ABOUT THE
COMPETITION
For me, the
Thomas Quasthoff
ARD competition
was the springboard
for a wonderful
musical path.
1st Prize Singing, 1988
HISTORY
How it all began: It was in 1952 that it took place for the first time – the ARD International Music Competition, now one of the world’s biggest and most celebrated competitions of its kind. It was founded by the radio stations of the Federal Republic of (West) Germany, exists under the aegis of Bavarian Radio in Munich and takes place every year in September.
Many performing artists who are now world famous have seen an award at the ARD International Music Competition as a springboard for their future career: Jessye Norman, Francisco Araiza, Natalia Gutman, Christoph Eschenbach, Mitsuko Uchida, Thomas Quasthoff, Sol Gabetta, Yuri Bashmet, Christian Tetzlaff, Sharon Kam, Heinz Holliger, Peter Sadlo, Maurice André, Quatuor Ebène, to name but a few.
What is less well known is that the ARD International Music Competition had a forerunner. From 1947 to 1950, the radio station in Frankfurt staged a “Competition for Young Soloists” and its very first competition discovered two female voices that would soon belong to the international elite: Christa Ludwig and Erika Köth. Instrumental soloists included flautist Karl-Heinz Zöller and pianist Robert Alexander Bohnke. The newly founded ARD picked up the idea of an encounter of young musicians from all over the world and ran with it.
With its annually alternating vocal and instrumental categories, the ARD Music Competition has grown into a unique and highly appreciated international event. Not just singers, not just pianists, but all other instrumentalists acknowledge the competition as a platform on which to measure themselves against international rivals and appear in concert, whether as soloists or as chamber musicians
The competition can be followed on the spot or digitally via ARD Klassik live stream from the preliminary rounds through to the concerts featuring prizewinners
Prizewinners have the opportunity to perform in concert with eminent conductors and the Munich Chamber Orchestra, Munich Radio Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra of Bavarian Radio in the Herkulessaal venue in Munich. Prize money is enhanced with a variety of special prizes provided by sponsors. In addition, the Festival of Prizewinners takes place in Germany each year in May. A list of sponsors and impresarios is available here.
The award of commissions to male and female composers since 2001 has substantially raised the profile of contemporary music.
MANAGEMENT
Meret Forster
Artistic Director
Meret Forster has been editorial director at BR Klassik since 2011 and artistic director of the competition since 2016, for which she is responsible for overall management.
After intensive piano training with Begona Uriarte, she studied musicology, modern German literature and comparative literature in Tübingen, Amsterdam and Berlin, and wrote her doctoral thesis on Ernst Krenek and Karl Kraus.
She has worked as an author and journalist for several radio stations and print media, and is a founding member of the ‘Akademie Musiktheater heute’ (Academy of Music Theatre Today).
She accompanied the ARD International Music Competition as a freelance radio reporter, editor and jury assistant.
In 2004, she joined MDR in Halle/Leipzig as a music editor and producer before taking over an editorial position at BR Klassik in 2008.
Elisabeth Kozik
Organizational Management
Elisabeth Kozik has been the managing director of the competition since 2009.
After graduating from a music high school, she studied Romance languages with a focus on literature at the University of Silesia in Katowice.
From 1990 to 2001, she taught languages (French, Spanish, and Polish) and worked in the management of the Munich Chamber Orchestra. In September 2001, she joined the ARD International Music Competition.
She has been a member of the board of the World Federation of International Music Competitions since 2018 and its vice president since 2021.
Anja Krainz
Project Manager
Anja Krainz has been project manager of the ARD International Music Competition and project director of the ARD Prize Winners’ Festival since 2014.
In addition to vocal training with Roswitha Rieger, she studied sciences of theatre, musicology and modern German literature at Ludwig Maximilian University. She also completed studies in pedagogy/educational sciences and psychology.
Professional positions outside the cultural sector – including as executive assistant at Ernst & Young GmbH – expanded her expertise in strategic organisational management, stakeholder communication and efficient process control.
She has been closely associated with the ARD competition since 2001: initially working in coordination and artist support, she got to know the project from an operational perspective and developed a keen sense of the needs of artists.
In addition, she has been involved for many years with the Bavarian Industry Association’s educational programme, where she designs and supervises career orientation projects for young people.
Ben Alber
Manager Digital Formats
Benjamin Alber heads the ‘Classical Music Planning and Development’ editorial team at BR Klassik. After graduating with a degree in radio music journalism from the Karlsruhe University of Music, he initially worked as an author and presenter before focusing on expanding Bayerischer Rundfunk’s classical music offerings beyond radio. He was involved in the conception of a standalone website and strengthened the station’s presence on digital platforms and social media. Today, he oversees the strategic and digital direction of BR Klassik and works with his team to develop content for younger target groups and streaming users. As co-lead of the ARD Klassik team, he also coordinates joint offerings within ARD.
His work for the ARD International Music Competition focuses on expanding the stage for participants in the digital space and increasing the visibility of the competition through contemporary content, dramaturgy and platforms.
COMPETITION 2026
BASSOON
ORGAN
PERCUSSION
STRING QUARTET
COMPETITION 2027
FLUTE
VOCALS
PIANO TRIO
VIOLIN
COMPETITION 2028
HORN
PIANO
VIOLA
VIOLONCELLO
PATRONAGE, HONORARY COMMITTEE, MAIN COMMITTEE
HONORARY COMMITTEE
Markus Blume, Bavarian Minister of State for Science and the Arts
Brigitte Fassbaender, director/singer
Dr. Thomas Goppel, Honorary President of the Bavarian Music Council
Dr. Winrich Hopp, Artistic Director of “musica viva” of Bayerischer Rundfunk
Antje Valentin, Secretary General of the German Music Council
Prof. Dr. Norbert Lammert, former Federal President
Zubin Mehta, Conductor
Kent Nagano, Conductor
Sir Simon Rattle, Chief Conductor of the Bavarian Radio Choir and Symphony Orchestra
Dieter Reiter, Lord Mayor of the City of Munich
PATRONAGE
The directors of the ARD
Dr. Katja Wildermuth, Bayerischer Rundfunk
Florian Hager, Hessischer Rundfunk
Ralf Ludwig, Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk
Hendrik Lünenborg, Norddeutscher Rundfunk
Dr. Yvette Gerner, Radio Bremen
Ulrike Demmer, Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg
Martin Grasmück, Saarländischer Rundfunk
Prof. Dr. Kai Gniffke, Südwestrundfunk
Katrin Vernau, Westdeutscher Rundfunk
Peter Limbourg, Deutsche Welle
Stefan Raue, Deutschlandradio
MAIN COMMITTEE
Dr. Katja Wildermuth, Chairwoman
Director of Bayerischer Rundfunk, Munich
Prof. Lydia Grün
President of the University of Music and Performing Arts, Munich
Matthias Ilkenhans
Manager NDR Radiophilharmonie, Norddeutscher Rundfunk
Annette Josef
Head of Department MDR KLASSIK
Prof. Christoph Poppen
Conductor
Martin Roth
Head of the Music Department, Südwestrundfunk, Baden-Baden
Sonia Simmenauer
Concert organist
Tanja Tetzlaff
Cellist
Andrea Zschunke
Head of Program Group Music and
Radio Art at WDR3, Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Cologne
Prof. Dr. Stephan Frucht / Co-opted member
Siemens Arts Program
ORGANIZERS & COOPERATION PARTNERS
CONCERT COMMITMENTS
Winners may receive invitations
to concerts or recordings.
RUNDFUNKANSTALTEN
Winners receive invitations from the ARD broadcasting organizations to concerts or recordings under standard broadcasting terms and conditions.
AWARD WINNERS MAY BE INVITED TO PERFORM
AS SOLOISTS:
by the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
by the Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
by Münchner Rundfunkorchester
by hr-Sinfonieorchester
by MDR Sinfonieorchester
by NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester
by the NDR Radiophilharmonie
by DSO Berlin
by the Deutschen Radio Philharmonie
Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern
by SWR Symphonieorchester
by WDR Funkhausorchester
by WDR Sinfonieorchester
PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS INVITE
AWARD WINNERS TO PERFORM AS SOLOISTS AT CONCERTS:
Audi Sommerkonzerte
Auditorium du Louvre
Bayerisches Kammerorchester Bad Brückenau
Bell’Arte München
BOZAR MUSIC, Brüssel
Brunnthaler Konzerte
Burghofspiele Rheingau
Camerata Andechs
Central European Music Festival Žilina
Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Ciconia Consort – The Hague String Orchestra
Classix Kempten
Collegium Musicum Basel
Davos Festival
Euregio Musikfestival
Februari Festival Den Haag
Festival Classic Oberfinning
Festival der Nationen, Bad Wörishofen
Festival EuroArt Praha
Festival Internazionale di Musica da Camera di Cervo
Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Folkwang Kammerorchester Essen
Fondazione Ivan Bruschi Arezzo
Frankfurter Museums-Gesellschaft
Freunde der Musik Landshut
Frühlings-Festival „Spielende Insel“, Rügen
Gebrüder-Busch-Kreis
H. E. Steinway-Festival, Wolfshagen
Heidelberger Frühling
Hofer Symphoniker
Inselfestival Hombroich
InselKonzerte – Kammermusik
Auf Herrenchiemsee
International Festival of Young Music
Competition Laureates Katowice
Internationales Musikfestival Český Krumlov
Junges Podium Altrip
Juventudes musicales de España
Kaisersaalkonzerte Frankfurt/Main
Kammermusik-Festival Liesborner Konzerte
Kammermusik-Gemeinde Hannover
Kammermusikalische Vereinigung –
Städtischer Musikverein Trier
Kirchbergforum Hessen
Kissinger Sommer
Klavier-Festival Ruhr
Koninklijke Souvenir des Montagnards –
Kamermuziek Tilburg
Konzerte auf Henkellsfeld, Wiesbaden
Konzerte im Deutschen Elfenbeinmuseum Erbach
Konzerte im Schloss Illertissen
Konzertgesellschaft Wuppertal
KonzertGut Rittergut Lucklum
Kulturamt der Stadt Marl
Kulturdienst Weimar
Kulturverein Zorneding-Baldham
Kunstfreunde Bensheim
Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester
Leitheimer Schlosskonzerte
Lions Club Schwäbisch Gmünd
Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele
Meisterkonzerte im Alten Bahnhof Kettwig
Meistersolisten im Isartal, Icking
Meister von morgen, Herdecke
Mosel Musikfestival
Mozart-Gesellschaft Dortmund
Münchener Kammerorchester
Münchner Konzertdirektion Hörtnagel
Münchner Rundfunkorchester
Münchner Symphoniker
Musical Olympus International Festival of St. Petersburg
Musik und Sprache Hessenbrückenmühle
Musik & Theater Saar
Musikverein Bamberg
Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie
Nymphenburger Sommer
Öschberghof Klassik Donaueschingen
Osnabrücker Symphonieorchester
Philharmonie Merck, Darmstadt
Philharmonie Südwestfalen
Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg
Philharmonisches Orchester Kronstadt, Rumänien
Podium für junge Solisten Schloss Tegernsee
Rheingau Musik Festival
Salzburger Kulturvereinigung
Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival
Schleswig-Holsteinisches Landestheater und Sinfonieorchester
Schlosskonzerte Mannheim
Schlosstheater Fulda
Schwarzwald Musikfestival
Schweizer Musikfestwochen
Schwetzinger SWR Festspiele
Sendesaal Bremen
SPANNUNGEN: Musik im RWE-Kraftwerk Heimbach
Squire Artists
Steinway Prizewinners Concerts
Stiftung Mozarteum Salzburg
Südwestdeutsches Kammerorchester Pforzheim
Symphonieorchester „Wilde Gungl“ München
Theaterforum – Klassikforum Gauting
Ticino Musica, Locarno
Tiroler Festspiele Erl
Tonhalle Düsseldorf
Tonicale Musik & Event, München
Vaterstettener Rathauskonzerte
Weilburger Schlosskonzerte
Weingartner Musiktage Junger Künstler
Wetzlarer Kulturgemeinschaft
Wiener KammerOrchester
Winners & Masters/Kulturkreis Gasteig, München
Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen
Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn
Wurzer Sommerkonzerte
ZeughausKonzerte Neuss
CONTACT
ARD International Music Competition
c/o Bayerischer Rundfunk
Rundfunkplatz 1
80335 München
T +49 89 5900 42471
ard.musikwettbewerb@br.de
Meret Forster
Artistic Direction
Elisabeth Kozik
Managing Direction
Anja Krainz
Project Management