ORGANIZATION

The organizers will establish the Management Committee and Secretariat for the planning and operation of the Competition. The Jury will be appointed by the Management Committee and will consist of musicians of prominent standing from Korea and abroad.

GENERAL CONDITIONS

1. ELIGIBILITY

The Competition is open to pianists of all nationalities born between 18 March 1996 and 17 March 2010, inclusive.

2. APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Applications must be submitted online via the Seoul International Music Competition website at www.seoulcompetition.com no later than 11:59 p.m. KST on 3 January 2027.

Applicants must submit the following:

(1) Online application form
(2) Copy of a passport identification page (accepted formats – JPEG or PDF)
(3) Short biographical note in English (no more than half an A4 page)
(4) Portrait photograph of the applicant (300 dpi or higher; accepted formats – JPEG, BMP, TIFF), suitable for publicity purposes and cleared for use in Competition publicity
(5) Proof of payment of a non-refundable application fee of USD 200 into the Competition’s account. All bank charges and transfer fees shall be borne by the applicant, and the full amount of USD 200 must be received in the Competition’s account.
Bank Details
Bank: Woori Bank
Branch: Chungjeongno Branch (29, Chungjeong-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03737, Republic of Korea)
Account Number: 217-000987-13-011
Account Holder: The Dong-A Ilbo
SWIFT Code: HVBKKRSEXXX
(6) High-quality video recordings of the applicant’s performance, with a total duration of 30 to 35 minutes
• The programme must include two études of the applicant’s choice.
• Only works for solo piano are permitted.
• Works performed in the Video Preliminary Screening may also be included in the repertoire for the Competition.

VIDEO SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• All video files must be uploaded to a Google Drive folder and shared with donga@seoulcompetition.com. A link to the folder must then be entered in the relevant field of the online application form.
• Links to YouTube or other external platforms will not be accepted.
• Each work must be uploaded as a separate file. For works consisting of multiple movements, each movement must be uploaded as a separate file.
• All recordings must have been made on or after 4 January 2026. The date and location of each recording must be clearly stated. Different works may be recorded on different dates and at different locations.
• The camera angle must remain fixed throughout each recording, and the applicant’s face and hands must be clearly visible.
• Each file must contain a single, continuous, unedited performance from beginning to end. Editing within a file is strictly prohibited in any form.
• The applicant’s name must not appear either visually or audibly in the recording.
• Recordings that do not meet the above requirements will be excluded from the screening process.

3. CONTACT

Secretariat of the Seoul International Music Competition
16Fl., The Dong-A Ilbo Building
29 Chungjeong-ro, Seodaemun-gu
Seoul 03737, Republic of Korea
• Tel 82-2-361-1411
• Fax 82-2-2020-1639
• E-mail donga@seoulcompetition.com
• Website www.seoulcompetition.com

TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION

Travel and accommodation expenses related to participation in the Competition are, in principle, the responsibility of each competitor. However, non-Korean competitors who do not reside in the Republic of Korea will receive financial assistance toward their airfare as follows, subject to applicable taxes under Korean law:
• Asia: USD 500
• Other regions: USD 1,000

Non-Korean competitors not residing in Korea will also be provided with meals and accommodation at designated lodgings from 14 March 2027 as follows:
• First Round competitors until the morning following the conclusion of the First Round
• Second Round competitors until the morning following the conclusion of the Second Round
• Semifinalists until the morning following the conclusion of the Semifinal Round
• Finalists until the morning following the conclusion of the Final Round

※ All competitors must complete registration with the Secretariat before the Drawing of Lots on 15 March 2027.

VISA

Foreign competitors selected for the First Round who require a visa to enter the Republic of Korea must obtain the appropriate visa through a Korean embassy or consulate in their country of residence. Competitors are solely responsible for obtaining their visas and for all related expenses. The Secretariat will provide supporting documents upon request.

PRACTICE

Non-Korean competitors who do not reside in the Republic of Korea will be provided with three hours of free piano practice per day from two days before the First Round until the end of their participation in the Competition. All finalists will be provided with two rehearsals with the orchestra, including a stage rehearsal, before the Final Round.

SCORES

Competitors must use original scores of the works they perform. The organizers accept no responsibility for any issues arising from competitors’ unauthorized use of scores. Competitors must also provide copies of their scores to the organizers.

If orchestral materials for a Final Round work cannot be obtained within the required timeframe, the organizers may request that the competitor change his or her Final Round repertoire.

ORDER OF PERFORMANCE

The order of performance will be determined by a random drawing on 15 March 2027. Once determined, the order may not be changed, except in the Final Round when changes may be made for organizational reasons. On the day of performance, competitors must report to the Competition Secretariat at the venue by the designated time. Competitors who fail to appear at their assigned time will be considered to have withdrawn. In cases of force majeure recognized by the Jury, however, a competitor may be permitted to perform later, subject to the Competition schedule.

PERFORMANCE RIGHTS

Competitors will be under an exclusive agreement with the Competition during the Competition period. Any contact with the media must receive prior approval from the organizers.

The organizers shall hold the following rights without compensation, and competitors shall not raise objections or claim payment in connection with the exercise of such rights:

1. All rights to photograph, record, film, broadcast, and otherwise use all performances and related events of the Competition for television, radio, online platforms, photography, video, audio recording, or other media purposes.
2. All rights to produce, reproduce, distribute, and sell video recordings, audio recordings, CDs, films, and other materials derived from all performances and related events of the Competition, including concerts and recitals provided by the organizers to prizewinners.

JUDGING

1. VIDEO PRELIMINARY SCREENING

The Preliminary Screening Jury will review the application documents, video recordings, and other submitted materials and select competitors to advance to the First Round. Applicants will be notified of the results no later than 15 January 2027.

The decisions of the Preliminary Screening Jury are final and not subject to appeal. No individual explanations regarding the results will be provided.

2. PUBLIC ROUNDS

The Competition consists of four public rounds.

(1) The Jury shall evaluate competitors in accordance with the judging procedures established by the Management Committee, using a point-based scoring system. Each juror shall evaluate all competitors. However, a juror shall not evaluate a competitor whom the juror has taught for three months or more within the past two years, whom the juror expected teach in the near future, or with whom the juror has a family relationship.
(2) The decisions of the Jury are final and not subject to appeal.
(3) From the first day of the First Round until the conclusion of the Competition, jurors and competitors must not exchange opinions or information that could influence the judging process. Any competitor or juror who violates this rule shall lose his or her eligibility to participate in or serve on the Jury, respectively.

PRIZES AND ENGAGEMENTS

1. PRIZES

A total of US $127,000 in prize money will be awarded as follows:

• 1st Prize US $50,000
• 2nd Prize US $30,000
• 3rd Prize US $20,000
• 4th Prize US $10,000
• 5th Prize US $7,000
• 6th Prize US $5,000
• Special Prizes
– Best Performance of a Beethoven Sonata US $3,000
– Best Performance of the Commissioned Korean Work US $2,000
(1) The Competition Jury reserves the right not to award any of the main prizes or special prizes.
(2) In the event of a tie, the prize money for the tied rank and the next lower rank will be combined and divided equally among the tied prize winners. The next lower rank will not be awarded.
(3) All prize money will be subject to applicable taxes under Korean tax laws.
(4) The Special Prizes, endowed by Professor Emerita Soo Jung Shin of Seoul National University, may be awarded to the participants who give the best performances of a Beethoven piano sonata and the commissioned Korean work, respectively.

2. LAUREATES' CONCERTS AND ENGAGEMENTS

The Organizer may offer selected prize winners performance opportunities, including orchestral concerts and recitals, within three years following the conclusion of the Competition. Those selected are required to participate in the performances designated by the organizer. Round-trip airfare and room and board for up to seven days will be provided. No additional performance fees will be paid.

The First Prize winner is required to perform as a soloist with the Hankyung Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Seok won Hong, in “The Classic 2027 Series 1” at Lotte Concert Hall on March 29, 2027. This concert will also serve as the 2027 Seoul International Music Competition Laureates’ Concert. The soloist must perform the same piano concerto that they performed in the Final Round. If no First Prize is awarded, the Hankyung Philharmonic Orchestra will select one finalist as the soloist, who will be subject to the same performance obligations and repertoire requirements.

INTERPRETATION OF THE RULES AND CONDITIONS

In the event of any dispute regarding interpretation of the regulations and conditions of the 2027 Seoul International Music Competition, the Korean-language regulations and the laws of the Republic of Korea shall prevail. All decisions made by the Secretariat, Management Committee, and Jury are final and not subject to appeal.