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
Künstlerische Leitung
Meret Forster grew up in Munich and took intensive piano tuition with Begoña Uriarte while still at school. She then took musicology, modern German literature and comparative studies in Tübingen, Amsterdam and Berlin, writing her thesis on Ernst Krenek and Karl Kraus. During her student years, Meret Forster worked for a number of German broadcasters and print media and is a founder member of the “Akademie Musiktheater heute” (musical theatre academy of today).
She has worked freelance for Bavarian Radio since 2001 and has covered the ARD Music Competition as a reporter, including one year when she was assistant to the jury. In 2004 she moved to the Halle/Leipzig.
In 2008 Meret Forster returned as a music editor to BR and has been Head of Department with BR-KLASSIK since 2011.
Elisabeth Kozik
Organisatorische Leitung
Elisabeth Kozik, originally from Poland, studied Romance languages and attended a music college in Katowice. From 1990 to 2001, she taught languages (French, Spanish and Polish) and worked in the artistic office of the Munich Chamber Orchestra. In September 2001, she took up employment with the ARD International Music Competition.
She assumed the managing direction of the ARD International Music Competition in 2009. Since 2018 she has been a board member of the World Federation of the International Music Competition, and since 2021 its vice-president.
Anja Krainz
Projektleitung
Anja Krainz has joined the headquarter of the ARD International Music Competition as Project Manager in February 2014. She began classical vocal training with Roswitha Rieger in 1997, then went on to study Dramatics and Musicology as well as Modern German Literature at Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich. There she subsequently studied Psychology and Educational Sciences.
Thanks to twelve years of experience in the fields of organization, coordinating and executing artist support services during the implemental phases of the ARD Music Competition, she is superbly well prepared for her work at the head office.
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
Prof. Martin Maria Krüger, Honorary President 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
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