The repertoire

Important :

  • The Competition is divided into four (4) rounds: preliminary, semifinal, special J. S. Bach round and final. A candidate may not perform the same work in two different rounds, except in the case of the work by J. S. Bach performed in the preliminary round: the candidate will have the opportunity to perform this work again in the special J. S. Bach round.
  • We ask candidates to focus their attention on the composition and balance of their program, as this should highlight their artistic and technical merits as well as present works of different periods or esthetics.
  • The Competition Committee will review the repertoire submitted by each candidate for all rounds to ensure that the works meet the requirements of the Competition.
    PLEASE NOTE: For the preliminary round, each applicant must send their repertoire to [email protected] for approval by May 1, 2022. Please allow 3 to 4 business days for a response from the Competition Committee. (Please use the template provided under the REGISTRATION tab of the website).
  • Please note that the quality of the video recording may influence the jury’s decision. For the recording to be of the highest possible quality, we recommend that it be prepared with the best human and technical resources available. No recording with orchestra accompaniment will be accepted.

AGE OF ELIGIBILITY

  • VIOLIN : 16 to 25 years old as of November 12, 2023
  • VIOLA : 16 to 25 years old as of November 12, 2023
  • CELLO : 16 to 25 years old as of November 12, 2023
  • DOUBLE BASS : 16 to 30 years old as of November 12, 2023

VIOLIN

Preliminary

  1. J. S. Bach, one of the following:
    • Adagio or Grave, and Fugue from a sonata for solo violin
    • Two contrasting movements from a Partita (if movements are from the Partitia in B minor, the accompanying “Doubles” must be included)
    • The Chaconne from the Partita in D minor.
  2. Paganini: one Caprice of the contestant’s choice. No substitution allowed.
  3. The first movement of a classical concerto (Mozart, Beethoven or Haydn [No 1 in C major]) different than the one selected for the finals. No substitution allowed.

Semifinal (minimum 30 minutes / maximum 45 minutes)

  1. A sonata of the contestant’s choosing by one of these composers: Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy, Fauré, Franck, Janáček, Mozart, Prokofiev, Schubert, Schumann, R. Strauss, Ravel, or Walton.
  2. A work of the candidate’s choice contrasting in style and period with the sonata selected in point 1 of the semifinals. Sonatas are not permitted, with the exception of Ysaÿe’s sonatas for solo violin.
  3. A compulsory Canadian work (6 to 7 minutes). Will be announced in June 2023

Special J. S. Bach round (minimum 20 minutes / maximum 30 minutes)

  1. A work by J. S. Bach
  2. A work inspired by the aesthetics of J. S. Bach

Candidates selected for the semifinal round will be ask to provide a short text explaining the composition of their program for this round.

Final

A concerto or an orchestral piece from the following list:

  • Barber
  • Bartók (No. 1 or No. 2)
  • Beethoven
  • Brahms
  • Bruch (No. 1, No. 2 or Scottish Fantasy)
  • Dvořák
  • Elgar
  • Glazunov
  • Khachaturian
  • Korngold
  • Lalo (F major or Symphonie espagnole)
  • Mendelssohn (E minor, opus 64)
  • Paganini (No. 1 in D major)
  • Prokofiev (No. 1 or No. 2)
  • Saint-Saëns (No. 2 ou No. 3)
  • Sibelius
  • Shostakovich (No. 1 or No. 2)
  • Stravinsky
  • Tchaikovsky
  • Vieuxtemps (opus 31 or 37)
  • Wieniawski (No. 1 or No. 2)

VIOLA

Preliminary

  1. J. S. Bach: Two contrasting movements from a suite or a partita, Adagio and Fugue from a sonata for solo viola or Chaconne.
  2. A movement from a solo suite, concert study (Étude de concert) or caprice (19th or 20th century).
  3. A first movement from a classical concerto different than the one being played in the Final round.

Semifinal (minimum 30 minutes / maximum 45 minutes)

  1. One of the following works:
  • Arnold Bax: Sonata for viola and piano, GP 251
  • Brahms: Sonata Opus 120, No. 1 or No. 2 (arr. for viola and piano)
  • Bruch: Romance
  • Enescu: Concert piece (Concerstück)
  • Reger: Sonatas for clarinet/viola and piano, No. 1 or 2, Opus 49 or Sonata for viola and piano, Opus 107
  • Schubert: Sonata in A minor, D. 821 « Arpeggione »
  • Schumann: Märchenbilder
  • Rebecca Clarke: Viola Sonata
  • Or the equivalen
  1. One of the following works:
      • Arnold Bax: Sonata for viola and piano, GP 251
      • Brahms: Sonata Opus 120, No. 1 or No. 2 (arr. for viola and piano)
      • Bruch: Romance
      • Enescu: Concert piece (Concerstück)
      • Reger: Sonatas for clarinet/viola and piano, No. 1 or 2, Opus. 49 or Sonata for viola and piano, Opus 107
      • Schubert: Sonata in A minor, D. 821 « Arpeggione »
      • Schumann: Märchenbilder
      • Rebecca Clarke: Viola Sonata
      • Or the equivalent
  1. A work of the candidate’s choice contrasting in style and period with the one selected in point 1 of the semifinals. A sonata is not permitted in point 2 if the candidate presented a sonata in point 1.
  2. A compulsory Canadian work (6 to 7 minutes). Will be announced in June 2023

Special J. S. Bach round (minimum 20 minutes / maximum 30 minutes)

  1. A work by J. S. Bach
  2. A work inspired by the aesthetics of J. S. Bach

Candidates selected for the semifinal round will be ask to provide a short text explaining the composition of their program for this round.

Final

A concerto or an orchestral work from the following list :

  • Bartók
  • Bloch: Suite for viola and orchestra (1919)
  • Hindemith (Der Schwanendreher)
  • Hoffmeister
  • Rozsa
  • Schnittke
  • Walton

CELLO

Preliminary

  1. J. S. Bach: two contrasting movements from a solo suite.
  2. A concert study (Étude de concert) or a virtuoso solo work (19th or 20th century)
  3. The first movement from a classical concerto, different than the one performed in the final round.

Semifinal (minimum 30 minutes / maximum 45 minutes)

  1. A 20th century sonata from one of the following composers: Shostakovich, Britten, Barber, Prokofiev, Poulenc, Debussy or equivalent.
  2. One work of the candidate’s choosing (19th century), other than a sonata.
  3. A compulsory Canadian work (6 to 7 minutes). Will be announced in June 2023

Special J. S. Bach round (minimum 20 minutes / maximum 30 minutes)

  1. A work by J. S. Bach
  2. A work inspired by the aesthetics of J. S. Bach

Candidates selected for the semifinal round will be ask to provide a short text explaining the composition of their program for this round.

Final

A concerto from the following list:

  • Dvořák
  • Elgar
  • Haydn (No. 1 in D major or No. 2 in C major)
  • Lalo
  • Prokofiev (Symphonie concertante, Opus 125)
  • Saint-Saëns
  • Shostakovitch (No. 1 in E flat major)
  • Schumann
  • Tchaikovsky (Variations on a Rococo Theme)
  • Walton

DOUBLE BASS

Preliminary

  1. J. S. Bach: two contrasting movements from a solo suite.
  2. Bottesini: any piece for double bass et piano (except for Concerto No.1 in F-sharp minor, Concerto No. 2 in B minor or Allegro di Concerto « alla Mendelssohn »)
  3. The first movement from one of the following concertos, different than the one performed in the final round.
  • Vanhal : Concerto (cadenza by Heinz Karl Gruber)
  • Hoffmeister : Concerto
  • Sperger : Concerto No.15, Sonata in B minor (T36) or Sonata in D major (T40)

Semifinal (minimum 30 minutes / maximum 45 minutes)

  1. One of the following works:
  • Glière : Four pieces
  • Hindemith : Sonata
  • Mišek: Sonata No. 2 ni E minor or Sonata No. 3 in F minor
  • Montag Vilmos: Sonata in E minor
  • Or the equivalent
  1. A work of the candidate’s choice contrasting in style and period with the one selected in item 1 of the semifinals. A sonata is not permitted in item 2 if the candidate presented a sonata in item 1.
  2. A compulsory Canadian work (6 to 7 minutes). Will be announced in June 2023

Special J. S. Bach round (minimum 20 minutes / maximum 30 minutes)

  1. A work by J. S. Bach
  2. A work inspired by the aesthetics of J. S. Bach

Candidates selected for the semifinal round will be ask to provide a short text explaining the composition of their program for this round.

Final

A concerto from the following list:

  • Bottesini (Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor or No. 2 in B minor)
  • Dittersdorf (Concerto in E major, cadenza by Heinz Karl Gruber)
  • Koussevitzky (Concerto in F-sharp minor)
  • Martin (Concerto No. 1)
  • Proto (Carmen Fantasy)
  • Rota (Divertimento Concertante)
  • Sperger (Concerto No. 15)
  • Vanhal (Concerto in D major, cadenza by Heinz Karl Gruber)