Music Forge New Artist International Music Performance Competition 2026
Applications for this cycle have closed
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Ready to take your music global? Apply to Music Forge New Artist - submit a performance video and proposal to compete for a live final in Lucera, Italy, judged by an international jury; 10 finalists gain exposure, feedback and career-boosting opportunities.
Music Forge New Artist is an international music performance competition for solo instrumentalists, singers, chamber ensembles, choirs, and orchestras. The competition is organised through a two-stage process: an online preliminary round based on a performance video and project proposal, followed by a live final in Lucera, Italy.
An internationally renowned jury reviews the entries and selects 10 finalists for the final stages. Applicants are required to submit a publicly accessible video of no more than 12 minutes, along with a written proposal of up to 500 words in Italian or English.
The video must be a single continuous take, filmed from a fixed camera, with no edits or post-production. The competition rules also set out age-based categories for soloists and average-age categories for chamber, choir, and orchestra sections.
The main prize is a €3,000 cash award together with a recording contract that includes professional recording, publication, worldwide distribution, and management of the winner’s debut album. The total value of the overall first prize is stated as €15,000, and the live final and winners’ concert take place at Circolo Unione 1860 in Lucera, Italy.
10 September 2026
Finalists announced 2026-10-01; live final and winners' concert 2026-10-17 in Lucera, Italy; recording contracts sent 2027-01-10; recording/release by end of June 2027.
Dates from the previous cycle. New dates are announced when applications reopen.
1 October 2026 – 17 October 2026
Final stage of the 2026 competition cycle (finalists announcement to live final in Lucera)
Application deadline for the 2026 competition cycle
Location
- Applicants must enter one of the competition’s sections and categories set out in the Competition Rules.
- Soloist categories are: Category A (born after 2016), Category B (born between 2012 and 2015), Category C (born between 2009 and 2011), and Category D (born before 2010).
- Chamber ensembles may have a maximum of 12 performers.
- Chamber Music categories are based on average age: Category E is under 16 and Category F is 16 and over.
- Choir and Orchestra categories are based on average age: Categories G and I are under 16 and Categories H and L are 16 and over.
- Applicants must submit a publicly accessible performance video of no more than 12 minutes.
- Applicants must submit a document of no more than 500 words in Italian or English outlining the proposed recording project.
- The submitted video must be a single continuous take with no cuts, edits, or post-production, and must be recorded from a fixed camera.
- Applicants must pay the application fee.
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