59th Markneukirchen International Instrumental Competition for oboe and trombone

(cs) The 59th International Instrumental Competition Markneukirchen invites outstanding young musicians from all over the world in the categories oboe and trombone to a top-class performance competition over four rounds in the music town of Markneukirchen. Attractive cash prizes worth a total of 31,000 euros as well as concert engagements and special prizes await the best.

As in previous years, the chief conductor of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, Christian Thielemann, has again assumed the patronage, in 2024 together with the Vice-President of the German Bundestag, Ms Yvonne Magwas. The presidency is in the hands of Prof. Christian Lampert - himself a prize-winner of the 1988 Markneukirchen competition. He presides over a top-class international jury chaired by Prof. Kai Frömbgen (oboe) and Prof. Henning Wiegräbe (trombone). Further information on the members of the jury can be found here.

All information on the competition procedure, the repertoire of both categories and further conditions can be found on the competition homepage. The online application will be available soon at the same place. The deadline for applications is 10 January 2024.

For the 2024 competition, one commissioned work will be included in the competition repertoire in each of the two categories. "Point of no return" for oboe solo by Bernd Franke, as well as "Posaunenmangel" for trombone solo by Nils Wogram will appear for the first time at the Markneukirchen competition.

The competition will open on Friday, 3 May 2024 in the Markneukirchen Music Hall with a concert by the Markneukirchen Symphony Orchestra together with the Grenland Symfoniorkester (Norway) conducted by Matthias Spindler. A prize-winner of the Markneukirchen International Instrumental Competition is scheduled as the evening's soloist. In the days that follow, guests can look forward to an attractive supporting programme with demonstrations of instrument making, exhibitions of musical instruments, open days and further concerts.

The highlight and conclusion of the 2024 competition will once again be the prize-winners' concert with the best-placed participants in the oboe and trombone competitions on Saturday, 11 May 2024, at 7 p.m. in the Markneukirchen Music Hall. The two best-placed will perform the Concerto No. 2 in A major for trombone and orchestra by Eugen Reiche and the Concerto in D major for oboe and small orchestra by Richard Strauss. Both works are also on the programme in the final rounds on 9 May (trombone) and 10 May (oboe). The accompaniment will be provided by the Vogtland Philharmonie Greiz/Reichenbach. The other prize-winners will once again demonstrate their skills in the prize-winners' concert with the most outstanding interpretations from their competition programme.