For the 75th ARD Music Competition, 492 young artists applied. Of these, 184 musicians from 32 countries were invited to Munich, the organizing broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) announced on Wednesday. The preliminary juries selected 22 string quartets, 51 bassoonists, 25 percussionists, and 20 organists.

ARD Music Competition 2026

The competition begins on August 30. All rounds are open to the public and will be held in various concert halls in Munich. First prizes are endowed with €15,000 for soloists and €30,000 in the string quartet category. The organ returns to the competition after a 15-year hiatus.

For its anniversary edition, the competition will once again feature four instrumental disciplines. This was made possible, in part, by the support of the Ernsting Art and Culture Foundation. Last year, the competition organizers reduced the number of categories to three because the ARD broadcasters will halve their funding for the prestigious competition starting in 2025.

To conclude the competition, the prizewinners will give three concerts on September 16, 17, and 18, together with the Munich Chamber Orchestra and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. The competition's 75th anniversary will be celebrated on November 7 with a gala concert at Munich's Prinzregententheater, featuring former prizewinners such as Sharon Kam, Lukas Sternath , and Thomas Quasthoff.

The ARD Music Competition has been held annually since 1952, encompassing several disciplines and a total of 21 categories. Organized by Bavarian Broadcasting (Bayerischer Rundfunk), it is considered the world's largest classical music competition. For many renowned artists, it has served as a springboard to international careers, including Jessye Norman, Thomas Quasthoff, Anne Sofie von Otter, Sol Gabetta , and Christoph Eschenbach.

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