GENERAL INFORMATION

 

Soloist Competition

The International Competition for Kantele Soloists will be held in Turku, Finland from 3rd to 5th of May 2019 by Kantele Association. The competition is open to every kantele player regardless of nationality. There are several categories in the competition arranged according to the age and skill of the participants, and the repertoire. The organizers and the jury reserve the right to change the categories based on the number of participants or for any other reason.

 

KanteleKimara

In connection to the competition, there is also KanteleKimara event for children under the age of thirteen. In addition to being arranged to several classes according to their skill, the participants will receive written feedback from experts on the field, which will support their development. The participants will be evaluated according to their instrumental skill, repertoire and how well they perform. The evaluation and the feedback is meant to activate the musicians in order to develop their skills both at playing and at performing. The evaluation also aims to support the music instructors with their work, as well as help the children to grow as musicians. The participants will be arranged into levels of Musicants (Musikantit), Virtuosos (Taiturit) and Masters (Mestarit). The judges will award participants with honorary and monetary rewards. Some participants chosen by the judges will perform at a gala concert at the end of the competition.

 

By an initial estimate there will be two categories in the children’s event. Depending on the number of participants or for any other reasons the organiser and the judges may change the categories or combine them.

 

The genre of the music performed is free and the repertoire may last 10 minutes.

 

REGISTRATION

Participant may register for the competition through the electronic registration form on the Kantele Association’s homepage by the 31st of January 2019. The competition is to be sent via the registration form due by 28th of February 2019 and KanteleKimara event repertoire due by 31st of March 2019. Registration can be cancelled free of charge until 28th of February 2019. Late entries will not be accepted.

 

PARTICIPATION FEES

Participation fee for members of Kantele Association:

  • KanteleKimara 10 €
  • Youth Category 20 €
  • Open and Professional Categories 30 €

 

Participation fee for non-members:

  • KanteleKimara 50 €
  • Youth Category 60 €
  • Open and Professional Categories 70 €

 

You can join the Kantele Association at www.kantele.net/liity.

 

CATEGORIES AND TIME LIMITS FOR PERFORMANCES

  • KanteleKimara
    • Age limit: The participant is studying in a primary school during the school year 2018–2019 (ages 7 to 12) or is younger than that.
    • The division series:
      • aged 10 and below (4th grade and below)
      • aged 11 to 12 (5th and 6th grades)
    • The duration of the performance: maximum 10 minutes

 

  • Youth Category
    • Age limit: The participant is studying in a secondary school during the school year 2018–2019 (ages 13 to 15)
    • Mandatory piece, folk music: program shall include at least one own composition or arrangement by the participant, or at least one completely or mainly improvised piece
    • Mandatory piece, art music: program shall include at least one work composed to kantele (or to instruments from Baltic psaltery family)
    • Mandatory piece, other music: program shall include at least one own composition or arrangement by the participant, or at least one completely or mainly improvised piece
    • The duration of the performance: 10–15 minutes

 

  • Open Category
    • Age limit: No age limit
    • Other requirements: The participant is not studying and has not graduated from a vocational music school.
    • Mandatory piece, folk music: program shall include at least one own composition or arrangement by the participant, or at least one completely or mainly improvised piece
    • Mandatory piece, art music: program shall include at least one work composed to kantele (or to instruments from Baltic psaltery family)
    • Mandatory piece, other music: program shall include at least one own composition or arrangement by the participant, or at least one completely or mainly improvised piece
    • The duration of the performance: 15–20 minutes

 

  • Professional Category
    • Other requirements: Professional refers to a kantele player who is studying or has graduated from a vocational music school, or plays kantele professionally.
    • Mandatory piece, folk music: program shall include at least one own composition or arrangement by the participant, or at least one completely or mainly improvised piece
    • Mandatory piece, art music: program shall include at least one work composed at the earliest in 1989 to kantele (or to instruments from Baltic psaltery family)
    • Mandatory piece, other music: program shall include at least one own composition or arrangement by the participant, or at least one completely or mainly improvised piece
    • The duration of the performance: 20–25 minutes

 

If the birth year or the school grade is not announced in the registration form, the participant is presumed to be over the age of 15.

 

GENRES OF COMPETITION

There are no separate genres in the KanteleKimara event. For the other categories the genres are:

 

  1. Folk music

The repertoire may include different genres of folk music, own compositions and arrangements based on folk music, and improvisation.

 

  1. Art music

The repertoire may include different styles of art music, and/or arrangements.

 

  1. Other music

The repertoire may include experimental music, own compositions or arrangements, improvisation, rhythm music, jazz, etc.

 

REPERTOIRE

In all of the categories the participants will perform the repertoire that they have announced in advance. The duration of the performance should not exceed the time limit (including mandatory piece), and if it does the judges have the right to deduct points. One third of the participant’s repertoire is allowed to depart from the overall genre of their performance. For example, a participant performing art music may perform folk music or other music for one third of the overall duration of the repertoire. The judges will emphasise the importance of thorough knowledge and mastery of the music genre. The form for the repertoire must include precise information about the names of the pieces, the composers, the arrangers, the lyricists and the durations.

 

GENERAL RULES

There are no separate preliminaries and finals, which means that all the participants have only one performance in the competition. One person may take part in several categories. The participant may also sing as a part of their performance. The repertoire should highlight the kantele.

 

The participants should bring to the venue all the instruments and other equipment they need. If the participant will bring PA equipment they should mention it in connection with their registration. A piano chair and a low kantele table will be provided by the organisers.

 

THE PANEL AND THE PRIZES

There are many panels of judges in the competition. Each performing soloist will receive written feedback. The judges will award participants with both honorary and monetary prizes according to their judgement. They will also assemble the programme for the final gala concerts of the competition and KanteleKimara event.

 

TRAVELLING, ACCOMMODATION AND MEALS

The participants will cover all their own expenses.

 

ADJUSTING RULES

The board of Kantele Association or a committee authorised by the board reserves the right to make alterations or clarifications to the rules above.

Competition’s producer is Emma Kuntsi, phone number +358400343338 and email kilpailut@kantele.net