The German Lute Society (Deutsche Lautengesellschaft e.V.) is pleased to announce its
FIRST INTERNATIONAL LUTE COMPETITION
open to soloists who were born on or after January 1st, 1995. The five-member jury will be chaired by Nigel North. This competition, initiated & organized by Peter Croton, welcomes applicants playing the following double-strung instruments: Renaissance lute, Baroque lute, Vihuela, and Archlute (with double strings at least on the fingerboard). The competition will consist of two rounds: the first will be judged on the basis of video entries, and the second (the Finals) will be held ‘live’ in Weimar, Germany on May 23rd, 2025 as part of the German Lute Society Festival.
Jury: Nigel North (England) – chairman, Francesca Benetti (Italy), John Griffiths (Australia), Ciska Mertens (Netherlands), Simona Pociecha (Germany).
Prizes:
1st prize – € 1000 & a 30-minute recital at the German Lute Society Festival on May 24th, 2025.
2nd prize – € 750 & a 25-minute recital at the German Lute Society Festival on May 24th, 2025.
3rd prize – € 500 & a 20-minute recital at the German Lute Society Festival on May 24th, 2025.
In addition, each prize-winner will be featured in the German Lute Society Newsletter (Lauten-Info) and will receive gift certificates totalling € 500 from our co-sponsors for:
- Strings from AQUILA CORDE ARMONICHE SRL,
- Publications from THE FRENCH LUTE SOCIETY (Société Française de Luth),
- Publications from THE LUTE SOCIETY (UK),
- Publications from SEICENTO NOTENVERSAND & EDITION.
All finalists not awarded a prize will receive an Honorable Mention certificate.
All applicants will receive free digital membership to the GERMAN LUTE SOCIETY for 2025.
Application Procedure:
By FEBRUARY 15th, 2025, applicants must
- Send an email to <vorstand(at)lautengesellschaft.de> including the applicant’s home address and
mobile phone number, a link to the application video (see below), and a scanned copy of the
applicant’s ID showing their date of birth.
- Pay the application fee of € 50.- to the Deutsche Lautengesellschaft (Frankfurt am Main, Germany)
into the following bank account at the Sparkasse Markgräflerland, Weil am Rhein:
- IBAN: DE22 6835 1865 0007 1311 39
- SWIFT-BIC: SOLADES1MGL
First round – Video Entry:
Applicants must submit a video to be evaluated by the jury. Up to 9 applicants will be selected for the finals in Weimar. All applicants will be notified of the jury’s decision via email by March 15th, 2025. Although a professional recording is not required, the quality should reflect the applicant’s abilities as closely as possible. The video must adhere to these conditions:
- The length must be 15-20 minutes, with free choice of repertoire appropriate to the instrument(s).
- Audio and video must be recorded simultaneously.
- Each piece or movement must be unedited, filmed from only one angle, with no added artificial reverb.
- The player’s face and hands must be clearly visible.
- The video must be uploaded to YouTube, with a link provided in the application email (see above).
Final Round:
The final round will be held on May 23rd, 2025 as part of the German Lute Society Festival in Weimar. Each finalist will perform a 20-25 minute program of their choice on one or more of the above-mentioned instruments. These performances will be open to the public.
Prize-Winners’ Concerts:
The prize-winners will perform on May 24th, 2025, as part of the festival. The jury’s decisions are final and may not be contested. Personal feedback may however be requested.
Note: Finalists are responsible for their own expenses incurred in attending this competition.