2nd International Hindemith Viola Competition 2025 announced

In October 2025, the International Hindemith Viola Competition will be held at our university for the second time. The competition is organised by the HMTM and the Viola Foundation Walter Witte, with the kind support of the Hindemith Institute Frankfurt. The competition focuses on works of the 20th and 21st centuries in order to discover new music in the spirit of Paul Hindemith, without neglecting the roots of past epochs.

A video pre-selection will be used to determine a maximum of 24 participants who will be invited to Munich for the three live rounds of the competition. From 8 to 15 October 2025, they will face a high-calibre jury consisting of Veronika Hagen (Austria), Hsin-Yun Huang (Taiwan/USA), Garth Knox (Ireland/Scotland), Paul Pesthy (USA/Germany), Hartmut Rohde (Germany), Geneviève Strosser (France/Switzerland), Henrik Wiese (Germany) and Sonja Stibi (Germany).

The competition rounds in Munich take place in public with an audience. In the semi-final, the participants will present their own concert programme in German or English. In the final on 15 October 2025, three finalists will then present a chamber music work for viola, flute and harp as well as a concerto with orchestra. They will be accompanied by the HSO Munich, the university symphony orchestra. In addition to the competition, a series of masterclasses and other events will take place.

The International Hindemith Viola Competition supports young violists in their musical development. The competition was initiated by the Viola Foundation Walter Witte, which was founded in 1994. The artistic director is Prof Roland Glassl, Professor of Viola at the HMTM. Prizes and special prizes totalling 16,000 euros are awarded to the successful participants.

The competition was held for the first time in 2021. The winners were Emiko Yuasa (1st prize, audience prize), Njord Kårason Fossnes (2nd prize), Carla Usberti (3rd prize) and Alona Khlevna (Walter Witte special prize).