Repertoire

Item 1
A prelude and fugue by Johann Sebastian Bach

Item 2
One of Ludwig van Beethoven's last three sonatas op. 109, op. 110 or op. 111
In addition to the registration documents, the applicants must submit a video (the recording may not be edited and may not be cut during the piece) in which they can be clearly seen and heard playing the repertoire. The works for the qualification round are the same as items 1 and 2 in the first judging round. The choice of works for the qualification round is binding for the 1st round. Subsequent changes will not be allowed.

Date: December 5 to 7, 2025
Participants: 28
Duration of recital: 45 minutes each

Item 1
A prelude and fugue by Johann Sebastian Bach

Item 2
One of Ludwig van Beethoven's last three sonatas op. 109, op. 110 or op. 111

Item 3
One of the following works by Ludwig van Beethoven:

• Seven Bagatelles, op. 33

• Six Variations on an Original Theme in F major, op. 34

• Eleven Bagatelles, op. 119

• Six Bagatelles, op. 126

• Ten Variations on the theme 'La stressa, la stessissima' from the opera 'Fanstaff' by Antonio Salieri, WoO 73

• Seven Variations on the quartet "Kind, willst du ruhig schlafen?" from Peter Winter's opera 'Das unterbrochene Opferfest', WoO 75

• 32 Variations in C minor, WoO 80

• Two Rondos, op. 51 no. 1 in C major and no. 2 in G major

• Fantasy in B major, op. 77

• Andante favori in F major WoO 57

• Rondo a capriccio ‘Rage over a Lost Penny’ in G major, op. 129 AND Polonaise in C major, op. 89

Date: December 8 to 9, 2025
Participants: 12
Duration of recital: 60 Minuten each

Item 4
One sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven - but not

No. 1 in F minor, op. 2 no. 1
No. 5 in C minor, op. 10 no. 1
No 6 in F major, op. 10 no. 2
No. 9 in E major, op. 14 no. 1
No. 10 in G major, op. 14 no. 2
No. 19 in G minor, op. 49 no. 1
No. 20 in G major, op. 49 no. 2
No. 22 in F major, op. 54
No 24 in F sharp major, op. 78
No. 30 in E major op. 109
No. 31 in A flat major op. 110
No. 32 in C minor, op. 111

or
33 Variations on a Waltz by Anton Diabelli in C major, op. 120

or
15 Variations and Fugue in E-flat major, op. 35
 
Item 5
One or more works by Johannes Brahms, Carl Czerny, Fanny Hensel, Joseph Haydn, Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Franz Liszt, Luise Adolpha Le Beau, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Emilie Mayer, Ignaz Moscheles, Max Reger, Ferdinand Ries, Franz Schubert, Robert, Schumann, Clara Schumann, Richard Strauss, Carl Maria von Weber or Joseph Woelfl.

Date: December 10, 2025
Participants: 6
Duration of recital: 40 minutes each

Item 6
One of the following sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven

• No. 1 in F minor, op. 2 no. 1

• No. 5 in C minor, op. 10 no. 1

• No 6 in F major, op. 10 no. 2

• No. 9 in E major, op. 14 no. 1

• No. 10 in G major, op. 14 no. 2

• No. 22 in F major, op. 54

• No 24 in F sharp major, op. 78

Item 7
One or more works by Arnold Schönberg, Béla Bartók, Igor Strawinsky, Anton Webern, Alban Berg, Sergej Prokofjew, Paul Hindemith, Viktor Ullmann, Hanns Eisler oder Dmitri Schostakowitsch.

Date: December 12, 2025
Participants: 3
Duration of recital: -

Item 8
A contemporary work from the 21st century (composed after December 31, 2000; chosen by the performer, max. 10 minutes, must not be played from memory)
 
Item 9
One of the following piano trios by Ludwig van Beethoven (must not be played from memory), accompanied by chamber music partners Mikhail Ovrutsky (violin) and Grigory Alumyan (cello), members of the Beethoven Trio Bonn:

• No. 1 in E flat major, op. 1

• No. 2 in G major, op. 1

• No. 3 in C minor, op. 1

• No. 4 in D major, op. 70

• No. 5 in E flat major, op. 70

Date: December 13, 2025
Participants: 3
Duration of recital: --

Item 10
Piano concertos by Ludwig van Beethoven

• No.1 in C major, op. 15 AND No. 3 in C minor, op.37

or

• No. 2 in B flat major op. 19 AND No. 4 in G major op.58

or

• No. 5 in E flat major op. 73 AND Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major op. 61 (version for piano by Ludwig van Beethoven)

The jury will decide which work shall be performed in the final.

Date: December 14, 2025
Participants: 3
Duration of recital: around 40 min

Laureate matinée in the Beethoven-Haus

All three finalists are invited to say their musical farewells at the newly established prize-winners' matinée: The matinée gives the finalists the opportunity to present a programme of their choice in the chamber music hall of Beethoven's birthplace - free of jury decisions and as a lyrical, personal and intimate finale to the competition.