ARD music competition opens 75th edition with organists

The ARD Music Competition has opened its 75th anniversary edition with the organ category, BR24 reported. Around 180 musicians are competing in organ, bassoon, percussion and string quartet for the coveted prizes.

Twenty organists are taking part, with 27-year-old English musician William Fielding appearing second in the first round at the large hall of the Munich University of Music. His worn organ shoes reflect the intensive preparation for his programme.

“I have known about the competition for a long time,” Fielding said. Taking part fulfils a long-held ambition. He hopes that winning would open the way to an international career as a concert soloist.

Organ category returns after 15 years

The organ category has not been included in the ARD Music Competition for 15 years. Bassoon and percussion appear only every seven years, while string quartet, a particularly popular ensemble category, is held more frequently.

Meret Forster, the competition’s artistic director, said she was pleased that such a broad range of categories was possible for the anniversary. She said she wanted the competition to become part of Munich’s artistic and cultural life in the same way that the Berlinale belongs to Berlin and major book fairs belong to Frankfurt and Leipzig.

Forster has led the competition since 2016 and has steadily expanded the required programme. It now includes rarely performed works, including pieces by women composers and works from the contemporary repertoire.

Johannes Schwarz of Frankfurt’s Ensemble Modern, a jury member in the bassoon category, welcomed the opportunity to exchange ideas with colleagues from different musical backgrounds. He said international participants were coming together across the contemporary and classical fields.

Martin Grubinger, a leading percussionist, chairs the jury in the percussion category. He described the competition as especially important for percussionists, who have few comparable events. “For us percussionists, these are the Olympic Games,” he said. “It is the moment every seven years.”

The competition runs for two weeks, and its rounds are open to the public. Admission to the first and second rounds is free, while tickets for the final rounds are on sale.