Internationaler Musikwettbewerb der ARD

12/01/2026

An endless rollercoaster of stress and happiness – that’s how Robin Paillet describes the competition weeks.
In the end, the result speaks for itself:
Robin Paillet won the First Prize, the Audience Prize, and the Prize for the Best Interpretation of the Commissioned Work in the trumpet category at the 74th Internationaler Musikwettbewerb der ARD.

Born in 2002 in the French Alps, he now joins the line of outstanding French trumpet players shaped by this competition: Maurice Jean André in 1963 and David Guerrier in 2003.

08/01/2026

“Winning the Competition means that I can bring more happiness to more people.”

Liya Cecilia Wang won the First Prize in Piano at the Internationaler Musikwettbewerb der ARD 2025.
In the final, she performed Camille Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, op. 22. 🎹

After appearances at major international competitions, this performance marks her First Prize at the ARD Competition.

23/12/2025

Israeli clarinetist Elad Navon (born 2000 in Jerusalem) wins First Prize, the Audience Prize and the Special Prize for Best Interpretation of the Commissioned Work in the clarinet category at the 74th International ARD Music Competition.

Trained in Jerusalem and Los Angeles, currently studying at the Colburn Conservatory with Yehuda Gilad, Elad Navon already performs with leading orchestras worldwide.

15/12/2025

Teamwork makes the dream work.

In the middle of the ARD Music Competition, the water key on Sandro Hirsch’s (2nd Prize 2025) trumpet suddenly falls off – live on stream.

Luckily, his instrument maker is watching the livestream. He gets in the car on a Sunday, drives to Munich and solders the key back onto the trumpet so he can play at his best again.

Because he knows: for every participant, the ARD Competition can be a decisive moment in their career.

10/12/2025

A moment to sink into the sound. ✨

Hongyi Jiang performs Camille Saint-Saëns’ Clarinet Sonata in E-flat major, op. 167 with Nino Gurewich — a late work from 1921 that, despite its time of origin, remains rooted in a classical–romantic sound world rather than modernist trends.

The video was recorded during the 2nd Round of the 74th ARD Music Competition 2025, where Hongyi Jiang was later awarded the Second Prize.

📺 Watch the full performance now in the ARD Mediathek.

05/12/2025

Tjasha Gafner’s path took a remarkable turn at the ARD Music Competition – where she won the First Prize in 2023.

As part of her prize, her new album From Keys to Strings was created: a recording that reflects her artistic vision through finely crafted transformations of keyboard works by Haydn, Mozart and Bach for the harp.

Listen for yourself and discover where such a journey might lead you.

28/11/2025

Wataru Hisasue garnered significant attention at the ARD Competition with his performance of Pascal Dusapin’s 'Did it again'. For this interpretation of the world premiere, he received the Special Prize for Best Performance and an additional award: a complete album recording.

That album is now available, featuring Dusapin’s piano works, including the world-premiere recording of 'Did it again'.

Read what the composer says and listen to the album to experience it yourself.

21/11/2025

The call for the ARD Music Competition 2026 is out.

From 30 August to 18 September 2026, four categories once again shape this meeting point:
we look forward to hearing outstanding talents in Bassoon, Organ, Percussion and String Quartet next year.
Applications open mid-February and close on 27 March 2026.

For 75 years, this stage has brought musicians from all over the world together - not only to compete, but to meet, to listen, and to understand one another.
Sir Simon Rattle once called it the “Olympic Games for musicians” - a fitting image for a place where excellence and community stand side by side.
To everyone who has been part of this journey - and to those considering taking their place in it - welcome to the next edition!

Check our website for all details 👉 https://www.ard-musikwettbewerb.de/

PREISEElad Navon2025: 1. Preis2025: PublikumspreisKlarinetteHongyi Jiang2025: 2. PreisKlarinetteLev Zhuravskii2025: 3. PreisKlarinetteLiya Wang2025: 1. Preis2025: PublikumspreisKlavierElias Ackerley2025: 2. PreisKlavierJiwon Yang2025: 3. PreisKlavierRobin Paillet2025: 1. Preis2025: PublikumspreisTro...

12/11/2025

What does a banana have to do with a trumpet competition? 🍌🎺
Josep Gómez Alemany, semifinalist at the 2025 Internationaler Musikwettbewerb der ARD, lets you in on the secret.

08/11/2025

At just 21 years old, pianist Johannes Huber received the Sweet Spot Special Prize 2025 at the ARD International Music Competition — awarded for an outstanding achievement by a young participant. 🏆

“I went into the competition without big expectations, so it already felt like a success. This prize showed me that there’s still so much ahead of me — and it truly motivates me.”

Johannes also shared how deeply the audience’s response moved him:

“It was my first time presenting myself on such a stage — and besides the prize, I received wonderful messages from strangers. It made me realize that music competitions might not be just ‘musical bullfights’ after all.” 🎹✨

In the photo: Johannes with Annekatrin Hentschel, head of Sweet Spot.

📸 Daniel Delang