How to Make the Best of a Chamber Music Competition

The Violin Channel recently gathered advice from the jury members of the Franz Schubert and Modern Music International Chamber Music Competition

The 12th International Chamber Music Competition “Franz Schubert and Modern Music” will be held at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz from February 8–15, 2025.

The event is open to international piano trios, piano duos, and voice and piano duos, with members aged 35 and under. The triennial competition offers prize money totaling around €75,000 and will be streamed LIVE on The Violin Channel.

The Violin Channel recently gathered tips from the competition's jury members on how to have the best experience at a chamber music competition.

Sivan Silver Garburg & Gil Garburg, chairpersons for the Category Piano Duo shared that groups should:

• Support each other, both musically and emotionally. When the dynamics are supportive, the tension is lessened, and the whole ensemble becomes greater than the sum of its parts.
• Use the rehearsals to achieve full concentration and emotional involvement in your playing. Turning a part of each rehearsal into a small concert can allow you to get to the competition much more prepared and to reach your maximum in a performance mode
• Remember that experiencing the music is the best part of any musical performance. Everyone is on your side and wants to listen to beautiful and exciting music, so don’t be shy. Enjoy your own and your partner’s playing, inspire each other and be inspired!

Chia Chou, chairperson for the Piano Trio category advised:

• Do your best to forget you're at a competition. You're here to show us how you create music as if you were on stage in a concert.
• Make your performance as personal as possible. Never try to second-guess what you think we want to hear regarding interpretation.
• In contrast to solo competitions: As much as everyone wants to deliver perfectly executed performances, chamber music interaction counts for more than one might expect. Focus on your partners and interact as much as possible. And if spontaneous joint creativity should occur, then you've reached the highest level of any chamber music performing.

Joseph Breinl, chairperson of the Lied Duo category shared his most important rules:

• As long as you stay in the competition, concentrate solely on yourself, your musical partners, and your performance. Don't waste time obsessing over the performances of your competitors.
• Organization is half the battle: be on time, always have an emergency snack with you, organize your sheet music (and if you play with a tablet: make sure the tablet is charged)
• Go to bed early and get enough sleep. You can celebrate when the competition is over.