Agnesi
International Music Competition
International Music Competition
Regulations
The Agnesi International Music Competition, Vocal Chamber Music section, is reserved for Soloists and Chamber Ensembles (from two to six elements including voices) of any nationality.
The competition aims to promote vocal and interpretative excellence in the chamber vocal repertoire, encouraging stylistic deepening and artistic collaboration between singers and instrumentalists. It also intends to enhance the vocal chamber music of all eras, with particular attention to the international repertoire and the female figure in the history of music. The competition is proposed as an opportunity for artistic growth, comparison and visibility for young talents from all over the world.
The Section is open to Solo singers and Chamber Ensembles made up of a maximum of six performers overall. Any vocal-instrumental combination provided for by the original score is admitted, with piano and/or other instruments. Candidates, whether singers or instrumentalists, must be aged between 18 and 36, that is, born between 1 January 1990 and 22 November 2008.
The Organisation of the Agnesi International Music Competition will entrust the evaluation of the candidates of the Vocal Chamber Music section to a quality Jury, composed of high-profile personalities from the international musical world, including:
– Internationally renowned interpreters of Vocal Chamber Music
– Renowned collaborative pianists and musicologists
– Conservatoire teachers
– Artistic directors and leading figures of the international concert scene
The Jury will evaluate the performances on the basis of interpretative quality, vocal technique, stylistic awareness, artistic personality and the capacity for musical dialogue between the performers.
Every decision of the Jury, in each of the different phases of the competition, is to be considered final and incontestable.
Within the Agnesi International Music Competition, the Organisation establishes three special prizes dedicated to Vocal Chamber Music: the Special Prize “Anniversary Award”, the Special Prize “Petre Munteanu” and the Special Prize “Agnesi”.
Special Prize “Anniversary Award”
Dedicated to the great anniversaries in the history of music, the Anniversary Award aims to contribute to promoting the knowledge and appreciation of the repertoire of the composers celebrated in the current edition.
Participation in the Special Prize “Anniversary Award” is optional and does not entail any additional registration fee.
For the 2026 edition, candidates who include in their Semifinal programme at least one composition by one of the following composers will be eligible to compete for the Anniversary Award:
– Carl Maria von Weber (200th anniversary of his death)
– Benjamin Britten (50th anniversary of his death)
– Manuel de Falla (150th anniversary of his birth)
– György Kurtág (100th anniversary of his birth)
The Jury will award the Special Prize “Anniversary Award” to the candidate who stands out for
excellence in interpretation, artistic maturity and the ability to enhance the chosen repertoire.
Special Prize “Petre Munteanu”
Strongly championed by Vittoria Licari, the Special Prize “Petre Munteanu” was created to honour and keep alive the memory of the great tenor of Romanian origin who made Italy his artistic homeland.
All tenors registered for the Agnesi International Music Competition – Vocal Chamber Music section automatically compete for the Special Prize “Petre Munteanu”, with no changes required to the musical programme submitted and with no additional fee.
The prize will be awarded to the tenor deemed most deserving among all those competing in the Agnesi International Music Competition, Vocal Chamber Music section.
Special Prize “Agnesi”
Dedicated to the figure of the harpsichordist and composer Maria Teresa Agnesi, who inspired the international competition that bears her name, the Special Prize “Agnesi” aims to contribute to the appreciation of her repertoire.
For the 2026 edition, candidates who include in their Semifinal programme at least one composition by Maria Teresa Agnesi among those made available by the Organisation on the website www.agnesivocalchambercompetition.com will be eligible to compete for the Special Prize “Agnesi”.
Participation in the Special Prize “Agnesi” is optional and does not entail any additional registration fee.
The competition is structured in three stages: Pre-selection, Semi-finals and Finals — the first online, the second in person on 25 November 2026 at Villa Borromeo d’Adda in Arcore (MB), and the third on 29 November 2026 at Teatro Rosetum in Milan.
To take part in the online Preselection, candidates must record the videos of the live performances of two pieces, one in Italian and one in another language of their choice, and send them to the Organisation, in accordance with the procedures set out in art. 8 below, no later than 31 October 2026.
Recordings may be made in either horizontal or vertical format, provided that all the members of the ensemble are visible and that they are of good audio and video quality. For soloists, it is not necessary to frame the accompanist as well. The pieces must be performed in the original key, language and version.
All performances received will be evaluated by the Jury, which will draw up the list of Qualified candidates through a dedicated score out of 100. Candidates who pass the preselection with a minimum score of 89/100, obtained from the average of the marks awarded by all the members of the Jury, will be admitted to the Semifinal, held in person.
The list of Qualified candidates will be published on the official website of the Competition no later than 10 November 2026, together with the rehearsal calendar. Within the next 48 hours it will be necessary to send the scores of the programme intended to be presented for the Semifinal (see next paragraph) to the email address indicated in art. 15.
Candidates admitted to the Semifinal must perform the entire programme, freely chosen, submitted at the time of registration (see art. 8 below).
The programme, with a maximum duration of 20 minutes, must include chamber compositions (lieder, salon songs, chansons, etc.) by various composers in at least two languages, ranging from the 18th to the 20th century, as well as contemporary repertoire. At least one piece must be in Italian.
Should candidates also wish to compete for the Special Prize “Anniversary Award”, at the time of registration they must include in their programme at least one composition by one of the composers indicated in art. 4 above.
Likewise, to compete also for the Special Prize “Agnesi”, at the time of registration they must include in their programme at least one composition by Maria Teresa Agnesi among those made available by the Organisation on the website www.agnesivocalchambercompetition.com.
During the Semifinal, the pieces must be performed in the original key, language and version.
At the end of the Semifinal, the names of the candidates admitted to the Final will be announced, namely those whose performance has been awarded a minimum score of 96/100 by the Jury.
The Finals will take place in concert form on 29 November 2026 at Teatro Rosetum and may therefore be open to the public.
. The pieces to be performed in the Final will be chosen by the Jury from the programme submitted by the candidates in the Semifinal.
The Jury reserves the right to request, where applicable, a further performance of the piece submitted for the Special Prize “Anniversary Award” and/or the one submitted for the Special Prize “Agnesi”.
At the end of the performances, the Jury will meet for a brief discussion before determining the final ranking and the resulting winners of the competition.
The Jury reserves the right not to award one or more prizes if no candidate is deemed of sufficient level, and to award ex aequo prizes. In such cases, the corresponding scholarship will be divided equally among the joint winners, while trophies, medals and certificates will be awarded to each ex aequo winner individually.
On 29 November 2026, Teatro Rosetum in Milan will host the Gran Galà Agnesi, a celebratory event open to the public in which the winners will perform one or two pieces from the competition repertoire, as directed by the Jury and/or the Artistic Director.
The Organisation reserves the right to admit directly to the Semifinal those candidates who, in 2025 or 2026, were winners of international vocal chamber music competitions of proven prestige.
Applicants must submit a specific request to the Organisation, no later than 15 October 2026, by sending an email to vocalchamber@agnesiinternationalcompetition.it, attaching suitable documentation certifying the result obtained.
Requests will be assessed by the Artistic Direction, which reserves the right to accept them at its sole discretion.
Candidates deemed eligible will receive an email containing a dedicated link to proceed with registration for the competition.
Direct admission to the Semifinal does not entail any exemption from payment of the registration fee, which remains due from all candidates.
All finalists will receive a diploma of participation. The following prizes will be awarded to the winners of the Soloists section:
• First Prize
– A work handcrafted by the artist Manuel Gervasoni
– Scholarship of € 800
– Participation in the Gran Galà Agnesi on 29 November 2026
– Participation in at least one concert of the Agnesi circuit
• Second Prize
– A work handcrafted by the artist Manuel Gervasoni
– Scholarship of € 500
• Third Prize
– A medal created by the artist Manuel Gervasoni
– Scholarship of € 300
The following prizes will be awarded to the winners of the Chamber Ensembles section:
• First Prize
– A work handcrafted by the artist Manuel Gervasoni
– Scholarship of € 1,500
– Participation in the Gran Galà Agnesi on 29 November 2026
– Participation in at least one concert of the Agnesi circuit
• Second Prize
– A work handcrafted by the artist Manuel Gervasoni
– Scholarship of € 900
• Third Prize
– A medal created by the artist Manuel Gervasoni
– Scholarship of € 500
Special Prizes:
• Special Prize Petre Munteanu
– Certificate of conferral of the Prize
– Scholarship of € 500
– Participation in the Gran Galà Agnesi, where the winner will perform the prize-winning piece
– Participation in at least one concert of the Agnesi circuit
• Special Prize Agnesi
– Certificate of conferral of the Prize
– Scholarship of € 300
– Participation in the Gran Galà Agnesi, where the winner will perform the prize-winning piece
– Participation in at least one concert of the Agnesi circuit
• Special Prize Anniversary Award
– Certificate of conferral of the Prize
– Scholarship of € 250
– Participation in the Gran Galà Agnesi, where the winner will perform the prize-winning piece
– Participation in at least one concert of the Agnesi circuit
The scholarships of the Agnesi International Music Competition are made possible thanks to the contribution of supporters, patrons, institutions and partners who share the competition’s mission to promote and support the talent of the new generations of musicians.
The Organisation, at its sole and unquestionable discretion, reserves the right to award further prizes that may be at its disposal at the time the competition is held. It further reserves the right to invite the artists it deems deserving to take part in one or more concerts of the Agnesi circuit, as well as to introduce them to management agencies, institutions and other partners of the competition.
Each prize constitutes a single, indivisible whole. Where prizes are made up of several elements, their acceptance by the winners is understood to be integral and binding. For this reason, cash prizes will be effectively paid to the winners only after their actual participation in the concerts associated with the prizes.
To take part in the Agnesi International Music Competition – Vocal Chamber Music section, it is necessary to register no later than 31 October 2026, by completing and signing the form available on the official website of the competition www.agnesivocalchambercompetition.com/registration, attaching the required documentation, which includes:
For Soloists:
1. artistic curriculum (short biography and musical background) and two photographs, one of which full-length;
For Ensembles of two to six members:
1. The details (by downloading the form) and the artistic curricula of all members, combined into a single PDF file (the file must not exceed 10 MB), and a group photo of the ensemble;
For all:
2. links to two videos (preferably recent) of the live performances of two pieces, one in Italian and one in another language of their choice;
3. programme, freely chosen, with a maximum duration of 20 minutes, which must include chamber compositions (lieder, salon songs, chansons, etc.) by various composers in at least two languages, ranging from the 18th to the 20th century, as well as contemporary repertoire; at least one piece must be in Italian; moreover, should candidates wish to compete for the Special Prize “Anniversary Award”, at least one composition by one of the composers indicated in art. 4 above must be included in the programme; and to compete for the Special Prize “Agnesi”, at least one composition by Maria Teresa Agnesi among those made available by the Organisation on the website www.agnesivocalchambercompetition.com must be included in the programme;
4. proof of payment of the registration fee (copy or screenshot of the receipt).
Important:
– the programme of the pieces submitted cannot be modified after registration;
– the performance videos for the online Preselection may be two pieces taken from the programme, provided one is in Italian and one in another language of choice.
Attention:
Candidates who are found eligible for direct access to the Semifinal must use for their registration the form accessible from the link contained in the confirmation email received from the Organisation of the competition.
The registration fees, non-refundable, are as follows:
Soloist € 70
Duo € 120 (€ 60 per person)
Trio € 170 (€ 56.67 per person)
Quartet € 220 (€ 55.00 per person)
Quintet € 270 (€ 54.00 per person)
Sextet € 320 (€ 53.33 per person)
The amount corresponding to your ensemble is to be paid at the time of registration in one of the
following ways:
a. Bank transfer made out to:
New Star a.p.s.
IBAN: IT 20 F 02008 01643 000106140781
BIC Code: UNCRITM1243
As the reason for payment, please state: “Agnesi International Vocal Chamber Competition” followed by the candidate’s First name and Surname. Any bank charges for making the transfer shall be borne by the participant.
b. PayPal
By choosing this payment method, the registration fee is increased by € 5 to be added to your registration fee. The total fee must be paid to direzione@newstarmilano.it
Important notes
i. It is the candidate’s duty to ensure that the links are freely accessible and not protected by passwords, registration systems or the like.
ii. Should the candidate wish to restrict viewing to the recipients of the link only, it shall be their responsibility to find the platform and method that allows this (for example, by uploading it to YouTube in “unlisted” mode), verifying that anyone receiving the links has free access to view the videos.
iii. The Organisation shall merely report any anomalies promptly (such as, for example, the impossibility of reaching the links received) and may not be held in any way responsible for any unforeseen events or malfunctions caused by third parties that prevent the videos from being viewed.
iv. Candidates who gain access to the in-person Semifinal shall, upon their arrival, be subject to identity verification by the competition staff. They will be required to show a valid identity document.
v. Candidates who require a visa in order to stay in Italy may contact the Competition Secretariat – via the email address indicated in art. 15 below – to request an official letter of invitation to be used for the consular procedure.
Accompanying pianists and rehearsal schedule
Solo candidates who so wish may request to be accompanied by one of the official pianists of the competition by ticking the relevant box on the registration form.
Candidates who wish to make use of this service must pay an additional one-off fee of € 70, which entitles them to make use of the accompanying pianist for all the stages of the competition they gain access to.
The fee must be paid after the publication, on the official website of the competition, of the list of candidates admitted to the Semifinal, at the same time as the scores are sent.
The payment methods are the same as those indicated in letters a. and b. of this article above, stating, as the reason for payment: “Accompanying pianist fee” – followed by the candidate’s first name and surname. If PayPal is chosen as the payment method, the fee must be increased by € 5 to cover the commission fees.
Alternatively, candidates are permitted to bring an accompanying pianist of their own choosing (at their own expense), stating their name on the registration form.
Admission to the competition and the evaluation of candidates take place exclusively on the basis of the requirements indicated in art. 2 and of artistic merit. The Organisation endeavours to ensure that there are no distinctions based on gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnic or national origin, religion, personal beliefs, or personal or social circumstances.
Candidates with disabilities or with specific needs may optionally notify the Organisation thereof through the relevant field on the registration form. In the absence of such notification, the Organisation may not be held responsible for any inability to provide support. Where notification is given, the Organisation undertakes to adopt every reasonable measure to guarantee full participation in the competition, compatibly with the architectural characteristics of the venue.
For any cases that may require it, the Organisation is always available through the contacts indicated in art. 15 below. No notification of this kind shall in any way affect the evaluation of the Jury, which takes place exclusively on an artistic basis.
By registering for the Competition, the candidate declares that there are no personal, professional or legal circumstances preventing their participation or liable to harm the image, the prestige or the proper conduct of the event.
The Organisation is held harmless from any liability arising from false information, declarations and/or attestations provided by participants.
The Organisation declines all liability for any damages or accidents, whether accidental or caused, before, during and after the competition, by the imprudence of the participants, or by failure to comply with the rules of conduct required by the context.
A list of partner hotels and restaurants located near the competition venue, offering discounted rates reserved for registered candidates, will be published on the official website of the competition for the benefit of participants.
The booking of accommodation and meals must be carried out directly and independently by the competitors.
All travel, board and lodging expenses to be incurred in order to attend the Agnesi International Music Competition are to be understood as being entirely at the participants’ expense.
The data controller is New Star a.p.s., Via Mosca 30, Milano — direzione@newstarmilano.it.
Candidates’ data are processed for the management of registration, the running of the competition, the awarding of prizes and the related tax obligations, on the basis of the performance of the contract and of legal obligations: the provision of such data is necessary and, without it, participation is not possible. This purpose includes the publication of the lists and of the ranking, and the presentation of the candidates during the competition.
The Organisation also retains the materials of the edition in its historical archive, pursuant to art. 89 of EU Regulation 2016/679. The promotional dissemination of images, voice and audio/video recordings is governed by art. 13 below and requires specific, separate and revocable consent. The candidate may at any time exercise the rights referred to in arts. 15-22 of EU Regulation 2016/679 — including access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, portability and objection — by writing to the Controller at the address indicated above.
The exercise of such rights takes place within the limits laid down by the regulations in force: in particular, erasure may not apply to data whose retention is necessary for compliance with legal obligations or for archiving purposes in the public interest pursuant to the aforementioned art. 89.
The candidate also has the right to lodge a complaint with the Italian Data Protection Authority. The extended privacy notice is published on the official website of the competition and forms an integral part hereof.
The performances of the in-person stages of the Agnesi International Music Competition are recorded in audio and video by the Organisation for the purposes of documentation and archiving of the competition.
The dissemination of images, voice and audio/video recordings for promotional, documentary and communication purposes connected with the Agnesi International Music Competition takes place subject to specific consent, given by means of a dedicated free-of-charge release form which the candidate will sign at the time of accreditation for the competition.
This release form is also required in order to present the participants to institutions, theatres and artistic agencies of the international circuit. Consent is free and optional: withholding it does not in any way prejudice participation in the competition, nor does it affect the evaluation of the Jury.
Consent may be revoked at any time by written notice to the Organisation, at the email address or registered office indicated in art. 15.
The revocation operates for the future and does not affect materials already lawfully acquired, disseminated and possibly transferred to third parties. Should consent not be given or be revoked, the Organisation will exclude the candidate from the materials disseminated to the extent that this is technically possible without compromising the integrity of the documentation of the event. Group shots and images in which the candidate appears incidentally and in a non-individualised manner, within the context of events open to the public, remain unaffected.
The Organisation reserves the right, should it prove necessary, to amend or supplement the regulations, promptly communicating the amendments through the official channels of the competition. Registration and participation in the Agnesi International Music Competition entail full acceptance of this version of the regulations and of any future versions thereof. Any documents extending the regulations, such as for example registration forms and release forms, are to be considered part thereof. The updated regulations and registration forms are always available on the official website of the competition: www.agnesivocalchambercompetition.com/regulations.
Further information may be obtained by contacting the Organisation at the email address vocalchamber@agnesiinternationalcompetition.it, by visiting the official website www.agnesivocalchambercompetition.com or via WhatsApp by writing to the number +39 392.65.40.292 (messages only).
The Organisation is held harmless from any liability arising from false information, declarations and/or attestations provided by participants. For any dispute relating thereto, the Court of Milan shall have exclusive jurisdiction. The Italian version of the regulations shall prevail
The Vocal Chamber Music section of the Agnesi International Music Competition is dedicated to solo singers and chamber ensembles of two to six members wishing to engage with one of the most refined repertoires in musical literature. Open to performers of any nationality, it rewards not only technical excellence but interpretative maturity, musical rapport and the ability to narrate through word and sound.
The Vocal Chamber Music jury is composed of leading figures of the international music scene, deeply connected to vocal and chamber interpretation. With an attentive and sensitive approach, it will evaluate candidates by considering not only technical and vocal skills, but also communicative depth, the interplay between performers, and the coherence of interpretative choices within the proposed programme.
The Vocal Chamber Music section of the Agnesi International Music Competition rewards not only technique and precision, but the ability to move, communicate and create an authentic dialogue between performers. Its recognitions — scholarships, prize concerts and special prizes dedicated to interpretative personality and ensemble quality — offer real visibility and opportunities. Discover all the prizes and let yourself be inspired.
