Competition of the Elise Meyer Foundation

The Elise Meyer Foundation competition is aimed at music students at the Hamburg University of Music and Drama who are particularly deserving of support and is held in the categories of piano, strings, voice and wind instruments. Candidates will be heard in preliminary rounds and selected for participation in the final rounds according to the quality of their overall artistic performance, in which the prize winners will be determined.

Further details are regulated by the following conditions of participation and the guidelines for the awarding of prizes issued by the Board of Directors of the Elise Meyer Foundation.

Please note the following deadlines:

Applications by midnight on April 28, 2024 at the latest

(late applications will not be considered)

Applications must be submitted via the following link on the university's website:
Application form

The application form must be completed in full (including account details - IBAN, piano accompanist and own, if applicable) and the required documents must be attached as PDF/JPEG files (tabular CV in German, photo, certificate of study, and a list of the prepared repertoire [program, see below] with details of the composers, works and duration of the individual movements).

Preliminary rounds

They take place for the individual subject groups

• Singing 25.5.2024, 16:00, Forum
• Piano 31.5.2024, 17:00 h
• Woodwinds 1.6.2024, 10:00 am, Orchestra Studio
• Brass 4.6.2024, 15:00, Brass studio
• Strings 5.6.2024, 14:30, Fanny-Hensel-Saal

Jury chairmen are for

• Voice: Prof. Geert Smits
• Piano: Prof. Hubert Rutkowski
• Strings: Prof. Tanja Becker-Bender
• Winds: Prof. Christian Kunert

Final rounds in the Rudolf Steiner House

• Strings: 8.6.2024, 10:00 am
• Singing: 8.6.2024, 14:45 h
• Winds: 9.6.2024, 10:00 am
• Piano: 9.6.2024, 14:45

Prizewinners' concert: Sunday, June 23, 2024, 6:00 pm in the Forum of the HfMT

The following repertoire must be prepared:

Piano

Three complete works from 4 eras (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Classical Modern), including a significant work from the Classical or Romantic period (no concertos!), plus: An etude by Chopin (excluding op. 10,3; 10,6; 25,7), as well as a demanding work in a clearly modern tonal language, composed in the last 65 years (for the 2024 competition from 1959). All works (with the exception of the contemporary work) must be performed from memory. The total length should be at least 45 minutes.

Strings

Four complete works from 3 eras: A solo sonata or a comparably extensive and weighty solo work, a concerto, a sonata or a comparable large duo work with piano. A classical work (for violas: or baroque) and a demanding work in a clearly modern musical language, composed in the last 65 years (for the 2024 competition from 1959), must be included. All works (with the exception of the modern work and equal duo sonatas) must be performed from memory.

Wind instruments

a) Woodwinds:

Complete and demanding works from at least 2 periods, solo or with piano (including concertos to be performed from memory), plus one work in clearly modern tonal language, composed in the last 65 years (for the 2024 competition from 1959). At least one work must be performed from memory. The total length should be at least 30 minutes.

b) Brass:

Demanding works from at least 2 epochs, solo or with piano (including concertos to be performed from memory), plus one work in a clearly modern tonal language, composed in the last 65 years (for the 2024 competition from 1959). At least one work must be performed from memory. The program to be performed should have a total length of at least 20 minutes.

Singing

Program with a length of at least 40 minutes, in at least 3 different languages, of which German and Italian are obligatory, with at least

• 3 opera arias, of which one aria by Mozart is obligatory, or 2 opera arias and one operetta aria, of which one aria by Mozart is obligatory.
• 4 songs, whereby one by Franz Schubert is obligatory.
• An oratorio aria by J.S. Bach or G.F. Händel; further oratorio arias by other composers are possible.
• A contemporary work (oratorio, song or opera) in a clearly new musical language, composed in the last 65 years (i.e. from 1959 for the 2024 competition) with a minimum length of 3 minutes.

The oratorio aria and contemporary piece may be performed with sheet music, all other pieces must be performed from memory.