2024 International Bassoon Orchestral Excerpts Competition

VISION

In 2024, the International Bassoon Meetup Board and Hosts founded the International Bassoon Orchestral Excerpts Competition. The competition aims to provide an opportunity for professional-level bassoonists to compete in simulated professional orchestral auditions. Participants will have the opportunity to record orchestral excerpts and have them critiqued by prominent bassoonists from across the world. An important component of this competition is the chance to receive feedback on your performances so that you can refine your skills as players. Utilizing YouTube, the event is an easily accessible no-cost platform available to all. The competition serves as an incentive to pursue excellence in the highly competitive world of orchestral auditions. 

ELIGIBILITY

Ages 18-30 as of December 31, 2024

The age of competition participants must be within the range of 18-30 on December 31, 2024. Applicants must be advanced-level bassoonists working and/or studying.

REGISTRATION

Registration is free. Potential participants are required to submit the application for the 2024 International Bassoon Orchestral Excerpts Competition using Google Forms.

COMPETITION DATES

The Repertoire will be announced on September 1, 2024, and applications (via Google Forms) will open on the same day. The 2024 International Bassoon Orchestral Excerpts Competition consists of the three following rounds: 

1.    1st Round: (one-page Artistic CV) Submission Deadline: November 1, 2024

Please submit a one-page Resume (PDF) in English via Google Form between September 1, 2024, and November 1, 2024. (We will not accept your CV before September 1, 2024).

2.    2nd Round: January 10, 2025

We will send participants who advance to the 2nd round our competition excerpts packet via email. We will share only the competition repertoire here on the website.

3.    3rd Round: March 10, 2025

Virtual Ceremony: TBA

COMPETITION REPERTOIRE

Sep 1, 2024 officially announced! (EST)

2ND ROUND

Solo Repertoire:

1. Mozart: Bassoon Concerto in B-flat major, K. 191, the 1st movement with Cadenza (applicant’s choice)

Complete, with piano accompaniment, Bärenreiter Edition 

2. Weber: Bassoon Concert in F major, the 2nd movement with the original cadenza in Universal Edition

Complete, with piano accompaniment, Universal Edition

Orchestral Excerpts:

1. Bach: Orchestral Suite No.1 (17 – 41) 

2. Mozart: Overture to the Marriage of Figaro: bars 1-7, bars 101-123, bars 156-171, bars 214-236

3. Haydn: Symphony Nr. 85 “La Reine” II. Romanze E -F

4. Ottorino Respighi: Trittico Botticelliano, 2. L’Adorazione dei Magi. Bassoon 1, mm. 1- Reh. 14, first bar. 

5. Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade

II. Andantino bar 5 to A, 1 after, and Recit Moderato assai  L – M

6. Shostakovich: Symphony No.9

II: A + 4,

IV: Largo solo complete

V: Allegretto (opening to measure.27)

7. Mozart: Symphony No. 41

I. bars 62-71 & 105-111                                                                                               

IV. bars 83-157

8. Ravel: Piano Concerto in G major

I.  9  – 10

III. five bars after 14- 16

3rd Round 

Solo Repertoire:

Saint-Saëns: Bassoon Sonata II mov. and III mov.

complete, with piano accompaniment, Durand or Schott Edition

Orchestral Excerpts:

1. Beethoven: Symphony No. 4

bars 15 -25, bars 184-189, bars 300-312, bars 347-355

2. Haydn: Symphony Nr. 90

IV. Finale, bars 8-19, bars 67-78, bars 215-228

3. Tchaikovsky Symphony: No. 4

II. Andantino in modo di canzona, bar 274-to the end (last 31 measures)

4. Strauss: Zarathustra

1 before 55 to 56

5. Shostakovich: Symphony No.7

I: 60 to 8 measures after 65

6. Ravel: Bolero

Rehearsal 2 to 3

7. Stravinsky: Firebird Berceuse

183 to 4 measures after 184, 186 to 187

8. Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring                                                                                          

Beginning to 1 measure after 3,12 to 4 measures after 12

9. Sibelius: Symphony No.5

I: 5 after J to 1 after L

10. Stravinsky: Pulcinella Suite

5. Toccata: 1 before 69 to 1 before 71

6. Gavotta: Variation 2a: complete, no repeats, 2nd ending

VERY IMPORTANT

• Videos must be in high resolution with high quality sound. 

• Please state your name and date before performing. 

• Please upload your video to YouTube and include the link with your application. Upload videos in the "Unlisted" mode so that only the judges are allowed to view them. 

• Recordings may not be cut or edited.  

• Please film with a fixed angle. Performers must be visible while performing.

• Video must be one-continuous performance with excerpts in the order of the list.

• The adjudicators’ decision will be final and no communication with the judging panel is permitted.

• Judges have the right to disqualify any individual for violation of the above rules.

• All cash prizes and donations will be directly distributed from sponsors to the winners.

• If a prize winner is unable to accept a prize, no cash equivalent will be offered to the prize winner. 

• Applicants can apply to both competitions. 

• Previous first prize winners are ineligible to compete again. 

For all questions or issues regarding registration, please contact us at the following address: bassoonmeetup@gmail.com

PRIZES & AWARDS

FIRST PRIZE - $5,000

Cash Prize Sponsors:

J. Püchner Spezial-Holzblasinstrumentebau GmbH, Gustav Mollenhauer & Söhne KG, Mollenhauer U.S.A., Tan’s Fagotteria 

Wilhelm Heckel New Bocal (1): Winner’s choice, but no trial

Prize Sponsor: Wilhelm Heckel GmbH

Reed Making Machine (1): Georg Rieger: winner’s choice , reed machine’s Profiler https://reedmachines.com/products/details/66/profiler

(The winner can select the brand and the machine. But, the 1st winner has priority to select first.)

Prize Sponsor: Georg Rieger GmbH & reed machines

Donati Reeds: 1kg of bassoon tube cane

Prize Sponsor: Donati Reeds

REEDIANO: Reed Case for 10 Reeds (1)

Prize Sponsor: REEDIANO

Bärenreiter-Verlag: Urtext edition of the Carl Stamitz Bassoon Concerto (1)

Prize Sponsor: Bärenreiter-Verlag

SEOND PRIZE - $2,500

Cash Prize Sponsors: Hodge Product, Inc., TrevCo-Varner Music, Jones Doubles Reeds, ReSound, W. Schreiber, Bocal Majority Woodwinds, Diego Zuo Bassoon Repair

Wilhelm Heckel New Bocal (1): Winner’s choice, but no trial

Prize Sponsor: Wilhelm Heckel GmbH

Reed Making Machine (1): Georg Rieger: winner’s choice , reed machine’s Profiler https://reedmachines.com/products/details/66/profiler

(The winner can select the brand and the machine. But, the 1st winner has priority to select first.)

Prize Sponsor: Georg Rieger GmbH & reed machines

Reed’s n Stuff: Reed-Making Set “Student” (1)

Prize Sponsor: Reed’s n Stuff

Legere Reeds: 6 Reeds

Prize Sponosr: Légère Reeds

REEDIANO: Reed Case for 10 Reeds (1)

Prize Sponsor: REEDIANO

Bärenreiter-Verlag: Urtext edition of the Carl Stamitz Bassoon Concerto (1)

Prize Sponsor: Bärenreiter-Verlag

THIRD PRIZE - $1,000

(Cash Prize Sponsors: Rudolf Walter u. Co , Guntram Wolf Holzblasinstrumente GmbH, KRONWALT)

Kunibert Michel: Dial Indicator/Messe Uhren (1)

Prize Sponsor: Kuniber Michel

Gebrüder Mönnig: 3-D adjustable handrest brand SPIRI (1)

Prize Sponsor: Gebrüder Mönnig & Frank & Meyer Meisterhafte Holzblasinstrumente

Bondcane London: $500 Cane

Prize Sponsor: Bondcane London

REEDIANO: Reed Case for 10 Reeds (1)

Prize Sponsor: REEDIANO

MusEcho’s Special Reed-Making Kit (1)

Prize Sponsor: MusEcho

Bärenreiter-Verlag: Urtext edition of the Carl Stamitz Bassoon Concerto (1)

Prize Sponsor: Bärenreiter-Verlag