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Cover image of Mediterranean International Conducting Competition 2026

Mediterranean International Conducting Competition 2026

Logo of Associazione Arturo Toscanini

competition

Mediterranean International Conducting Competition 2026

format

In-person

Online

instruments

Conductor

application deadline

September 20, 2026 11:51 (Rome)

event dates

November 9 - November 15, 2026

Location

Auditorium Madonna della Rosa - Molfetta (BA), Teatro Garibaldi - Bisceglie

Molfetta & Bisceglie, Italy

contact details

email: [email protected]

phone: 🇮🇹 +39 388 348 9303

Mediterranean International Conducting Competition 2026

MEDITERRANEAN INTERNATIONAL CONDUCTING COMPETITION 2026
 First edition dedicated to the memory of M° Mariano Patti
November 9-15, 2026
Molfetta & Bisceglie (Puglia, Italy)
 
The Mediterranean International Conducting Competition 2026, an international orchestral conducting competition, is organized by the Associazione Musicale Arturo Toscanini of Taranto, in collaboration with the Fondazione Orchestra Sinfonica Federiciana, under the patronage of the Presidente del Consiglio Regionale della Puglia and the Città di Bisceglie.

The first edition of the competition will take place in Puglia, between the cities of Molfetta and Bisceglie, from 9 to 15 November 2026, and is dedicated to Maestro Mariano Patti, esteemed conductor and pedagogue who devoted his life to the promotion of musical culture and the education of younger generations of musicians.

The competition aims to promote talented young conductors from all over the world, offering concrete professional opportunities while fostering international artistic exchange.

Jury President - Marco Guidarini (Italy)
Artistic Director - Mariano Panìco (Italy)


...

ELIGIBILITY
The competition is open to conductors of all nationalities aged between 18 and 38 years old as of 9 November 2026.
COMPETITION STRUCTURE
The competition will consist of the following stages:
  • Video Preliminary Round: from 4 June 2026 to 20 September 2026;
  • Eliminatory Round: from 9 to 13 November 2026;
  • Semi-final Round: 14 November 2026;
  • Final Round: 15 November 2026.
The eliminatory rounds and semi-final will take place at the Auditorium Madonna della Rosa in Molfetta (BA), Italy.
The final round, open to the public, will be held at Teatro Garibaldi in Bisceglie.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
To participate in the preliminary round, candidates must submit:
  • a YouTube link containing a front-view video of the candidate conducting;
  • minimum video duration: 12 minutes;
  • maximum video duration: 30 minutes;
  • the video must feature the candidate conducting an ensemble composed of at least 8 instruments;
  • videos from concerts, performances or rehearsals will be accepted;
  • edited videos, partial rehearsals or montage recordings will not be accepted;
  • updated artistic résumé/CV;
  • artistic headshot photograph;
  • copy of a valid identity document or passport;
  • proof of payment of the application fee of €90.00.
The preliminary application fee must be paid by all candidates upon submission of the application.
REHEARSAL TIMES AND COMPETITION PROCEDURES
During the first round, each candidate will have 12 minutes of podium time with orchestra.
During the semi-final round, each candidate will have 20 minutes of podium time.
The final round will take place as a public concert. On the morning of the final, each finalist will be granted 40 minutes of rehearsal time with orchestra, while the final concert will take place in the evening at Teatro Garibaldi in Bisceglie.
The jury reserves the right to interrupt candidates at any point during the competition.
All decisions made by the Jury are final and non-appealable.
Candidates admitted to the final round will be informed of their assigned symphony at the conclusion of the semi-final round.
The winner of the competition will be announced following the final concert.
REPERTOIRE
ELIMINATORY ROUND
  • Edward Elgar – Serenade for Strings in E minor op. 20 (Breitkopf & Härtel edition);
  • Edvard Grieg – Holberg Suite (Peters edition).
SEMI-FINAL
  • Igor Stravinsky – Histoire du soldat (Chester Music edition).
FINAL
  • Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony No. 5 (Bärenreiter edition);
  • Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony No. 7 (Bärenreiter edition);
  • Felix Mendelssohn – Symphony No. 4 (Breitkopf & Härtel edition);
  • Franz Schubert – Symphony No. 4 (Breitkopf & Härtel edition).
JURY
Marco Guidarini – Italy
President of the Jury
Sara Allegretta – Italy
Artistic Director of the Fondazione Orchestra Sinfonica Federiciana
Facundo Agudin – Swiss-Argentine
Founder, Artistic and Music Director of Musique des Lumières
Music Director with Basler Gesangverein
Music Director with National Radio TV Orchestra of Albania
Savitri de Rochefort – France
Artistic Director of the Ensemble Zoroastre
Ayyub Guliyev – Azerbaijan
Principal Conductor of the Azerbaijan State Opera and Ballet Theatre
Chief Conductor of the Azerbaijan State Chamber Orchestra
Associate Professor at the Baku Music Academy
Pavel Ionescu – Ambrosie – Romania
Artistic Director of the Syrinx Concert Association
Kalle Kanttila – Finland
Founder & CEO of Kanttila Management
Christian Knapp – United States
Conductor of the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg
Andrea Sanguineti –  Italy-Germany
Music Director of the Aalto-Musiktheater Essen
Music Director of the Essen Philharmonic Orchestra
Jan Miłosz Zarzycki – Poland
Managing and Artistic Director of the Witold Lutosławski Chamber Philharmonic in Łomża
Professor at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw
PRIZES
  • A concert with the Fondazione Orchestra Sinfonica Federiciana during the 2027/2028 season;
  • A concert with the Filarmonica”Mihail Jora” in Bacău during the 2027–2028 season;
  • A concert with the Azerbaijan State Chamber Orchestra during the 2027/2028 season;
  • Artistic representation within Kanttila Management;
  • A concert with the Łomża Chamber Philharmonic during the 2027/2028 symphonic season;
  • Two professional collaboration opportunities, as Conductor or Assistant to Maestro Christian Knapp, within operatic and/or symphonic productions conducted by him during the 2028/2029 artistic seasons;
  • Two professional engagements, either as Conductor or as Assistant to Maestro Andrea Sanguineti, in one of his future opera or symphonic productions scheduled for the 2027/2028 or 2028/2029 seasons;
  • A concert with the Ensemble Zoroastre (France) during the 2027–2028 season.
SPECIAL PRIZE
  • €500.00, together with a plaque, offered by the family of Maestro Mariano Patti;
  • Opportunity to collaborate as Assistant Conductor in an opera/symphonic production led by Maestro Marco Guidarini;
  • Possibility of benefiting from personal mentorship. Juror Facundo Agudin will introduce the laureate to the Artistic Directors of the RTSH Albania National Radio TV Orchestra, the National Opera of Tirana, the National Symphony Orchestra of Argentina, and the Orchestre Musique des Lumières in Switzerland.
The prizes and special prizes shall be awarded, at the sole and final discretion of the Jury, to the First Prize Winner, the Second Prize Winner, and the Third Prize Winner.
The Jury reserves the right, at its sole discretion, not to award one or more prizes.
The vote of the Jury President shall carry double weight compared to that of each other member of the Jury.
VIDEO RECORDINGS
During the eliminatory round, semi-final and final rounds, the organization will provide the opportunity for professional front-view video recordings of the candidates through its own professional videographer.
Technical and organizational details regarding the recordings will be communicated exclusively to candidates admitted to the live eliminatory round.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
  • Applications open: 4 June 2026;
  • Application deadline: 20 September 2026.
For any further information or clarification, please contact: [email protected]