1. Competitors

The Berlin Prize for Young Artists (“BPFYA”) is curated by VAN and facilitated by Bank Julius Baer. The finals will take place on January, 24–25 2022. The international competition is open to musicians of any nationality born in or before 2003 who are currently studying at the university level, or have graduated, in any subject, between 2016 and 2020. No singers, conductors, or ensembles, sorry.

2. Applications

Applications are submitted via www.bpfya.com. The application deadline is June 18, 2021, at midnight Central European Time.

The application must include the following documents: 

• A brief artistic CV (in English).
• A written concert program with a length of roughly 45 minutes (composer and work title, publisher/rights holder). There are absolutely no restrictions on style, period, number, etc. of the works.
• A brief (max. 500 words) statement on your choice of program.
• Scan of diploma (file format .jpg or .pdf).
• A recent video recording of you performing one work from your suggested program (file format .mp4 or .mov).
• Scan of your passport or ID-card for proof of age (file format .jpg or .pdf).

3. Application Deadline

Applications that arrive after June 18, 2021, midnight Central European Time, are only accepted for further consideration under exceptional circumstances and with the express approval of the competition’s organisers.

4. Selection of Competitors

The jury will select a total of 6 (six) competitors based on the submitted applications. Finalists will be notified by July 15, 2021, at the latest.

5. Travel and accommodation

• The finalist’s travel costs (including two nights in a three star hotel) are covered by the competition’s organization. If a finalist can get to Berlin in under eight hours, we kindly ask them not to fly. 
• Those who require a visa to travel to Germany must obtain their visa from a German Consulate in their country of residence at their own expense. 
• It is the finalist’s responsibility to have valid health insurance while travelling, since the competition’s organization doesn’t cover health costs. 

6. Competition Schedule, Venue and Program

The competition has two parts. The pre-selection is the first round and is based on the recordings and documents submitted by the applicants. The finals are the second round. All finalists will perform the entire 45-minute program they submitted. The finals will take place at the Musikbrauerei in Berlin.

First round

Please submit all documents required in “2. Applications” and the application on www.bpfya.com, respectively.

Second Round

January 24–25, 2021, Musikbrauerei, Berlin, Germany.

Each finalist will play their 45-minute program submitted in their application. The jury will make their decision after the last person plays and the two winners will be awarded immediately following. 

7. Prizes

The two winners will receive:

• Your own website designed by the agency VAN VON
• Two career-coaching sessions on career development, artistic profile and social media over the course of one year, taking place in Berlin or online (depending on the pandemic situation), directed by VAN. This includes the travel to/from Berlin, including two nights in a three star hotel per session, if the situation allows it to happen physically.
• Financial workshop with recommendations on how to prepare for self-employment, save for rainy days, make small investments and plan for retirement by Julius Baer. The date and venue will be fixed based on your residence. Depending on the pandemic situation, this could be taking place online.
• Two day-participation as a visiting student of the Verbier Festival Academy in July 2022. This includes travel to Verbier, accommodation for three nights at an apartment or three star hotel, tickets to Verbier Festival concerts (subject to availability), attendance at Academy masterclasses and rehearsals and a coaching session with a member of the Academy faculty.
• Performance opportunity offered by Andermatt Music during the 2022/2023 or 2023/2024 season: an invitation to perform one concert in Andermatt, in the newly-built Andermatt Concert Hall. Dates to be arranged by summer 2022, subject to each winner and organizer’s availability.

The six finalists will receive:

• The production of a professional personal video trailer on 28/29 August 2021 in Hamburg. If the pandemic situation allows it, you need to be able to come to Hamburg physically in order to get this prize. Travel to/from Hamburg and two nights at a hotel in Hamburg will be arranged and paid for.
• A photo shooting with professional photographers during the finals in Berlin.

8. Rights / Fine Print

• The panel’s decision is final, and suing us won’t change that. (Der Rechtsweg ist ausgeschlossen.)
• All participants will submit their applications via www.bpfya.com/apply.
• All finalists must be in Berlin for the duration of the finals.
• All finalists agree to participate in promotional and marketing activities for the competition.
• All participants grant us the unlimited right to broadcast and/or stream the competition’s finals via any channel, and to film, photograph and/or record the finals without compensation to the finalists.
• We don’t discriminate.
• The applicant guarantees to submit only those files (photographs, recordings, music and texts) that are in no violation of any applicable law including intellectual property rights. In particular they must ensure that he is the originator of the application video or that they have the required permission from the rights holder. The application files and videos are used for internal purposes only during the first round and will not be used for any other purposes nor provided to any third parties.
• The finalist is responsible for insuring luggage and personal property, especially musical instruments, against theft or damage.
• The finalist expressly agrees to audio, video, and/or audio/video recording during the finals. The finalist assigns to the organizer of the Berlin Prize for Young Artists all rights to use and exploit the Recordings fully and without any restrictions as to geographical area, time, or content. The organizers have the right to use the Recordings on TV, radio, the Internet and on mobile platforms, including social media platforms as well as video, DVD, CD, and other forms of reproduction. This includes in particular the right to copy, broadcast, publish the Recordings and make them available on the homepages, social media accounts, newsletters, etc., of the organizers. The rights are transferrable, especially to sponsor and co-organizer Bank Julius Baer. The organizer shall have no obligation to pay any renumeration to the applicants/finalists as compensation for using the photos/recordings to the extent described.
• By participating in the competition, you indicate your acceptance of these rules.