Regulations of the 7th Seifert Competition, Kraków, Poland, June 17-20, 2026
1. General Information
The 7th Zbigniew Seifert International Jazz Violin Competition is organized by the Zbigniew Seifert Foundation.
The Competition is open to violinists, violists and cellists of all nationalities under the age of 38, performing jazz and improvised music. All types of violins, violas and cellos both acoustic and electric, can be used.
The Competition is biennial (i.e. is held every 2 years). The Organizer reserves the right to change the instrument or group of instruments to which the Competition will be dedicated in the future.
The 1st prize winners cannot take part in the future editions of the Competition.
2. Registration
The Organizer will enrol candidates on the basis of a carefully completed application form, available from the Organiser’s website at: www.seifertcompetition.com, in the folder “Application”. The following must be attached to the application:
- recordings of 3 music compositions in mp3 format (each file not larger than 20 MB);
- two photos of the candidate (min. 1 MB each) which the Organiser can use in all promotional materials;
- the candidate’s brief bio in English (max. 1500 characters, Times New Roman, 12 pt).
The complete applications must be submitted via the Organiser’s website not later than by 10th April 2026. The results of the preliminary round will be forwarded to all the candidates by 30th of April 2026. Candidates qualified for the Competition cover the cost of a registration fee of €100 (100 Euros).
3. Repertoire Requirements
The repertoire submitted with the application form by the candidate (online preliminary round) can be selected freely, except that one piece must be a solo composition.
Candidates qualified for the semi-finals must perform the following programme:
a. a composition by Zbigniew Seifert, selected by the candidate;
b. two pieces of the candidate’s own choice (own compositions can also be presented).
The obligatory program in the final round consists of:
a. a composition by Zbigniew Seifert, selected by the candidate - different than during the semi-finals;
b. two pieces of the candidate’s own choice (own compositions can also be presented) – different than during the semi-finals.
It is possible to perform solo without the rhythm section both during the semi-finals and the finals.
4. Prizes
The Organiser offers three Competition prizes:
– 1st prize - PLN 40,000
– 2nd prize - PLN 20,000
– 3rd prize - PLN 10,000
The final decision concerning the division of prizes among the winners is taken by the Competition Jury.
5. The Auditions
The auditions of the semi-final round will be held on Thursday 18th and Friday 19th June 2026. The final round, for which the jury will qualify 5 musicians, will be held on 20th June 2026. The order of performances will be decided by random draw and announced before the beginning of the semi-finals. All the competition auditions are open for the audience to attend and streamed online.
6. Music Scores
The scores of compositions performed by candidates qualified for the auditions in Cracow must be submitted not later than 15th May 2026. The scores, with titles and names of composers, ought to contain performance notes and a lead sheet (the melody and the basic harmonic structure). Failure to fulfil this requirement will result in excluding the candidate. Sheet music ought to be accompanied by MP3 recordings of the selected pieces.
7. The Organiser’s Obligations
The Organiser shall provide a concert hall complete with a sound system, lights and support services. The Organiser will also provide a rhythm section consisting of a piano, a double-bass and percussion, with which the qualified candidates will be able to rehearse before each performance. All the participants will perform with the same rhythm section.
All the costs, such as accommodation in Cracow, travel, meals and (optional) insurance, shall be covered by the participants themselves.
8. Online streaming and recording
All participants qualified for the Competition shall grant the Organiser the right and permission to use the artistic performances of the works performed by the participants during the rehearsals, auditions and the gala concert in the following fields of exploitation: recording and online broadcasting of the auditions, audio/video streaming in real time, recording and rebroadcasting on Polish state television, as well as the production of promotional materials, archiving all the auditions and the audio/video recording of the competition.
9. Final Provisions
Before the Competition, all the candidates shall sign an agreement with the Organiser.
The Organiser reserves the right to record all the Competition performances in audio/video format and use those recordings freely for the further promotion of the Competition.
The Organiser reserves the right to cancel the Competition in case the number of qualified candidates is not sufficient.
All the decisions taken by the Jury at all the stages (rounds) of the Competition are final and irrevocable.
The Organiser of the 7th Zbigniew Seifert International Jazz Violin Competition reserves the right to decide about the final interpretation of the present Regulations.
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