Profile
International Music Competition Cologne
The Cologne International Music Competition will be held in Cologne from September 15 to 21, 2025. The competition takes place every three years. The competition is organized by the Cologne University of Music and Dance in cooperation with the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne.
We award prizes totaling 27,000 euros
Our prices
1st prize: 12,000 euros
2nd prize: 8,000 euros
3rd prize: 6,000 euros
Audience Award: 1,000 euros
Follow-up arrangement
Interpretation approaches
The aim of the international competition is to award prizes to candidates who, in addition to technical virtuosity, find their own interpretative approaches. This means that, in addition to a high level of artistic achievement, the competition requires young musicians to present themselves with self-confidence, the courage to develop new ideas and to present themselves as versatile artistic personalities.
Fédération Mondiale des Concours Internationaux de Musique
The competition is a member of the recognized "Fédération Mondiale des Concours Internationaux de Musique".
The "Fédération Mondiale des Concours Internationaux de Musique" was founded in 1975 and strives to build a network of internationally recognized organizations that enable the discovery of promising talents from the great tradition of classical music through public competitions. It also promotes the careers of young talents by holding competitions in front of selected juries, attracting a wide audience to the competitions and increasing the attention of the media and the music scene through these competitions. The Fédération is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The "Fédération Mondiale des Concours Internationaux de Musique" is a member of the UNESCO International Music Congress. Over 120 leading music competitions belong to the Fédération. A large number of important international music organizations are associate members of the WFIMC.
