Call for applications: Early Music Competition 2026 // Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci Festival

For the seventh consecutive year, the Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci Festival and its circle of friends are inviting applications for the Early Music Competition, aimed at young ensembles specialising in historically informed performance.

The competition concerts will take place in public during the festival, in the form of lunchtime concerts in the foyer of the Nikolaisaal in Potsdam, on the following dates: Tuesday 16 June, Thursday 18 June, Tuesday 23 June and Thursday 25 June 2026, all at 1pm. The first prize will consist of a paid concert at the 2027 edition of the festival.

The competition is open to ensembles of 3 to 6 musicians, aged 20 to 30, who have recently completed a higher education degree in music and have some experience as a group. Each ensemble is invited to design a one-hour concert programme, including:

selected musical works,
an oral presentation of the programme,
a possible encore,
and applause times.

Selection will be based on ensemble performance, stylistic mastery, presentation, choice of repertoire, dramaturgical intelligence and use of available instruments. The repertoire must reflect the artistic identity of the ensemble, with a focus on music from the Middle Ages to the early 19th century, respecting the principles of historically informed performance.

A specific condition of the competition: at least one of the works chosen must have been composed after 1960, in a resolutely contemporary style.

The selected ensembles will also be invited to participate in educational concerts in schools and kindergartens during the festival in June 2026 (remuneration provided).

The jury is composed of: Dorothee Oberlinger (artistic director), Anna Maria Pammer (dramaturg), Tilman Muthesius (instrument maker) and Monika Ludwig (member of the Festival Friends' Circle).

Applications

To be sent by email to opel@musikfestspiele-potsdam.de, with the following items: