Rules and scores of the 13th Competition 2025

PADEREWSKI COMPETITION

Rules of the 13th International Paderewski Piano Competition 2025

The Competition is open to pianists of all nationalities, born between 1993 and 2007.

The following pianists are barred from the Competition:

  • pianists who over the last three years (since October 1st, 2022) were regular students of a Juror in any school or academy of music,
  • pianists who over the last three years (since October 1st, 2022) took additional private classes with a Juror,
  • pianists who are Juror ‘s relatives.

The above restrictions shall not apply to pianists who attended sporadically masterclasses held by a Juror, also online.

The Competition is organized to commemorate Ignacy Jan Paderewski, a remarkable pianist, virtuoso, composer, politician and statesman.

RULES of the 13th COMPETITION

SCORES

Album de Mai op. 10

Humoresques de Concert op. 14

Concertos

Miscellanea op. 16

Polish Dances op. 9

REPERTOIRE FOR PRELIMINARY AUDITIONS (maximum – 30 minutes)

Each competitor of preliminary auditions shall perform:

a) 2 virtuoso etudes (one of them by F. Chopin);

b) the first or more movements of a classical sonata (yet always inclusively with the first movement);

c) one or two works of competitor’s choice, in different character, but not from the classical period.

REPERTOIRE OF THE COMPETITION:

The Paderewski Piano Competition offers its participants an opportunity to perform the repertoire of their own choice. Thereby, the Organizers give pianists the chance to present their artistic personality, imagination and individuality.

NOTICE:

Free choice of the repertoire is restricted by one condition only.

The repertoire to be performed throughout the Competition should contain works representing at least three different music styles.

The Jury shall assess the selected repertoire and its rendition taking into account pianists’ ability to construct the program of a recital, understand and render the depth of works representing a variety of musical styles, thereby display musicality and artistic personality.

1st stage

performance duration 25-30 minutes

Free choice repertoire

2nd stage

performance duration 40-45 minutes

All competitors of the 2nd stage shall perform two or more works by I. J. Paderewski.

All competitors shall select works from group A and B – at least one from each group.

Group A.

from the series – Polish Dances op. 9:

  • No. 3. Mazurka in A major
  • No. 4. Mazurka in B-flat major

from the series – Album de Mai op.10:

  • No. 1. Au Soir
  • No. 2. Chant d’amour

from the series – Miscellanea op.16:

  • No. 1. Legend
  • No. 2. Melody
  • No. 3. Thėme variė in A major
  • No. 4. Nocturne
  • No. 6. Un moment Musical

Group B.

from the series – Polish Dances op. 9:

  • No. 6. Polonaise in B major

from the series – Album de Mai op. 10:

  • No. 3. Scherzino
  • No. 5. Caprice Valse

from the series – Humoresques de Concert op. 14:

  • No. 1. Menuet
  • No. 2. Sarabande
  • No. 3. Caprice /genre Scarlatti/
  • No. 4. Burlesque
  • No. 5. Intermezzo polacco
  • No.6. Cracovienne fantastique

The selection of the remaining works of the 2nd stage repertoire is determined by a pianist.

SEMI-FINAL

A. RECITAL – duration time 40-45 minutes

All the participants of Semifinal A shall perform a special piece composed for the Competition, (ca. 5 minutes long), specially commissioned by and for the Competition. The score of said composition shall be made available as soon as the list of Competition finalists has been published.

The selection of remaining pieces performed in A semifinal shall be determined by a pianist.

B.  W. A. MOZART PIANO CONCERTOS

Competitors in the semi-final stage shall perform one of  W. A. Mozart piano concertos with the Chamber Orchestra:

  • No. 15 in B-flat major, K. 450
  • No. 17 in G major, K. 453
  • No. 19 in F major, K. 459
  • No. 20 in D minor, K. 466
  • No. 21 in C major, K. 467
  • No. 23 in A major, K. 488
  • No. 24 in C minor, K.491
  • No. 27 in B-flat major, K. 595

FINAL

The participants of the final stage shall perform with the I. J. Paderewski Pomeranian Philharmonic Orchestra one of the following piano concertos:

  • Ignacy Jan Paderewski – Concerto in A minor, Op. 17
  • Ignacy Jan Paderewski – Polish Fantasy, Op. 19
  • Ludwig van Beethoven – Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37
  • Ludwig van Beethoven – Concerto No. 4 in G minor, Op. 58
  • Ludwig van Beethoven – Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73
  • Fryderyk Chopin – Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11
  • Fryderyk Chopin – Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21
  • Robert Schumann – Concerto in A minor, Op. 54
  • Franz Liszt – Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major
  • Franz Liszt – Concerto No. 2 in A major
  • Johannes Brahms – Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15
  • Karol Szymanowski – Symphonie concertante No. 4, Op. 60

Competition Partners

Competition Sponsors

Co-Financing of the Competition

The competition is co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage from the Fund for the Promotion of Culture – a state special purpose fund, as part of the „Music” program implemented by the National Institute of Music and Dance, and by the City of Bydgoszcz.
Partner of the International Paderewski Piano Competition  – Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region.