Pro Bohemia 2024 - Terms and conditions
Pro Bohemia Ostrava 2024– 22nd International Competition for harpsichord, brass instruments, organ, recorder and vocal.
Terms and Conditions:
The competition will be held from 4th – 7th April 2024 at Janáček Conservatory in Ostrava.
It will be hosted and administered by the state-funded Janáček Conservatory in Ostrava.
The competition will be held in the following disciplines: harpsichord, brass instruments, organ, recorder and voice.
The competition is one-round in each of the disciplines and categories.
The age of a participant enrolled in a given category cannot, on the first day of the competition, exceed the upper age limit of the category.
Competitors who belong to a lower age category may also participate in a higher age category.
Competitors who belong to a higher age category may not participate in a lower age category.
Competitors are allowed to apply for only one category of particular instrument.
How to Apply
Application form
The electronic application form will be available since 1st November 2023 (at 8 a.m.) online. Completed electronic application forms should be submitted by 31 January 2024 (at 12 a.m.) at the latest. All fields of the application form must be completed.
The confirmation that your application was accepted will be acknowledged within 5 days
by e-mail: probohemia@jsme.jko.cz. (If you do not receive the confirmation within five days, please contact us and check whether your application was delivered).
Attention – the first information delivered from info@jko.cz is not the confirmation that your application was accepted but it is only the announcement that a new application was created.
The organizers reserve the right to reject applications if the competition is oversubscribed.
The number of contestants is limited in the category of harpsichord, organ and recorder (see conditions for each category).
Compulsory attachments
Birth certificate or any other official document showing the participant’s date of birth (insurance card, student card, student certificate, identity card, copy of birth certificate, passport etc.). Harpsichord players will be divided into categories according to the school year (see conditions). In this case we demand school certificate including this information in particular school year.
Copy of the receipt confirming payment of the competition fee.
These documents can be sent as an attachment to the application online or via email probohemia@jsme.jko.cz
All demanded information is treated according to General Data Protection Regulation.
Demanded attachments have to be received up to 31st January 2024.
No attachments will be returned.
If any formal deficiency in the application form and/or the attachments occurs, the application will be rejected by the organizers.
Competition Fee
0 category: CZK 800,-
1st category: CZK 800,-
2nd category: CZK 1000,-
3rd category: CZK 1200,-
4th category: CZK 1200,-
Participants from the Czech Republic are requested to pay the competition fee by bank transfer:
Československá obchodní banka, a.s.
Name of the account: Janáčkova konzervatoř v Ostravě, příspěvková organizace
Account number: 373548933/0300
Variable symbol: 424 and the date of birth in demanded form (ddmmyy– just 6 numbers)
(e.g. – date of birth 1st June 2009 = variable symbol 010609)
Competition fee must be paid until enrolment deadline, i.e. 31st January 2024.
Please, state the name of a competitor in the message for the payee.
Competition fees cannot be refunded.
Competition Fee - Participants outside the Czech Republic
0 category: 35 EUR
1st category: 35 EUR
2nd category: 43 EUR
3rd category: 52 EUR
4th category: 52 EUR
Participants outside the Czech Republic are requested to pay the competition fee by bank transfer:
Name of the account: Janáčkova konzervatoř
IBAN: CZ14 0300 0000 0003 0227 1527
BIC/SWIFT
CEKOCZPP
Currency: EUR
Variable symbol: 424 and the date of birth in demanded form (ddmmyy– just 6 numbers)
(e.g. – date of birth 1st June 2009 = variable symbol 010609)
Competition fee must be paid until enrolment deadline, i.e. 31st January 2024.
Please, state the name of a competitor in the message for the payee.
Competition fees cannot be refunded.
All travel and accommodation expenses are the responsibility of the participants themselves.
Harpsichord
Category Age of contestant/education conditions Time limit
1st category: 12 – 15 years 7 – 9 min.
(second grade at elementary music school,
1st-4th grade at music grammar schools)
2nd category 15 – 17 years old or older with attached certification 12 – 14 min.
proving the contestants level of musical education suitable
for this category:
■ 1st-2nd year of study in secondary level (high school
specialized in music education)
Age limit: 24 years.
3rd category 17 – 19 years old or older with attached 15 – 20 min.
certification to application proving the contestants
level of musical education suitable for this category:
■ 3rd – 4th year of study in secondary level (high school
specialized in music education)
Age limit: 24 years.
4th category 19 – 21 years old or older with attached up to 25 min.
certification to application proving the contestants
level of musical education suitable for this category:
■ 1st year of tertiary level of music education (University, Academy, Conservatory in tertiary system)
Age limit: 24 years.
Competition repertoire:
1st category: a) at least 1 piece by an author of Czech origin from the 18th century
b) 1 or more pieces from the Baroque period
2nd category: a) at least 1 piece by an author of Czech origin from the 18th century
b) 1 piece by Johann Sebastian Bach
c) 1 or more pieces from the 17th century
3rd category: a) at least 1 piece by an author of Czech origin from the 18th century
b) 1 piece by Johann Sebastian Bach
c) 1 piece in French style of the 17th or 18th century
d) 1 or more stylistically contrasting pieces (Italian style of the 17th century, English music for virginal, 20th century or contemporary piece)
4th category: a) at least 1 piece by an author of Czech origin from the 18th century
b) 1 piece by Johann Sebastian Bach
c) Empfindsammer Stil piece (Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach)
or
Composition for harpsichord by Bohuslav Martinů
Playing with repeats is not complusory.
Examples of repertoire (PDF)
Playing by hearth is NOT compulsory. There is a time limit in all categories. The repertoire can be supplemented with piece(s) of your choice until the time limit. These pieces must be played after the obligatory choice of repertoire shown in specified category.
Competitors can play (due to the time limit) entire compositions or only selected parts (for example, one movement from a sonata, one part of a suite), but this cannot be applied to preludes and fugues.
The time limit has to be kept in all categories.
Due to time constraints, there is a limit of max 15 competitors per category. The candidates will be chosen according to the application date. If there are less applicants for any of the categories, the organizer can increase the number of accepted contestants in other category.
Acceptance or non-acceptance of the application will be sent to the e-mail stated in the application form.
Contact: Jiří Havrlant, email: jirka.havrlant@seznam.cz ; tel.: +420 731 371 376
Brass instruments:
Brass instruments category includes playing the French horn, trumpet, trombone, tenor/baritone/key trombone, tuba. Each instrument will be evaluated separately i.e. competitors playing the same instrument.
Categories / Time Limits:
1st category: 12 years max. 3 – 5 min.
2nd category: 15 years max. 6 – 9 min.
3rd category: 18 years max. 10 – 12 min.
4th category: 21 years max. 13 – 15 min.
The repertoire must include one composition by a Czech composer taking up at least one third of the total performance duration. This composition has to be played at the beginning of each performance.
The repertoire for the remaining time is optional.
In 1st category only one composition by a Czech composer is compulsory within the time limit.
Transcription is acceptable. It is not obligatory to perform music from memory. The time limit has to be kept in all categories.
The organizer does not provide piano accompaniment. The contestant will perform together with his own pianist who is responsible for all his travel and stay expenses.
Organ
The competition in the 2nd category is primarily for basic level of music schools, the 3rd and 4th category is for students of secondary art schools.
Categories / Time Limit
2nd category: 16 years old max. 10 – 15 minutes
3rd category: 19 years old max. 16 – 20 minutes
4th category: 22 years old max. 21 – 25 minutes
Competition repertoire
The repertoire for the 2nd category must include one obligatory piece and other optional compositions in the remaining time.
Competition repertoire for 3rd and 4th the category must include one obligatory piece, one composition in the form of a trio, and other optional compositions in the remaining time.
Obligatory compositions
2nd category: František Xaver Brixi: Seykorka (from the collection Jewels of Organ Music of
Old Czech Masters), Artthon publishers / just the first repetition
3rd category: Antonín Dvořák – Fugue g minor from B 302, Bärenreiter publishers
4th category: Leoš Janáček – Overture (Three compositions for organ), Český rozhlas 2019,
editor Jan Hora
A competitor may request a registrar or arrange his / her own, who is responsible for any travel or other expenses.
Due to time constraints, there is a limit of max 30 competitors (10 in 2nd category, 12 in 3rd category, 8 in 4th category).
The candidates will be chosen according to the application date.
Acceptance or non-acceptance of the application will be sent to the e-mail stated in the application form.
Recorder:
Categories Time Limits:
1st category: 12 years max. 3 – 5 min.
2nd category: 15 years max. 6 – 9 min.
3rd category: 18 years max. 10 – 12 min.
4th category: 21 years max. 13 – 15 min.
The repertoire must include one composition by a Czech composer. Transcriptions of pieces
are allowed. The time limit has to be kept in all categories.
See the list of recommended compositions in the attachment (PDF)
The main prize for the winner of each category is the masterclass lesson by the head of the jury Ashley Solomon held on 8th April 2024 in Bohuslav Martinů Concert Hall at JKO (at least thirty minutes for the 1st and 2nd category and forty minutes for the 3rd and 4th category.)
The organizer does not provide accompaniment. The contestant will perform together with his own accompanist who is responsible for all his travel and stay expenses.
French double-manual harpsichord in 415/440 Hz equal temperament, spinet Lindholm 440 Hz, Italian single-manual harpsichord in 439 Hz 1/5 SC meantone temperament, piano in 442 Hz tuning and electronic piano (Clavinov) will adjustable tuning with be available for the competitors.
Due to time constraints, there is a limit of max 16 competitors per category. The candidates will be chosen according to the application date. If there are less applicants for any of the categories, the organizer can increase the number of accepted contestants in other category.
Acceptance or non-acceptance of the application will be sent to the e-mail stated in the application form.
Vocal:
Categories / Time Limits:
0 category: 8 years max. 3 - 4 min.
1st category: 11 years max. 5 – 6 min.
2nd category: 14 years max. 7 – 8 min.
3rd category: 17 years max. 9 – 10 min.
4th category: 20 years max. 11 – 12 min.
Repertoire:
0 category any songs of different character
1st category any songs of different character – including one by a Czech composer
2nd category two folk songs including one arranged by Leoš Janáček from the collection ´Ukvalská lidová poesie v písních´, at least two artificial songs
3rd category Bohuslav Martinů – one song ´Děvče z Moravy´ from the collection ´Songs on Two Pages´,
one folk song by Leoš Janáček from the collection ´Slezské písně´
one Baroque vocal composition
one artificial song by a Czech composer from the Classical period
4th category one Baroque vocal composition, one vocal piece by a Czech composer from Classical period, one vocal composition from the period of Romanticism,
one piece from the 20th century from the competitor´s country
The pieces must be sung in their original form (i.e. unarranged) and in their original keys.
Optional composition/s can be played after the compulsory pieces in the remaining time. These pieces must be played after the obligatory choice of repertoire shown in specified category.
Singing from memory is obligatory.
The time limit has to be kept in all categories.
The organizer does not provide piano accompaniment. The contestant will perform together with his own pianist who is responsible for all his travel and stay expenses.
Competition Regulations:
Participants in all disciplines and categories will participate in alphabetical order according to their last names.
The organizer or the head of the jury may change the order of the contestants due to organizational or other reasons.
Each participant is obliged to come in stated time to a certain concert hall before the competition.
If the participant does not arrive in the corresponding time, he/she will be disqualified from the competition. The chairman of the jury has got the right to allow the participant to continue in the competition on jury proposal for serious reasons.
The competitors have to keep the minimal duration limit. If the competitor does not keep the minimal duration limit, he/she will be disqualified. The total duration includes just the time of competition repertoire.
If the maximal duration limit is exceeded, the jury might ask to stop the performance with no influence on evaluation.
Chairpersons, judges and secretaries are appointed by the competition organisers.
Each discipline will be assessed by a professional jury consisting of a chairperson and four judges. If there are many contestants in the category of brass instruments, there will be two juries (1st jury – French horn, trumpet, 2nd jury – trombone, tenor/baritone/key trombone, tuba).
Secretaries cannot award points; their work is of a purely administrative character.
The juries will work simultaneously.
Final overall placing will be determined by the number of points a competitor receives.
The scale of points ranges from 1 – 25; judges cannot award points to their own students or to a competitor who is in close relation to the member of a jury or if the judge does not listen to the whole performance. There has to be at least 4 members of the jury to decide.
The total score is divided by the number of judges; the average number of points is calculated to two decimal places.
The juries will award the first, second and third place in each discipline and, in some cases, honorary awards.
Participants awarded the first place also receive the title of laureate.
If the competitors achieve identical or near-identical scores, a jury may decide to award
a prize or honourable mention to more than one competitor.
If the required score is not reached, or if a performance is deemed not to be of the required standard, juries reserve the right not to award a prize and/or to abstain from declaring an absolute winner.
All successful participants will receive a diploma.
The chairperson of the jury in each discipline will announce the absolute winner in each particular discipline after the whole completion is finished. (in woodwind category, each jury selects one absolute winner.)
The prize includes financial reward and compulsory participation in the final prize-winner’s concert on 24th April 2024 at 11 o´clock which is already without financial reward.
Special rewards in particular categories will be announced in competition catalogue.
Disagreements will be resolved by the organizer’s representative.
If the jury agrees that the competitor did not keep the competition conditions or restrictions, he/she might be disqualified from the competition.
These regulations are mandatory for all participating organizers.
All the performances in all disciplines will be public.
Performing in public from a copy of a musical score is a contravention of copyright legislation. Participants will thus be fully responsible for any potential legal sanctions.
Agreement:
Application and participation in the competition gives the organiser the right to treat the personal data in connection with his/her participation as well as the right to make audio-visual records and take photographs during competition performance or concert and use it to further presentation or promotion.
This agreement will be provided either by the participant or his/her legal representative.
Copyright cannot be applied in connection with this use.
It is forbidden to make any other audio-visual records.
The competition conditions and regulations are published in Czech, English and Polish. In the event of a dispute, the Czech version will be regarded as binding.
Posting the application form is regarded to be agreement with personal data treatment concerning the participation as well as the agreement with any conditions and regulations of the competition.
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