II International Harp Competition-Festival "Golden Harp"

REGULATIONS
on the II International Harp Competition-Festival
"Golden Harp"

Russia, Saint Petersburg
September 20 - 27, 2026

1. MAIN PROVISIONS
1.1 The 2nd International Competition and Festival of Harp Performers "Golden Harp" is held in the specialty "Art of Concert Performance on Orchestral String Instruments" and is aimed at supporting, developing performing skills and popularizing the art of harp.
The Competition and Festival "Golden Harp" continues the traditions of the musical project of the same name created and held for the first time in 2009 at the St. Petersburg State Philharmonic named after D.D. Shostakovich. At the initiative of Professor of the St. Petersburg State Conservatory named after N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, Honored Artist of Russia Anna Makarova, the competition was revived in 2024.
1.2 In addition to the competition, this project includes a vibrant festival program, in which world stars of musical performance will take part in concerts.
1.3 The founders of the II International Competition-Festival "Golden Harp" are the St. Petersburg State Conservatory named after N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov and the Oksana Volkova Foundation charity foundation.
1.4 The members of the organizing committee and the directorate of the competition are formed by the founders.
1.5 Within the framework of the competition-festival "Golden Harp", charity concerts will be held in social institutions of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.
1.6 The composition of the jury of the competition is formed and approved by the organizing committee of the competition.
1.7 Goals and objectives of the Competition-Festival:
• Preservation and development of the best traditions of the national school of harp performance;
• Identification, support and encouragement of gifted and promising young musicians;
• Improving professional skills, improving the performing culture of harpists;
• Attracting the attention of the media and society as a whole, popularizing classical music and increasing the prestige of harp performance;
• Sharing creative and professional experience and developing international cultural ties.

2. NOMINATIONS, TERMS AND PROCEDURE OF THE COMPETITION
2.1 Competitive auditions are held in the specialty "Harp".
2.2 Competitive auditions are held in person in three rounds from September 20 to 27, 2026 in St. Petersburg.
2.3 Competitive auditions of Maurice Ravel's piece "Introduction and Allegro" in the 3rd round are held with the accompaniment of a chamber orchestra. An ensemble player will be provided to perform Franz Schubert's Sonata "Arpeggione". Chamber music may also be performed with your own soloist. 
2.4 At the end of the competitive auditions, a final gala concert will be held, accompanied by a chamber orchestra, in which the winners of the competition will take part.

2.5 Competition schedule:
 

3. TERMS OF PARTICIPATION IN THE COMPETITION
3.1 All participants of the Competition are obliged to comply with the terms of this regulation.
3.2 The competition is open to professional musicians (students and graduates of secondary and higher professional music educational institutions) from Russia and other countries.
3.3 Age restrictions for participants - up to 35 years inclusive. The age of the participant is determined at the opening of the competition - September 20, 2026.
3.4 The entry fee is 5,000 rubles. Payment of the entry fee is made before submitting documents for participation in the Competition. The entry fee is non-refundable.
3.5 Payment of fees by foreign participants is made upon arrival in the territory of the Russian Federation through the branches of PJSC Sberbank of Russia.
3.6 The entry fee does not include a bank commission. Applicants for participation in the competition independently pay for banking services for the transfer of the entry fee.
3.7 All costs associated with organizing video recording, payment for travel and meals for both contestants and accompanying persons, contestants themselves or at the expense of the sending organization.
3.8 The Organizing Committee of the Competition provides and pays for the contestants' hotel accommodation for the period from September 20, 2026 until the day of the end of each contestant's performances in the competitive auditions. For example, the contestant's performances ended after the 2nd round. Accordingly, the Organizing Committee's payment for hotel accommodation ends the day after the results of this round are announced.
3.8 Instruments for all competitive auditions and the laureates' concert will be provided by the general sponsor of the competition - Salvi Music.
3.9 Applications for participation in charity concerts within the framework of the Golden Harp festival program are accepted at the address:
• konkurs2026harp@conservatory.ru (contact phone: +7 (911) 912-28-38)

4. APPLICATION SUBMISSION AND CONSIDERATION TERMS
4.1 To participate in the competition, you must send a package of documents (application) to the competition email address:
• konkurs2026harp@conservatory.ru
4.2 The package of documents (application) sent to the competition includes:
1) A letter of recommendation from a reputable musician;
2) A creative biography (resume) of the performer in Word format with contact information;
3) A concert photo (1 piece) in high resolution;
4) A link to the competition video recording (see paragraph 5 of these Regulations);
5) A receipt with a bank stamp on payment of the entry fee* (or a receipt for online payment) (Appendix No. 2).
*Foreign participants provide a bank receipt after payment made upon arrival in Russia.
4.3 The deadline for submitting a package of documents (applications) for participation in the competition is from January 1 to April 31, 2026, inclusive.
4.4 Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
4.5 By sending photo and video materials to the Organizing Committee of the competition, the participant automatically confirms his/her consent to the use of materials by third parties (organizers, jury members, other participants of the Competition).
4.6 The list of harpists admitted to the competitive auditions will be published no later than June 1, 2026 on the website of the St. Petersburg Conservatory (https://conservatory.ru).
4.7 If necessary, at the request of the participant, the Organizing Committee may send an official invitation to participate in the competition.

5. REQUIREMENTS TO COMPETITION VIDEO MATERIALS
5.1 The video recording must contain the performance of any work from any round of the competition program specified in paragraph 7 of these Regulations.
5.2 Video materials must be posted on one of the following Internet resources: Rutube, Yandex.disc, Cloud Mail.Ru, Google.Disk. The file must be easy to open via links from a computer or other device, without requiring registration on the platform or downloading the video to view. Posting the recording on social networks is not allowed.
5.3 Availability of access to links is the responsibility of the competition participant.
5.4 Video filming must ensure identification of the performer: the competitor must be clearly visible in full height. At the very beginning of the video recording, the performer must clearly and distinctly announce the last name, first name, patronymic (if any), composer and the title of the performed work.
5.5 The recording of the pieces must be made in a concert hall or in a large classroom in concert attire.
5.6 All pieces, including the recording of the 1st round, are performed from memory (except for the Sonata "Arpeggione" by Franz Schubert)

6. JURY AND SUMMING UP THE RESULTS OF THE COMPETITION
6.1 The Jury of the Competition is formed from leading Russian and foreign musicians.
6.3 Based on the results of the auditions of the 1st round, no more than 16 participants will be admitted to participate in the 2nd round of the Competition.
6.4 Based on the results of the in-person auditions of the 2nd round, no more than 6 participants will be admitted to participate in the 3rd round of the Competition.
6.4 The decision of the Jury is final and is not subject to review or appeal. Judicial intervention is excluded.
6.5 The Jury has the right to:
1) award not all prizes;
2) divide places between participants who have scored an equal number of points (except for the 1st prize);
3) award special and additional diplomas and prizes.
6.6 Based on the results of the competitive auditions, the participants of the competition are awarded the following titles:
• Competition Diploma Winner (a diploma is awarded to all competitors who have passed to the 2nd round)
• Competition Finalist (a certificate is awarded to all competitors who have passed to the 3rd round)
• Competition Laureate
6.7 Prizes for laureates:
1st degree laureate:
- Cash prize from sponsor Salvi Music.
- Concert performance of Franz Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata with maestro Alexander Knyazev (cello)
- A memorable gift from the sponsor.
- Solo concerts in leading halls of Russia.
2nd degree laureate:
- 200,000 rubles
- Performance of Maurice Ravel's "Introduction and Allegro for Harp" in the Small Hall of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic with the S. Taneyev Quartet
- A souvenir gift from the sponsor.
3rd degree laureate:
- Cash prize of 150,000 rubles
- A souvenir gift from the sponsor
4th degree laureate:
- Cash prize
Special prize and diploma for the best performance of a piece by a Russian composer in the 1st round.
Special prize and diploma for the best performance of a piece by I.S. Bach in the 2nd round.

6.8 After the end of the competitive auditions, the final gala concert of the competition laureates will take place in the Small Hall of the St. Petersburg Academic Philharmonic named after D.D. Shostakovich.

7. COMPETITION PROGRAM
Competition pieces for all rounds must be performed from memory.
Pieces from the 1st and 2nd rounds must not be repeated.
ROUND 1
(qualifying by video recordings)

1) Any piece of the participant's choice:

M. Granjany. Fantasy on a Theme by Haydn, op. 31
W. Mozart - A. Eberl. Variations and Rondo Pastorale for solo harp (no repeats)

L. Spohr. Variations

2) G. Handel - Prelude and Toccata

3) A piece (or two short pieces) by a Russian or Soviet composer (not a harpist) of the 19th - 21st centuries, lasting from 4 to 10 minutes
(P. Tchaikovsky, S. Prokofiev, M. Glinka, R. Glière, V. Kikta)

ROUND 2

1) J. S. Bach. Any piece of at least 7 minutes duration (it is possible to perform several different parts from any partita or suite)
Examples:

Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV 565;

Chaconne from Partita for Violin No. 2 (any version for harp);
Italian Concerto BWV 971 (1 part), etc.

2) Pieces of the participant's choice:
M. Tournier. Sonatina Op. 30. (without repeats)

K. Salcedo. Five Preludes for Harp

B. Britten. Suite for Solo Harp
K. Salcedo. Variations in the Old Style (version with fugue, excluding variations No. 6, 9, 10)
K. Salcedo. Prelude and suite of eight dances (any dances may be performed in any order, but no less than six dances)

3) Works of the participant's choice:

F. Chopin. Fantasy - impromptu (any version)

A. Alyabyev - Liszt - Rainier. "The Nightingale"
F. Liszt. Dreams of Love (any version)

E. Walter - Kuehne. Fantasy on themes from the opera "Eugene Onegin" for solo harp

ROUND 3

1) F. Schubert. Sonata "Arpeggione" for cello (viola) and harp (performed from notes)

2) M. Ravel. "Introduction and Allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet and String Quartet"
• It is possible to perform the Sonata "Arpeggione" with your own soloist (cello, viola, flute, clarinet), using any available editions
• The version of the Sonata "Arpeggione" in the edition for harp by A. Makarova is available on the Ozon.ru marketplace and in the "Planet of Music" publication