18. 12. 2024

A record number of participants have entered the Prague Spring 2025 competition

In the two-discipline competition, which will take place from 6 to 14 May 2025, 254 oboists and 203 cellists from 47 countries will compete, including non-traditional destinations such as Azerbaijan, Iran, Lebanon, Mexico and San Marino. This is the highest participation since 1998 when the competition started to include two disciplines.The largest number of participants will come from the Republic of Korea. From the Czech Republic, 23 young artists have entered the competition: 8 in oboe and 15 in cello.

“The oboe and cello have a very special position in the history of the Prague Spring Competition. Among the winners we can find not only great personalities of Czech, but also world music. I will mention, for example, Mstislav Rostropovich, Maurice Bourgue, Natalia Gutman, Michal Kaňka, Josef Chuchro, Liběna Séquardtová and recent winners Johannes Grosso, Martin Daněk and Victor Julien-Laferrière. I am glad that the interest in the Prague Spring competition has once again confirmed its importance and position in the world competition,” says Pavel Trojan, the director of the Prague Spring.

The competition will again have three rounds, with the final rounds taking place on 13 and 14 May in the Dvořák Hall of the Rudolfinum, accompanied by the Prague Philharmonia and the Prague Symphony Orchestra. As usual, they will be streamed live on the YouTube channel of the Prague Spring Festival. The jury of the Oboe Competition will include its chairwoman Nancy Ambrose King (USA), as well as Clara Dent-Bogányi (Germany), Johannes Grosso (France), Jan Souček (Czech Republic), Fabien Thouand (France) and Vilém Veverka (Czech Republic). The cello section will be judged by Natalie Clein (UK), Marc Coppey (France), Tomáš Jamník (Czech Republic), Michal Kaňka (Czech Republic), Maria Kliegel (Germany). This jury will be led by Raphael Wallfish (UK). Jan Klusák (piece for solo oboe “Just for myself on oboe”) and Pavel Zemek-Novák (piece for solo cello “Frammenti e Canto”) have been approached as authors of the competition piece commissioned by Prague Spring International Music Competition for 2025.