BRUSSELS INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL GUITAR COMPETITIONS
« ILSE & NICOLAS ALFONSO » 2023
These annual competitions, unique to Brussels, were created in 2013 by the Brussels International Guitar Festival and pay tribute to Maestros Ilse ALFONSO (1929-2017) and Nicolas ALFONSO (1913-2001) who opened the first guitar classes in the Belgian Music Academies as well as the guitar class at the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles - École Supérieure des Arts in 1965.
THE NATIONAL COMPETITION is open to all amateur guitarists, irrespective of nationality and of any age, who are officially resident in Belgium.
THE INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION is open to all classical guitarists, irrespective of nationality and of any age, who are not represented by an artists' agency (impresario).
BRUSSELS NATIONAL GUITAR COMPETITION
« ILSE & NICOLAS ALFONSO » 2023
Terms of admission
The 2023 National Competition is open to all amateur guitarists, irrespective of nationality and of any age, who are officially resident in Belgium.
The candidate cannot be or have registered at a higher musical institution in Belgium or abroad.
Exception: All candidates domiciled in Belgium by 1st January, 2022 and admitted to the first year Bachelor’s degree course in September 2023 in higher education in music in Belgium for the 2023/2024 academic year, may also apply to enroll in the competition.
After the final round, prizes will be awarded to a maximum of six candidates who have a distinctive artistic personality, show charisma and have great stage presence.
The instrument used must be a classical guitar (with six strings or more).
Each round of the programme must include at least one work composed by Nicolas Alfonso (Schott Music Editions).
The remainder of the programme is free of choice and will comprise pieces from the classical guitar solo repertoire or transcriptions and may include unpublished pieces.
To enter the Competition, the candidate has to email the duly completed application form and proof of the registration fee payment.
Non-refundable registration fee : 30 EUR.
The full Competition regulations and the application form can be obtained as of now via the electronic form below or by email : info(at)bigfest.be.
Organisation and programme
Wednesday 1 November 2023 at midnight (Belgian Time)
deadline for requests for the full competition regulations and application form via the electronic
form
below or by email : info(at)bigfest.be
Friday 3 November 2023 at midnight (Belgian Time)
deadline by which the completed application form, proof of the registration fee payment and link to a video posted on YOUTUBE must have been received by the Competition organisers
Monday 6 November 2023
announcement of the pre-selection results
Saturday 25 November 2023
public final round - announcement of winners - awards ceremony
PRE-SELECTION BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
Viewing by the Jury of a video posted on YOUTUBE, realised after 1 September 2023 and produced in accordance with the detailed instructions in the full set of competition regulations, which must be requested via the electronic form below or by email info(at)bigfest.be.
Recording time : from 12 to 15 minutes.
Programme : free choice of pieces, executed from memory, with the obligatory inclusion of at least one piece composed by Nicolas Alfonso (Schott Music Editions).
The pieces in this programme may also be played again during the final round.
The candidate can choose in which order his pieces are played.
Following the deliberation, the Jury may select up to 6 candidates for the final round.
These will be personally notified and their names posted on www.bigfest.be, the Festival website.
PUBLIC FINAL ROUND - free admission
Saturday 25 November 2023 at 09:00.
Venue : Théâtre du Vaudeville - Galerie de la Reine, 13 - 1000 Brussels - Belgium (festival venue).
Admission restricted to the candidates chosen following the pre-selection process.
The running order will be arranged by ballot and communicated to the finalists.
Duration : from 15 to 20 minutes on stage.
Programme : free choice of pieces, executed from memory, with the obligatory inclusion of at least one piece composed by Nicolas Alfonso (Schott Music Editions).
This programme may contain in whole or in part, the works already played during the pre-selection process.
The candidate can choose in which order his pieces are played.
Following this performance and after deliberation, the Jury will award up to a maximum of three “2023 Ilse & Nicolas Alfonso 1st Prizes” and up to a maximum of three “2023 Ilse & Nicolas Alfonso 2nd Prizes” of the Brussels National Guitar Competition.
All the finalists are required to be present for the announcement of the results and the prize giving ceremony on Saturday 25 November 2023 between 11:30 and 13:00, or they will forfeit their prize.
AWARDS
All the winners (up to a maximum of three) of the « 2023 Ilse & Nicolas Alfonso 1st Prize » will each receive :
-
350 EUR (three hundred and fifty euros),
-
a diploma,
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several gifts offered by the Competition partners (more details later)
-
and will be invited to participate in the Brussels International Guitar Festival in 2024.
All the winners (up to a maximum of three) of the « 2023 Ilse & Nicolas Alfonso 2nd Prize » will each receive :
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100 EUR (one hundred euros),
-
a diploma,
-
several gifts offered by the Competition partners (more details later).
Jury
The Jury of each round will mainly comprise personalities from the Belgian and international artistic world.
The Jury’s decisions are final.
The Jury reserves the right not to award certain prizes if it deems the level to be insufficient.