Applications Open for 2027 Classic Winds International Competition in Vienna

The 5th Edition of Classic Winds will present separate contests for flute, clarinet, and saxophone, with a total prize fund of €120,000.

Applications are now open for the 2027 Classic Winds International Competition, with outstanding young flutists, clarinettists, and saxophonists from across the world being invited to take part in the event’s fifth edition, set to be held in Vienna, Austria, from the 26th of April to the 5th of May 2027.

Following the success of its previous entry in Dubai in 2023, Classic Winds returns to Europe with an ambitious new instalment in one of the world’s foremost musical capitals. Open to musicians of all nationalities aged 35 and under, the competition aims to provide emerging wind performers with a major international platform on which to showcase their talent, develop their professional experience, and compete for substantial prizes.

The 2027 edition will feature dedicated competitions in the schools of Flute, Clarinet, and Saxophone, with a total prize fund of €120,000. Each category will offer a First Prize of €20,000, a Second Prize of €10,000, and a Third Prize of €5,000, while the competition will also present a €10,000 Grand Prix and a €5,000 Audience Choice Award.

A major feature of this year’s competition will be its distinguished international jury, chaired by celebrated German oboist and conductor Hansjörg Schellenberger. The panel will also include Vicente Alberola (Spain), Hayrapet Arakelyan (Germany/China), Nicolas Arsenijevic (France), Darko Brlek (Slovenia), Samuel Coles (United Kingdom), Alain Crepin (Belgium), Dieter Flury (Austria), Yehuda Gilad (USA), and Massimo Mercelli (Italy).

For young flutists, the jury offers an especially distinguished breadth of experience. Samuel Coles, Principal Flute of the Philharmonia Orchestra and Professor of Flute at the Royal Academy of Music in London, has enjoyed an extensive career as both orchestral musician and international soloist. Dieter Flury, meanwhile, served as Principal Flute of the Vienna Philharmonic from 1981 to 2017 and was also the orchestra’s Artistic Director and General Manager between 2005 and 2014, while the acclaimed Massimo Mercelli boasts an international career that has included collaborations and world premieres with composers including Krzysztof Penderecki, Sofia Gubaidulina, Philip Glass, Michael Nyman, Ennio Morricone, Nicola Piovani, and Rachel Portman.

The competition begins with a video pre-selection, for which flute candidates are required to submit a programme of between 12 and 15 minutes in contrasting styles. This must include at least one work from a prescribed selection featuring Eugène Bozza’s Image, Claude Debussy’s Syrinx, or Edgard Varèse’s Density 21.5.

Successful applicants will then be invited to Vienna for three live rounds. The opening stage will focus on a concise recital programme, while the Second Round will allow competitors to present a broader selection of repertoire, with works by composers including Poulenc, Reinecke, Schulhoff, Bach, Isang Yun, Denisov, and Jolivet forming part of the available programme.

Those progressing to the Final will move onto the orchestral stage, performing with the Győr Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Martin Panteleev (Bulgaria / Germany). Flute finalists will present Composer-in-Residence Alexey Shor’s Flute Concerto No. 2, together with either the Jacques Ibert Flute Concerto or the Carl Nielsen Flute Concerto, bringing the competition to a close with some of the instrument’s most substantial concerto repertoire.

This progression from solo pre-selection through recital performance and ultimately to the orchestral stage reflects one of the central aims of Classic Winds, which is to test not only technical command, but also musical individuality, versatility, and the ability to communicate across different performance settings.

Applications are open until the 15th of January 2027. Candidates are required to complete the online registration process and submit their video pre-selection materials before the deadline. Selected applicants will then be notified by the 15th of February 2027.

For full competition regulations, repertoire requirements, and applications, make sure to visit the official website at classicwinds.eu today. The application deadline shall not be extended for any reason, so interested candidates are encouraged to act swiftly so as to avoid disappointment.