RULES OF THE 25th INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION CONTEST FOR YOUNG MUSICIANS ‘THE NUTCRACKER’

RUSSIA-KULTURA Television Channel invites young musicians to participate in the 25th International Television Contest for Young Musicians 'The Nutcracker'.

25th International Television Contest for Young Musicians 'The Nutcracker' will be held from the 25st November to the 2th of December, 2024.

MISSION

The mission of the Contest is to attract public attention to children’s music education and to promote young gifted musicians, providing them with opportunities to realize their artistic potential, such as:

• the ability to enter the best music educational institutions;
• collaboration with leading orchestras and conductors;
• participation in various concerts and festivals.

CONTEST

The Contest is held in three disciplines:
• piano;
• stringed instruments (violin, viola, cello, double-bass, harp);
• wind instruments (except for the recorder) and percussion

The Contest consists of a preliminary Round (based on video recordings) and three public Rounds.

During Rounds I and II each contestant shall perform solo or with an accompanist. In the III Round contestants are to perform with a symphony orchestra.

The performance order of the contestants will be determined by lot before the start of the I Round.

The Opening Ceremony and the Final will take place at one of the best Moscow concert venues with a symphony orchestral accompaniment.

All the public Rounds will be recorded by RUSSIA-KULTURA TV Channel.

CONTESTANTS

We invite to participation young musicians under 14 (for piano, stringed instruments and percussion) or 15 (for wind instruments). It means that on the first competition day none of the contestants shall be older than 13 or 14 years respectively.

No minimum age requirements.

The 48 contestants will be chosen by the selection committee composed of professional musicians after the review of the received recordings. The selection committee will evaluate submitted recordings by awarding points out of ten.

If any of the chosen applicants is unable to take part in the Competition, he or she will be replaced by the next-in-line applicant.

No more than 16 contestants in each category will be admitted to Round I, 8 contestants in each category will be admitted to Round II and 3 contestants in each category will proceed to Round III .

The former 1st Prize winners of the Contest are not allowed to participate with the same instrument.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

To participate in the Contest, please, fill in the application form and enclose the following documentation:

brief biography with information about participation in other contests (exact name, year, venue and the result), hobbies and most interesting events in the contestant’s life, no longer than 500 symbols, no contracted words;

performance program with full names of composers, exact titles of the pieces, opuses' numbers, parts' numbers and duration of each work (for more information see PERFORMANCE PROGRAM section);

1 photo as a graphic file (portrait on a neutral background; high resolution, suitable for printing; file name shall contain the Contestant’s first and last name);

scanned copy of the Contestant’s birth certificate or passport as a graphic file.

Applications disregarding these rules (including biographies exceeding the symbol limit) will not be accepted.

The Application form shall also contain direct links to recordings of the contestant’s performance (on Youtube, Rutube, etc.). The recordings shall be provided as separate videos. Each video shall contain the first and the last name of the Contestant as well as the title of the composition performed.

The complete package of documents shall be received by the Organization Committee not later than on 5 October, 2024. The materials received after this date as well as incomplete packages of documents will not be accepted.

Any applicant providing inaccurate or misleading information will be disqualified.

The Contestants admitted to the Contest shall provide the Organization Committee with a copy of their birth certificate or passport, certified by their school at registration.

PERFORMANCE PROGRAM

The contestants are free to choose their repertoire. The compositions shall be played from memory. No work can be repeated in subsequent Rounds.

• The program of the I Round shall include two works of different character: cantilena and virtuoso piece. The performance duration shall be about 5-7 minutes.

• The program of the II Round shall include one or more music pieces at the Contestant’s discretion. The performance duration shall be about 5-7 minutes.

• In the 3rd Round each contestant shall perform with a symphony orchestral accompaniment. The performance duration shall be about 5-7 minutes. The music piece shall be composed (or orchestrated) for solo instrument and for symphony (or chamber) orchestra.

Contestants are obliged to perform music pieces indicated in the application form.

In case a Contestant wishes to make changes to the program, the Organizing Committee shall be informed about the changes in a letter confirming the contestant’s attendance. The confirmed program cannot be changed.

The applicants admitted to the I Round shall provide scores and orchestral voices for the music pieces they have chosen for the III Round, possible cuts shall be marked. The scores shall be handed over to the Organizing Committee at the opening day of the Contest.

The Contestants whose performance of the III Round program lasts longer than 7 minutes will not be accepted.

JURY

The Contestants' performances will be evaluatred by the Jury composed of famous musicians – composers, performers and teachers. A separate Jury is formed in each category – 'Piano', 'Stringed Instruments', 'Winds and Percussions'.

Rounds I and II will be conducted separately in each category. Round III will be evaluated by the combined Jury.

The evaluation of the performances will be based on the following criteria:
• musicianship;
• technique;
• sound quality.

No account will be taken of age differences.

The Jury reserves the right not to award all the prizes. If one of the prizes is not awarded the quantity of other prizes within the category may be increased or this prize can be added to one of the other categories.

The decision of the Jury is final and not subject to question, review, or appeal.

FINANCIAL CONDITIONS

Participation in the Contest is free of charge.

The Organizing Committee provides accommodation for each contestant plus one accompanying person. The accommodation is provided for the participation period: from the day of arrival (but not earlier than the determined date) till the day after the Contestant’s elimination (12 noon).

Travel expenses are to be covered by Contestants.

The Organizing Committee can assist a Contestant in booking a hotel for additional accompanying persons upon prior request.

If a Contestant arrives and refuses to perform, all the expenses are his/her own responsibility.

Contestants that have not qualified for the next Round can stay at the hotel until the end of the Contest at their own expense.

ACCOMPANISTS

Contestants can bring their own accompanists at their expense. The Organizing Committee will provide a contestant with an accompanist gratis upon prior request.

REHEARSALS

Contestants will be provided with accompanists for two rehearsals and performances gratis.

Each Finalist can have two rehearsals with the orchestra.

AWARDS

All contestants will receive Diplomas for their participation in the I Round.

All contestants admitted to Round II will receive Diplomas and souvenirs.

All contestants will receive a DVD with the recordings of their performances.

In the III Round finalists will be honoured to perform with a symphony orchestra at one of the best concert halls in Moscow.

All finalists are dubbed Laureates.

The Laureates in each category will be awarded Diplomas and prizes:
1st Prize – 'Gold Nutcracker';
2nd Prize – 'Silver Nutcracker';
3rd Prize – 'Bronze Nutcracker'.

The Laureates’ teachers and accompanists will receive Contest Diplomas.

KULTURA TV Channel attracts public, charity and commercial organizations as partners and sponsors of the Contest, they can award additional prizes.

The Contest Laureates may be invited to participate in concerts organized by KULTURA TV Channel or its partners.

TV PROGRAMS AND BROADCASTING

The Contest will be covered by the KULTURA TV Channel in a special television series. The recordings of all Rounds, as well as Opening and Closing Ceremonies will be available at websites www.tvkultura.ru.

RIGHTS

KULTURA TV Channel reserves the exclusive right to use the performance recordings of any length in any form and without any time or area limits, including the right to use separate images or sounds from the recordings.

The Organizing Committee reserves the exclusive right to modify these Rules, the latest version is available on the official Kultura TV website: www.tvkultura.ru.

Address of the Organization Committee:

Russia-Kultura TV channel, Music Department,
The International Television Contest for Young Musicians The Nutcracker
Shabolovka Str., 37, 115162, Moscow, Russia
Tel: +7 (499) 009-5060
E-mail: nutcracker@tv-culture.ru