Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory of Music (Milan/Italy) - Vincenzo Valenti Award

Vincenzo Valenti Award

You win 1,500 EUR as the third prize in Category C of the Premio del Conservatorio, the in-house annual music competition of the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory of Music in Milan. Category C is for string and plucked-instrument soloists: harp, guitar, double bass, lute, mandolin, viola, violin, cello and viola da gamba. On top of the money, third-prize winners perform in one concert in a series run by or with the Conservatory. The prize is named after its donor, Vincenzo Valenti.

Who can apply

• Where you study: You are enrolled at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatoire in Milan for the current academic year.
• Instrument: You play a stringed or plucked instrument as a soloist (harp, guitar, double bass, lute, mandolin, viola, violin, cello or viola da gamba).
• Age and year: Participants of all ages and from all years of study are welcome.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply.
• Programme: You are to put together a solo programme of your own choosing, lasting between 35 and 40 minutes.
• Past winners: You are not eligible to take part if you have already won first prize in this category or were the overall winner in a previous edition.

How to apply

Register through the online form by 10 April. Your reference teacher must authorise your entry. The competition runs in three stages: a first round judged by the Conservatory's own teachers, a final round judged by outside professional musicians, and an overall final for the category winners.

How realistic are your chances?

This prize is narrow: you must already study at this one Milan conservatory and play in a single instrument category, so the field is small. The real challenge is the level, not the number of rivals. You perform a full recital before a professional jury, and only third place carries this award. A strong, well-prepared programme is what decides it.