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Participation
Art. 1 – The Competition is open to violinists with citizenship of one of the Member States of the European Union, born no earlier than January 1st, 1998.

Documents
Art. 2 – The application form, along with its relevant attachments, must be submitted online by May 31st, 2026, via the form available on the competition website: https://concorsoviolino.it/
Applications sent after this date will not be accepted, submitted documentation will not be returned, and the registration fee will not be refunded. Applications received without a copy of the receipt for the payment of the registration fee will not be considered valid.
Applications must be accompanied by the following documents:
• receipt of payment of the registration fee of € 60.00 to be made via bank transfer to:
Unicredit Banca Spa, Vittorio Veneto Branch IBAN: IT 19 K 02008 62196 000103516350
Entity code: 389400 – BIC SWIFT code: UNCRITM1UV4 Reason for payment: “Registration for the 3rd European Violin Competition”
• photocopy of a valid identity document (in the case of a candidate under the age of 18, also attach a photocopy of the identity document of the parent signing the application form)
• curriculum vitae (maximum one A4 page)
• color photo of the candidate.

Admission
Art. 3 – Admission is decided by the Artistic Director regarding compliance with the performance program, following verification by the Municipal Offices of the regularity of the documentation presented. Candidates related to Jury members by family ties may not be admitted to the Competition. Applications from candidates who, following any requests from the Competition Secretariat for clarification, modification, or integration, have not completed their documentation by June 15th, 2026, at the latest, will be considered null and void. No exceptions will be allowed. Every candidate, by submitting the application form, undertakes to accept these regulations and to waive any rights relating to possible audio or television recordings.
In the event of withdrawal, please notify the office, also by e-mail: violino@comune.vittorio-veneto.tv.it

Art. 4 – In the event that the number of admission applications is higher than the number allowed in the three days scheduled for the preliminary rounds, the Competition Organization, having consulted the Artistic Director, reserves the right to close registrations in advance of the May 31st, 2026 date. In this case, applications received (regular, complete with all requested attachments and with the receipt of payment of the registration fee) will be accepted according to the order of arrival: the date and time of the application submission will prevail.
Any non-admission (due to irregularity or incompleteness of the application, or because the candidate is in excess of the quota) will be promptly communicated via e-mail to the address indicated by the candidate in the application.
In the case of non-admission due to the excess number of applications (not due to irregularity), the candidate will receive a refund of the registration fee paid.

Execution Programs
Art. 5 – For the FIRST ROUND (preliminary), the program listed below is required, which must be performed in the order indicated.

a) The first movement (with cadenza) of one of the following Violin and Orchestra Concertos by W.A. Mozart, with piano accompaniment, chosen by the candidate:
KV 216 in G major
KV 218 in D major
KV 219 in A major
For this performance, the candidate must exclusively use the official pianist provided by the Competition (see also Art. 8 below in this regard);
followed by
b) two pieces, by two different composers, chosen by the candidate from the following:
– from the 24 Caprices in the form of studies for violin by J.P. Rode, nos. 4, 5, 11, 19, 24;
– from the 24 Studies and Caprices for violin op. 35 by J. Dont, nos. 8, 12, 14, 18, 22;
– from the 24 Caprices for solo violin op. 1 by N. Paganini, nos. 9, 11, 17, 21, 24;
followed by
c) two movements from the same Sonata (BWV 1001, 1003, 1005) or the same Partita (BWV 1002, 1004, 1006) for solo violin by J.S. Bach, chosen by the candidate:
Sonata I – Siciliana and Presto
Partita I – Sarabande and Double
Sonata II – Andante and Allegro
Partita II – Sarabanda and Giga
Sonata III – Largo and Allegro assai
Partita III – Loure and Gavotte en Rondeau

Art. 6 – For the SECOND ROUND (semi-final), the three-part program listed below is required, in the performance order chosen by the candidate:

a) a Sonata for violin and piano chosen by the candidate from the following:
L. van Beethoven
Sonata no. 6 in A major op. 30 no. 1
Sonata no. 7 in C minor op. 30 no. 2
Sonata no. 8 in G major op. 30 no. 3
J. Brahms
Sonata no. 1 in G major op. 78
Sonata no. 2 in A major op. 100
Sonata no. 3 in D minor op. 108
C. Franck
Sonata in A major
E. Grieg
Sonata no. 3 in C minor op. 45
S. Prokofiev
Sonata in D major op. 94a
C. Saint-Saëns
Sonata no. 1 in D minor op. 75

b) one of the following compositions, chosen by the candidate from the following:
P. De Sarasate
Introduzione e Tarantella
N. Paganini
I Palpiti (no Kreisler edition)
M. Ravel
Tzigane
C. Saint-Saëns
Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso
P.I. Tchaikovsky
Valse-scherzo
F. Waxman
Carmen Fantasy
H. Wieniawski
Polonaise in D major
H. Wieniawski
Variations on an Original Theme op. 15
E. Ysaye
Sonata op. 27 no. 3
E. Ysaye
Sonata op. 27 no. 6

c) Respiri for solo violin by Fabio Vacchi (Ricordi Editions).

Art. 7 – For the THIRD ROUND (final with orchestra), the integral execution of one of the following concertos is required, chosen by the candidate:
L. van Beethoven
Concerto in D major op. 61
J. Brahms
Concerto in D major op. 77 –
F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
Concerto in E minor op. 64
J. Sibelius
Concerto in D minor op. 47
P.I. Tchaikovsky
Concerto in D major op. 35

The final round will be carried out with the collaboration of the Orchestra of the Teatro La Fenice in Venice.

Official Pianists
Art. 8 – For each admitted candidate, the Organizing Body provides one of the two official pianists of the Competition.
To ensure equal treatment (par condicio), in the FIRST ROUND the candidates:
– cannot use the collaboration of their own pianist;
– cannot rehearse the 1st movement of the Mozart Concerto with the official pianist assigned to them before the preliminary round.
For the SECOND ROUND (Wednesday, August 26th, 2026), the candidate may use their own pianist. Otherwise, the candidate admitted to the semi-final round will be assigned an official pianist with whom they may rehearse the pieces with piano for no more than 50 minutes.
The location and time of the rehearsals with the pianists will be communicated to the semi-finalists immediately after the results of the first round have been announced (the evening of Tuesday, August 25th).

General Indications
Art. 9 – The Jury has the faculty to listen to even only part of the program presented.
In the second round (semi-final), the execution of any repeats in the Sonata for violin and piano will be agreed upon with the Jury immediately after the publication of the outcome of the preliminary round (the evening of Tuesday, August 25th).
Performance from memory is desirable in the final round. Candidates who, in the event of admission to the final round, choose to perform the concerto with the score (therefore not from memory) have the obligation to communicate this to the Jury before the semi-final round.
A maximum of 3 (three) candidates may be admitted to the final round with orchestra.

Calendar and Venue of Rounds
Art. 10 – The Competition will take place in Vittorio Veneto (TV – Italy) from August 23rd to 29th, 2026, with the following calendar:

FIRST ROUND
Sunday, August 23rd (candidates with initial letters A-G/H) *
Monday, August 24th (candidates with initial letters H/I-N/O) *
Tuesday, August 25th (candidates with initial letters O/P-Z) *

Indicative distribution: the exact daily allocation of candidates will depend on the overall distribution of the initial letters of the surnames of the candidates admitted to the Competition.

SECOND ROUND
Wednesday, August 26th

THIRD ROUND
Saturday, August 29th (afternoon / evening)

By the month of June 2026, the final calendar (with indication of venues, dates, times) will be communicated to all admitted candidates, via e-mail to the address indicated by the candidate in the application, and will be published on the Competition website.
Late candidates (relative to the call time) in the first or second round may be heard at the end of the session, provided the reasons for the delay are deemed valid by the Organizing Body and on the condition that this does not involve an excessive delay for the subsequent auditions.
On Thursday, August 27th, the three candidates admitted to the final round will perform the rehearsal with the Orchestra of the Teatro La Fenice in Venice.
In the afternoon of Saturday, August 29th, at the “Lorenzo Da Ponte” Theater in Vittorio Veneto, the three finalists will carry out the balancing rehearsal with the orchestra. Rehearsal times will be promptly communicated to the three finalists. The final round with the Orchestra will follow.

Identification
Art. 11 – Before starting the rounds, candidates must present a valid identity document to the secretariat staff.

Hospitality
Art. 12 – Candidates admitted to the final round will be granted reimbursement, up to a maximum of 200.00 Euros and upon presentation of suitable documentation, for board and lodging expenses incurred on Thursday 27th, Friday 28th, and Saturday 29th of August.

Art. 13 – The organization declines all responsibility in the event of theft, damage, and accidents to people and things, which may occur during the journey or the holding of the Competition.

Jury
Art. 14 – The Jury will be composed of violinists and concert artists of international fame.

Art. 15 – The judgment of the Jury, which will be made public at the end of each stage of the Competition, is final and unappealable.

In the event that a candidate has an ongoing or has had in the last two years a continuous educational relationship with a member of the Jury, the latter shall not participate in the evaluation of that candidate. In this case, the evaluation is carried out by the other members of the Jury. If the President of the Jury must abstain, this role will be temporarily assumed by the oldest member. In the event of a tie, the vote of the person presiding over the session at that moment prevails.

Prizes and Scholarships
Art. 16 – The Jury assigns the prizes and scholarships listed below.
1st PRIZE of € 8,000.00
2nd PRIZE of € 5,000.00
3rd PRIZE of € 2,000.00
Scholarship of € 750.00 to the candidate who has given, in the first round, the best interpretation of Bach.
Scholarship of € 750.00 to the candidate who has given, in the second round, the best interpretation of the Sonata.
Scholarship of € 750.00 to the candidate who has given, in the second round, the best interpretation of Respiri for solo violin by Fabio Vacchi.
Scholarship of € 750.00 to the youngest semi-finalist.
Scholarship of € 750.00 to the best duo that performed in the second round (candidate with their own pianist).
“Mario Benvenuti” Scholarship of € 750.00 offered by the Benvenuti Family – in memory of the Maestro founder of the National Violin Competition of Vittorio Veneto and the collateral National String Reviews – to the youngest finalist candidate.
All the amounts indicated above are gross of statutory tax withholdings.

Award Concerts
Art. 17 – The winner of the 1st prize is also awarded the award concerts offered by the following Foundations, Institutions, and Associations:
– Fondazione Teatro alla Scala in Milan
– Fondazione Teatro La Fenice in Venice
– Teatro Comunale “Mario Del Monaco” in Treviso
– I Solisti Veneti
– Theater Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle, Germany) *
– North Hungarian Symphony Orchestra, Miskolc (Hungary) *
– Nuova Orchestra da Camera “Ferruccio Busoni” in Trieste
– “A. Pedrollo” Conservatory of Music in Vicenza
– Circolo Culturale Bellunese in Belluno
– Accademia Musicale Romana
– I Solisti Lucani

The award concerto will be assigned to one of the finalists, at the discretion of the artistic director of both institutions (Aachen and Miskolc)
The fee, the calendar, the performance venue, and the inclusion in the program will be at the discretion of the Entity offering the concerto, in agreement with the winner.

General Rules on Prizes
Art. 18 – The first prize is indivisible.

Art. 19 – Regarding the assignment of the second and third prizes, in the event that multiple candidates are classified in a tie, the cash prizes of the second or third prize that are eventually not assigned will be accumulated and divided into equal parts. In the event that the first prize is not assigned, the sum of the same will not be distributed.

Art. 20 – The Jury has the faculty to designate one or more candidates, deemed particularly deserving, to be invited to hold concerts in Italy and abroad; furthermore, it has the faculty to assign merit diplomas to non-awarded candidates who have particularly distinguished themselves.

Art. 21 – Those who intend to advertise the result achieved are required to mention the prizes obtained in a correct and truthful way, strictly adhering to the official decisions of the Jury. Any abuse will be prosecuted according to the law.

Art. 22 – The Organizing Body of the Competition reserves the faculty to make any changes to these regulations or to revoke the Competition, should they become necessary for reasons of force majeure.

Final Rules
Art. 23 – The Organizing Body of the Competition reserves all rights of recording, also for the purposes of radio, television, recording, and dissemination, both in Italy and abroad, of the music performed during the competitions, without recognizing any compensation to the participating candidates. The candidates also waive any compensation for any recordings or for transmissions made by public or private radio and television entities.

Art. 24 – Personal data will be processed in full compliance with EU Regulation 679/2016 and Legislative Decree 196/2003 and subsequent amendments and integrations.

Art. 25 – Registration for the Competition involves the full and unconditional acceptance of these regulations. In the event of disputes, the Italian text of the regulations published on the website of the Municipality of Vittorio Veneto will prevail.

Vittorio Veneto, February 19th, 2026

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President of the Competition: Mirella Balliana, Mayor of Vittorio Veneto
Councilor for Culture: Enrico Padoan
Artistic Director: Francesco De Angelis
Artistic Coordinator and Secretary of the Jury: Stefano Da Ros
Accompanist pianists: Monica Cattarossi and Alexandra Pavlova
Organizer: Municipality of Vittorio Veneto
in collaboration with the Centro Teatrale Da Ponte, Vittorio Veneto
Organizational Secretariat: Culture Office, Municipality of Vittorio Veneto
tel. +39 0438 569.315/.312/.332
violino@comune.vittorio-veneto.tv.it