night following the concert. The cash prize for the third and special prizes will be awarded by December 31, 2025. All prizes are intended as gross sums, inclusive of any taxes and contributions, which will be withheld, where applicable, as required by law.
8. EVALUATION AND PRIZE AWARDING METHOD
The selection of the musical program is an integral and essential part of the jury’s evaluation. No ex-aequo prizes will be awarded. The jury reserves the right not to award one or more prizes.
For the preliminary stage, the jury will decide on Yes (2 points), Maybe (1 point), or No (0 points); the candidates with the highest number of points will advance to the final stage.
For the final stage, the jury will decide on a score expressed as a whole number, from 1 to 8 (or a lower number if fewer than 8 candidates are admitted to the final stage) for each candidate. No two candidates may be awarded the same score; the scores of all jurors (without exclusions) will then be added together, with the candidates with the highest score winning.
In the event of a tie between candidates, a single additional vote will be held (exclusively for those candidates), according to procedures decided on the spot by the jury.
In the event of a further tie, the President of the Jury’s decision will prevail.
The Jury’s decision is final and cannot be contested.
Travel and accommodation expenses incurred to participate in the final round will be paid by the candidates.
10. PIANOS AND REHEARSALS
The final exam will be held on a Fazioli piano. Candidates will be able to practice on the Fazioli piano for 5 minutes before their final performance. Candidates will be able to practice on another single digital piano for 30 minutes immediately before their final performance, in the same building.
11. RECORDINGS
Audio and video recordings of all exams will be made available free of charge upon request.
The application fee for each section is €60. If a candidate wishes to register for both sections, the total application fee will be €100. Application forms are available online at www.arsmodi.it/concorso-2025 and must be completed and submitted by midnight on Sunday, October 12, 2025. Along with the completed form, the following must be submitted:
1. Photocopy of a valid ID document, certifying identity and nationality, with a recognizable photo
2. Program for the first and second rounds, including composers, titles, and lengths of the pieces
3. Link to the videos of the preliminary round
4. PDF of the scores for the final round
5. PDF with a copy of the bank transfer, to be made to the following IBAN: IT45V0830401819000018362478 – SWIFT/BIC: CCRTIT2T76A – ARS MODI APS – Reason for payment: “Name Surname – Ars Modi Competition 2025”
– Application by midnight on Sunday, October 12, 2025 (see previous article)
– Application will be confirmed by the association by Thursday, October 16, 2025, only after the forms, videos, and scores have been received and payment has been verified by the association.
– The results of the preliminary phase will be published on Monday, October 27, 2025 on the association’s website www.arsmodi.it/concorso-2025
– Candidates admitted to the final phase must be present at the audition venue at 9:00 a.m. for registration, in Cavalese (Trento, Italy) at the Palazzo della Magnifica Comunità di Fiemme.
– The final phase auditions will be held in the order in which candidates register for the competition, between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
– The final results will be announced at the end of each of the two performance days and published on the association’s website www.arsmodi.it/concorso-2025
14. Application for the Competition implies acceptance of all the rules contained in this announcement. In the event of a dispute, the Italian text will be binding, and the Court of Trento will have jurisdiction.