About

Max Rostal was one of the most outstanding figures in the history of violin playing and a world-famous educationalist. Numerous famous and internationally renowned artists were once under the artistic guidance of Max Rostal. In his adopted hometown of Berne, Switzerland, a competition for violin and viola was created in 1991 which took place every two years. It is hosted by the Berlin University for the Arts. In 2009 the competition was held for the first time for violin and viola at the same time again, after the rhythm was changed in 1997. The next competition for violin and viola will be in 2012.

It was Max Rostal's most urgent concern to do his utmost to support young musicians. For 65 years he pursued this aim in his teaching activities in distinguished institutes and in master courses all over the world. Max Rostal called the Carl Flesch Competition into being and played a major role in founding the European String Teachers Association (ESTA).

True to the spirit of its conception, the Max Rostal Competition, founded by Max Rostal himself, tries to encourage an original choice of repertoire. When judging candidates, the main emphasis is given to their musicality, interpretation, stylistic sense and charisma. A high technical level is naturally required, but is not the defining goal. The aim of the competition is to encourage the skill and develop the talent and creativity of future generations of musicians. With this concept the Max Rostal Competition has achieved a particular reputation well acknowledged by participants from all over the world. Public engagements will be arranged for the winners as a part of their prize. The composition of the jury reflects a broad aesthetical view, encompassing different schools and philosophies. It has been proven successful to change the members of the jury for each competition as well as to have different generations and interdisciplinary artists working in the jury to ensure an independent and objective result.

Printversion