SFOGATO STAGE

Categories & Rules

International Music Competition

The 5th International Sfogato Stage Music Competition 2026 – Online

Rules & Regulations

§ 1. General Provisions

1.The Organizer of the 5th International Sfogato Stage Music Competition 2026 is the Sfogato Music & Arts Society based in Krakow (Poland).

2.The name of the Competition “Sfogato Stage” refers in the first part to the name of the Sfogato Music & Arts Society as the Organizer, in the second part to the stage (in the English version) or internship (in the French and Italian versions), reflecting the goals of the project. The Italian word sfogato, which refers to ancient catharsis – one of the fundamental features of art – reflects one of the goals of the Competition, which is to identify artistic personalities with a strong impact on the audience and to promote the idea of fair competition in the spirit of the ancient idea of the Olympic Games, the guiding principles of which were and still remain: fair play, mutual consent and respect, and equality understood as an opportunity for contestants from around the world to compete on the „Sfogato Stage”. The term stage is also understood as an internship and reflects the aim of the Competition, which is to gain experience in performing on stage and promoting talents by involving the Competition winners in projects carried out by the Sfogato Music & Arts Society.

3. The competition auditions will take place on December 27-30, 2026 on the online platform: www.sfogatostage.com. The results will be published on the Competition website: www.sfogatostage.com on December 31, 2026.

4. Applications should be sent by December 4, 2026 using the online form on the competition website www.sfogatostage.com. The form should contain a link to the video previously uploaded to the YouTube platform as a non-public video. The specification of the recording and the manner in which it should be uploaded to the YouTube platform are described in Appecndix 1 to these Regulations.

5. Competition Fee:

– soloists: 60 Euro / 250 PLN

– chamber ensembles: each member 40 Euro / 170 PLN

should be sent:

– to the bank account of the Sfogato Music & Arts Society:

Bank PEKAO S.A. Branch in Krakow ul. Rynek Główny 47 31-013 Kraków, Poland Account number:

07 1240 4650 1111 0010 3697 3883

IBAN: PL07124046501111001036973883

SWIFT CODE: PKOPPLPW

Postscript: Sfogato Stage 2026 statutory objective, participant’s name

PayPal: PayPal | Sfogato Stage Euro currency

§ 2. Contestants & Repertoire

1. The Competition is addressed to pupils, students and professional musicians studying at all levels of music education, as well as those who have already completed their musical studies in the following classes: piano, harpsichord, organ, violin, viola, cello, double bass, wind instruments, singing, chamber ensembles and orchestras, as well as choirs in the following stage categories:

  • Solo Pre-Junior, Junior, Youth, Academic and Artist Stage: I – XX:
    • Keyboard Section (K): piano (K.Pno), harpsichord (K.Hps), organ (K.Org)
    • String Section (S): violin (S.Vn), viola (S.Va), cello (S.Vc), double bass (S.Cb)
    • Wind Instrument Section (W)
    • Voice Section (V): soprano (V.S), alto (V.A), tenor (V.T), basso (V.B)
  • Chamber Stage: XXI-XXVIII: All musical instruments (including the human voice)
  • Grand Stage: XXIX-XXX: orchestras, choirs

2. Contestants may take part in the Competition in several categories according to their age.

3. Soloists (excluding organists) must perform all pieces by heart apart from the 21st century compositions, which can be performed from score, however, the Contestant is obliged to send the score to the Jury by e-mail at: stage@sfogato.org.

4. Only published pieces may be performed.

§ 3. International Jury & Awards

1. Contestants will be judged by an International Jury composed of renowned and concert musicians – educators.

2. The names of the Jury Members will be announced after the applications are closed.

3. The Members of the Jury will evaluate the Contestants of their specialization according to the following criteria:

• selection of music pieces,

• level of difficulty,

• technical level of performance,

• artistic expression,

• stylistic fidelity,

• imitative suggestibility,

• creative invention (avant-garde aleatoric compositions),

and scoring:

4. The Jury may award teachers for excellent preparation of students and pianists for outstanding accompaniment.

5. Students of Jury Members cannot take part in the Competition in categories in which their Teachers are Jury members.

6. The decisions of the Jury are final and irrevocable.

§ 4. Copyright & Image

1. The copyrights to all artistic performances submitted to the Competition remain with their authors.

2. The rights to phonograms and videograms, which will record the performances of the Competition Laureates, will be vested in the Organizer.

3. Artistic performances of Contestants may be made available to the public free of charge via the Website or social media.

4. By submitting the competition application and accepting these Regulations, the contestant grants the Organizer a non-exclusive, free license to distribute the artistic performance via the Internet for purposes related to the organization of the Competition, the Winners’ Concert and promotion of the Competition, in particular via the Website and social media. The license entitles Organizer to use the execution in full as well as in parts. The license is granted for an indefinite period and also applies to the videogram on which the artistic performance has been recorded.

5. By submitting the Competition application and accepting these Regulations, the Contestant grants permission for the Sfogato Music & Arts Society, or any third party authorized by the Sfogato Music & Arts Society, to take and make public: visual, audio, and video images of the Contestant.

§ 5. Final Provisions

1. Application and participation in the Competition is tantamount to the Contestant’s acceptance of the Competition Regulations in full.

2. The Regulations constitute the basis of the Competition and define the rights and obligations of its Contestants.

3. The Organizer is the final authority deciding on the interpretation of the Regulations.

4. In matters not covered by these Regulations, the relevant provisions of Polish law shall apply.

Appendix 1

Specification and preparation of the video recording:

the recording must be made horizontally using a camera or a mobile phone (the device should be placed on a tripod)

the video recording must present the entire figure of the performer in a perspective that allows the Jury to assess the performer’s technique

the video should be of good quality (at least 720p) HD or 4K

the video recording may contain cuts only between music pieces (it is forbidden to make cuts in the middle of a music piece) but the recording must be uploaded to YouTube as one video, regardless of the number of pieces performed

video or sound edition is not allowed

recordings on a digital piano are not allowed

Uploading the video recording to the YouTube platform

In the title of the video, please add:

  • the name of the Competition: Sfogato Stage 2026
  • age category (Roman numeral). instrumental or vocal section. instrumental or vocal category, e.g.: V.K.Pno (abbreviations can be found in the table above)
  • name and surname of the Contestant/Ensamble: Arabella Pichon
  • the performed program: Johannes Brahms – Capriccio in B minor Op. 76 No. 2
  • name and surname of the accompanist (if needed)
  • names and surnames of all ensamble members with an indication of the instrument they play or the type of voice (soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, tenor, bass).

After entering the above information on the same page of the YouTube platform please click on the link “Show more”

and after expanding the options, make sure that the box “Allow embedding” is marked.

Before saving the video, please select the “Unlisted” option.

Good luck!!!

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