German Conducting Award
The German Conducting Award (GCA) is an international competition for young conductors organised by the German Music Council (Deutscher Musikrat) in partnership with the Cologne Philharmonic Concert Hall (Kölner Philharmonie), the Cologne Opera (Oper Köln), the Gürzenich Orchestra of Cologne (Gürzenich Orchester Köln) and the Symphonic Orchestra of broadcasting station WDR (WDR Sinfonieorchester). The City of Cologne has supported the competition for many years. It is accompanied by West German Broadcasting - WDR 3 as a cultural partner.
The next competition for the German Conducting Award will take place from 14th to 20th October 2025.
3 scoring rounds
The candidates will work on symphonic repertoire, opera repertoire and works of the 20th and 21st centuries in three rounds.
Renommé
Two outstanding orchestras, an excellent ensemble of singers and a first-class concert hall will be available during the competition.
Renowned partners
Kölner Philharmonie, Oper Köln, Gürzenich-Orchester Köln and WDR Sinfonieorchester
The German Conducting Award takes the genres of opera and concert equally into account in the repertoire and thus challenges the cross-genre skills of the candidates. Two outstanding orchestras, an excellent ensemble of singers and a first-class concert hall are at their disposal throughout the competition. With its prize money, extensive support measures and renowned partners, the German Conducting Award supports young conductors on their path to professional careers.
The prestigious award was first presented in 1995 as the "Award of the Conductors' Forum" („Preis des Dirigentenforums“) and from 2006 as the "German Conductors‘ Award“ („Deutscher Dirigentenpreis") to an outstanding scholarship holder of the Conductors Forum (Forum Dirigieren) and goes back to an initiative of the Conductors Forum, the Bad Homburger castle concerts and the BHF-Bank-Stiftung.
In 2017, the competition took place for the first time internationally and with great media attention in Cologne. Since 2023, it has been operating under the English name "German Conducting Award" in order to do justice to aspects such as internationality, gender and diversity in the title.
Schedule and repertoire 2023
12 candidates
Opera repertoire with Gürzenich-Orchester, Ensemble and International Opernstudio of the Oper Köln
Symphonic repertoire with WDR Sinfonieorchester
6 candidates
Contemporary symphonic repertoire with WDR Sinfonieorchester
3 candidates
Opera repertoire with Gürzenich-Orchester, Ensemble and International Opernstudio of the Oper Köln
Symphonic repertoire with WDR Sinfonieorchester
Saturday, 7th October 2023 8 p.m. in the Kölner Philharmonie (Philharmonic Concert Hall Cologne)
Tickets for the final concert may be obtained as from 25th May 2023 at 12:00 here: koelner-philharmonie.de - € 29,- | Students under 29 years: € 12,-
Candidates 2023
Participate in the German Conducting Award
Impressions of the German Conducting Award 2023
Jury 2023
Stefan Englert
Managing Director Gürzenich-Orchester Köln
Sebastian König
Manager and producer of the WDR Sinfonieorchesters
Award winners of 2023
Award winners of the past years
Martijn Dendievel | 2021
1st Prize
Julio García Vico | 2019
1st Prize, Award of the Bonn Opera Friends, Audience Award
Hossein Pishkar | 2017
1st Prize
Awards
1st Prize:
15.000 €
founded by the City of Cologne (10 000 €) and the Oscar und Vera Ritter-Stiftung (5 000 €)
2nd Prize:
10.000 €
3rd Prize:
5.000 €
founded by the Ursula-Lübbe-Stiftung et al.
Kurt Masur Audience Award:
3.000 €
founded by the International Kurt Masur Institute
Special Award for the Best Interpretation of a 20th/21st Century Work
500 €
(voucher)
The 1st prize includes a personalized baton from Rohema and a tailor made mandarin jacket from Woolwind.
The award winners can expect
concerts, assistances or productions with the following partners
Would you like to support the German Conducting Award?
Your donation will enhance the excellence among upcoming conductors.
If you wish, your commitment will be honored publicly, and we will inform you regularly about the latest news concerning the German Conducting Award.
For amounts from 100€ on you will get a tax deductible donation receipt. Please note your address on the remittance slip, so we can send you the donation receipt.
Bank account:
Deutscher Musikrat gGmbH
IBAN: DE60 4401 0046 0753 9324 65
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