9th Concours Grieg

International Competition for Pianists in Oslo, Norway

Member of the Alink-Argerich Foundation since 2004

Concours Grieg 2008

Sept. 13 - 21, 2008

  1. Competition for Two-Piano Duo, September 13 - 14
  2. Competition for Piano Four Hands Duo, September 16 - 17
  3. Competition for Solo Pianists, September 18 - 21

Concours Grieg is an international piano competition that, for nine years, has set the highest standard for musical excellence and artistic achievement, attracting pianists from all over the world.

For the ninth year in a row, pianists are welcome to take part in the International Grieg Piano Competition - Concours Grieg - in Oslo, Norway. Pianists are invited to perform in any of the three categories: Two Piano Duo, Piano Four Hands and Piano Solo.

Concours Grieg is arranged by Norse Music and the Oslo Grieg Society, in collaboration with EPTA Norway, the Oslo Music Teachers Association and the Norwegian State Academy of Music.

Two-Piano Competition

(No age limit.)
Free repertoire, including one or more movements of Mozart/Grieg Sonatas K.V. 545, 533/494, 186g/283, 457 or Mozart/Grieg Fantasia K.V. 475 or Grieg: Old Norwegian Romanza, op. 51.
 
1st Round: The contestants play 30 minutes from their free repertoire.
2nd Round: The contestants play 30 minutes from their free repertoire. Repetition of pieces from the 1st round is allowed.
Finale: The contestants play 45 minutes in total, including one obligatory piece by the Norwegian composer Bernt Kasberg Evensen: "Hag with broken stick".

The score is available at the following link: Bernt Kasberg Evensen: Hag with broken stick
 
Dates:
1st Round: September 13 (30 min.)
2nd Round: September 14 (30 min.)
Finale: September 14 (45 min.)

Piano Four Hands Competition

(No age limit.)
Free repertoire, including one or more movements of Grieg: Norwegian Dances, Symphonic Dances, Peer Gynt Suite I, Peer Gynt Suite II, Ouverture "In Autumn" op. 11, or any other composition by Grieg for four hands.
 
1st Round: The contestants play 30 minutes from their free repertoire.
2nd Round: The contestants play 30 minutes from their free repertoire. Repetition of pieces from the first round is allowed.
Finale: The contestants play 45 minutes in total, including one obligatory piece by the Norwegian composer Trygve Madsen: "Two Valse-Caprices on the name Grieg".

The score is available at the following link: Trygve Madsen: Two Valse-Caprices on the name Grieg
 
Dates:
1st Round: September 16 (30 min.)
2nd Round: September 17 (30 min.)
Finale: September 17 (45 min.)

Solo Piano Competition

(Age 17-35)
Repertoire
1st Round: The contestants play from their free repertoire including one piece by E. Grieg (3 minutes or longer).
Total playing time: 25 minutes
2nd Round: The contestants play 25 minutes from their free repertoire. Repetition of pieces from the first round is allowed. In addition, the contestants play an obligatory piece by the Norwegian composer Olav Anton Thommessen: "EingeBACHt - paraphrase on toccata in g major, first movement".

The score is available at the following link: Olav Anton Thommessen: EingeBACHt - paraphrase on toccata in g major, first movement

Finale: The contestants play 30 minutes from their free repertoire. Repetition of pieces from the first and second rounds is allowed. In addition, the contestants play a piece by Edvard Grieg and the Thommessen piece. Also, the contestants play Cesar Franck: Symphonic Variations, accompanied by the Orchestra of the State Academy of Music, Oslo.
 
Dates:
1st Round: September 18 (25 min.)
                  September 19 (25 min.)
2nd Round: September 20 (25 min.)
Finale: September 21 (45 min.)

Former Winners of Concours Grieg:

Solo

2007Kristian Lindberg, Norway
2006Hong-Bo Quan, China
2005Mi-Jung Park, S. Korea
2004Hinrich Alpers, Germany
Tatiana Kolesova, Russia
Mayumi Sakamoto, Japan
2003Jae-Won Cheung, South Korea
2002Luiza Borac, Romania
2001Nana Mamajeva, Ukraine
2000Eugene Mursky, Usbekistan

Four-Hands

2007Cara Hesse and Laura Pauna, S. Africa
 Jungdan Gu and Linzi Pan, China
2006Marzia and Fabiana Ragazzoni, Italy
2005Jana Prjaschennikowa and Volker Zwetzschke, Germany
2004Helen Sim and Ning-Wu Du, New York

Two-Piano

2007Barbara Rieder and Sebastian Bartmann, Germany
2006Grieg Duo Madrid: Mendmaa Dorzhin and Vadim Gladkov
2005Amy Hamann and Sara Hamann, USA
2004Helen Sim and Ning-Wu Du, New York

Prizes:

Solo Piano:

 
1. PrizePrix d'Oslo
Recital engagements at Oslo University College (Sep. 22, 2008), The Norwegian State Academy of Music, Oslo Grieg Festival 2009, Troldhaugen Bergen, Steinway Hall Hannover, Ibla New York and Grieg Festival Moscow.
2. PrizeNOK 5000
3. PrizeNOK 2500
  
Best performance of ThommessenNOK 2000
Best performance of GriegNOK 2000

Two-Pianos:

 
1. PrizeEngagement at Oslo Grieg Festival 2009
CD Production
Masterclass/concert at the Norwegian State Academy of Music Sept 18, 15.00
Joint recital at Oslo Music Teachers House, Sept 18, 19.30
Best performance of Kasberg EvensenNOK 2000
Best performance of GriegNOK 2000

Four-Hands:

 
1. PrizeEngagement at Oslo Grieg Festival 2009
CD Production
Masterclass/concert at the Norwegian State Academy of Music Sept 18, 15.00
Joint recital at Oslo Music Teachers House, Sept 18, 19.30
Best performance of MadsenNOK 2000
Best performance of GriegNOK 2000
 
There will also be Audience Prizes and Diplomas with special mentions for outstanding performances.

Jury:

Solo Competition
  • Einar Steen-Nøkleberg, Chairman
  • Jens Harald Bratlie, Norway
  • Valeria Blok, Russia
  • Salvatore Moltisanti, Sicily, Italy/New York

  • Additional jurors for the Finals:
  • Eirik Birkeland, Director and President of the Norwegian State Academy of Music
  • Ole Böhn, 1st Concert Master of the Norwegian Opera and Chairman of the Norwegian League of Soloists

Piano Four Hands Competitions
  • Einar Steen-Nøkleberg, Chairman
  • Harald Glattre, Norway
  • Otto Graf, Norway

Piano Duo Competitions
  • Einar Steen-Nøkleberg, Chairman
  • Harald Glattre, Norway
  • Anne Bråten, Norway
  • Elin Persson, Norway


Additional jury members to be announced.

Application:

There is no particular application form that needs to be filled out. Please send your personal details, along with the information below to the specified address.
Application letter with a short CV and admission tape, video-tape, CD or mini-disc of 30 minutes free repertoire must be sent before July 15, 2008 to:
Mr. Einar Steen-Nøkleberg,
Vallegaten 3, 0454 Oslo, Norway.
Tel. +47 22696535, Fax +47 22697085
Mobile: +47 90084978
e-mail: einarsn@hotmail.com
A non refundable fee of Euro 75 (NOK 600) for Solo Competition and Euro 150 (NOK 1200) for Duo Competitions must be paid to our bank along with the application.

Bank information:
Nordea
Kirkeveien 64
N-0363 Oslo, Norway
Nordea Swift Code: NDEANOKK

Account Name: Einar Steen-Nøkleberg
Account number: 6039 12 04090
Iban number : NO19 6039 12 04090

Welcome to Concours Grieg!

Einar Steen-Nøkleberg  
Competition Director  
einarsn@hotmail.com  
Oleg Tukh
Competition Manager
info@concoursgrieg.com