Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory of Music (Milan/Italy) - Prize "Alessandro Ferrero"

Prize "Alessandro Ferrero"

You will receive the 3,000 EUR as third prize in Category A (soloists on wind instruments) of the ‘Premio del Conservatorio’, the annual in-house competition organised by the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatoire in Milan. As the third-placed entrant, you will also give a concert as part of the Conservatoire’s in-house concert series, as well as in partner series outside the Conservatoire. Edda Ferrero has endowed the prize in memory of Alessandro Ferrero.

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 wind instrument as a soloist, for example the flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, French horn, tuba, euphonium or recorder.
• Age and year: People of all ages and from any year of study are welcome to take part.
• Nationality: Applicants of all nationalities are welcome to apply. The key requirement is that you are enrolled at the conservatoire.
• Your programme: You prepare a free-choice recital of 35 to 40 minutes. Concert transcriptions for solo instrument and orchestra that are not standard recital repertoire are not allowed.
• Past winners: You are not eligible to enter if you have already won first prize or the main prize in this category in a previous edition.

How to apply

Please register by 12 April using the online form. You will need your principal teacher’s consent to take part. The competition consists of three rounds: a preliminary round, a semi-final and a grand final between all the first-place winners. The preliminary round will be judged by a panel of teachers from the conservatoire. The final and the grand final will be judged by external music experts. The jury may decide not to award a prize if the standard is too low.

How realistic are your chances?

This competition has very strict eligibility criteria: only wind instrument soloists enrolled at this particular Milanese conservatoire are eligible to take part, so the field of entrants is small. A jury assesses a live concert, so your chances depend more on your performance than on your written application. If you play to a high standard and prepare a compelling 35 to 40-minute programme, this is a realistic goal. Please note, however, that the jury may decide not to award the prize if no one meets the required standard.