101 applications received

Edvard Grieg Museum Troldhaugen has received 101 applications for this year's Grieg Competition. 

-We are happy with the great number of applications we have received, as it is much higher than we could have hoped for, says Sigurd Sandmo, Competition Director and Director of the Edvard Grieg Museum Troldhaugen. He is especially excited to see that there are applicants from all five continents and from 33 different countries, and that the candidates have included more Grieg pieces in their application than required by the competition rules. -We have succeeded in making young, talented piano players implement more of Grieg's music in their repertoire, Sandmo says. 

Set to start on 11 October with the final on 18 October, the competition will be organised together with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) and several other music partners in the region. This year is the second time that the competition is held at Troldhaugen in Bergen. In 2012 Ukrainian pianist Sasha Grynyuk won the 1st Prize of 30.000 Euros, having played Rachmaninovs Piano Concerto No. 1 accompanied by the BPO. 

Sandmo explains that the level of the candidates is very high, therefore the jury is facing a difficult decision when selecting the final participants. The applicants have included a video of themselves performing a first movement of a piano sonata by Haydn, a Lyric Piece by Grieg, a virtuoso etude and a free solo repertoire. After the pre-qualifying round 30 candidates are invited to Bergen in October. Following preliminary rounds and semi-finals at Troldhaugen, three candidates are selected to play the final in the Grieg Hall 18 October.

The Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Foundation is the main sponsor and the exclusive private contributor of the competition. Without their support it would not be possible to host an international music competition of this magnitude in Bergen.