Creative heads honored: Mauricio Kagel composition competition unleashed talent!

Creative heads honored: Mauricio Kagel composition competition unleashed talent!

Laimgrubengasse 10, 1060 Wien, Österreich - A musical highlight recently took place as part of the 6th Mauricio Kagel composition competition, which was carried out from 4 to 7 February 2025 at the MDW University of Music and Performing Art Vienna. In the presence of Pamela Kagel, the daughter of the famous composer, the best young composers were awarded. The competition, which received over 200 submissions from more than 50 countries, has the goal of creating new piano music for children and adolescents, such as Universal Edition

The jury, consisting of renowned personalities like Annesley Black and Michael Jarrell, awarded the first prize of 6,500 euros to Damian Scholl from Germany for his impressive work "Love Songs" for piano for eight hands. The second prizes went to João Ricardo from Portugal for "What Does The Wall Say" and Raphael Vilani from Brazil for "Like ...". The third prize of 3,500 euros was granted Sean Cedric Schumann from Germany for his composition "Six Shortpieces". In addition, Sang Hyun Hong from South Korea received a jury recommendation for "six memories". This transparent selection process enables the public to experience the discussions and assessments of the jury live, according to Rector Ulrike Sych about the outstanding quality of music pedagogy at the MDW href = "https://www.ots.at/presseaus-sung/ots_20250210_ots0047/Prestraeger-mauricio-kagel-compositions competition"> OTS reported.

A look into the future

The Mauricio Kagel Composition competition has been actively promoting the contemporary piano literature for young musicians since its foundation in 2010. The works of the previous editions, submitted over 960, show international importance and commitment to music education. The next tenders are already underway, and composers under the age of 40 can submit their works digitally by September 20, 2024. This initiative ensures that the contemporary music scene remains alive and young talents are promoted worldwide.