International Conducting Competition Rotterdam
| International Conducting Competition Rotterdam | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Classical |
| Venue | De Doelen |
| Locations | Rotterdam, Netherlands |
| Inaugurated | 1-3 June 2022 |
| Participants | 6 |
| Prize money | €25,000 |
| Website | iccr |
The International Conducting Competition Rotterdam (ICCR) is a conducting competition held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.[1]
For the competition, six conductors are selected to compete. Applicants need to be between 23 and 30 years of age.[2] After the selection, the six participants have a year-long training program. After this program, the main competition event begins. The participants compete in five rounds, each consisting of multiple rehearsals and a concert. Tickets can be bought for both the concert and the rehearsals. Every round has a different genre and orchestra.[3][4] The genres of the rounds are proms, contemporary, classical, opera, and great symphonic works.[5] Participating orchestras include the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, Sinfonia Rotterdam, Klangforum Wien and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. The event is presented by pianist Christiaan Kuyvenhoven.[6] At the end of the competition, a prize is assigned for each round, and also a grand prize for the best allrounder.[7]
The event was initiated by former Concertgebouw director Martijn Sanders[3] and is organised in cooperation with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and De Doelen.[8] The competition offers young conductors opportunity to gain experience, because it is usually difficult to get access to an orchestra.[9] It is a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions.[10]
The first edition was held in June 2022, with a selection in 2021.[11] The second edition was held in June 2025, with the selection taking place in June 2024.[12]
Finalists and winners
First edition (2022)
The first edition of the competition had 165 applicants from 50 countries, of which six finalists were selected: Bertie Baigent, Chloe Rooke, Martijn Dendievel, Luis Toro Araya, Joel Sandelson and Carlos Ágreda.[6][13] One of the featured pieces was Night Flight commissioned to Dutch composer Joey Roukens.[14] The first prize for Best Allrounder was awarded to Bertie Baigent.[5]
Second edition (2025)
The second edition included a semi-final where 24 selected participants conducted live in Rotterdam.[2] The commissioned piece was A Portrait of Six Conductors by Mathilde Wantenaar.[3] The six finalists were Luis Castillo Briceño, Yukuang Jin, Jakub Przybycień, Rodrigo Sámano Albarrán, Miguel Sepúlveda and Sam Weller.[15][16] The joint winners of the Best Allrounder prize were Luis Castillo Briceño and Miguel Sepúlveda.[8]
References
- ^ "About us". International Conducting Competition Rotterdam. Retrieved 2025-08-22.
- ^ a b "International Conducting Competition Rotterdam 2025". Global Foundation for the Performing Arts. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
- ^ a b c van der Lint, Peter (2025-06-06). "In Rotterdam zoekt men dezer dagen naar een dirigeertalent à la Mäkelä" [In Rotterdam these days they are looking for a conducting talent like Mäkelä]. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-08-23.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Codarts students take on ICCR: the International Conducting Competition Rotterdam". Codarts. 2025-06-02. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
- ^ a b Gandolahage, Rahul (2022-06-04). "Bertie Baigent is de eerste winnaar van nieuw dirigentenconcours in Rotterdam" [Bertie Baigent is the first winner of the new conducting competition in Rotterdam]. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-08-23.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ a b Varney, Clare (2022-06-12). "Redefining the World of Classical Music Competitions". The Spidy Editor. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
- ^ Stokkers, Maartje (2022-05-31). "Zes kandidaten strijden in Rotterdam om de prijs voor beste dirigent" [Six candidates compete in Rotterdam for the prize for best conductor]. De Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-08-23.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ a b "Twee dirigenten delen eerste prijs Rotterdams concours" [Two conductors share first prize in Rotterdam competition]. Reformatorisch Dagblad (in Dutch). 2025-06-16. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
- ^ Gandolahage, Rahul (2022-06-04). "Bertie Baigent is de eerste winnaar van nieuw dirigentenconcours in Rotterdam" [Bertie Baigent is the first winner of the new conducting competition in Rotterdam]. NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-08-23.
(...) is het voor jonge dirigenten moeilijk om ervaring op te doen.
[(...) it's difficult for young conductors to gain experience.]{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Rotterdam - International Conducting Competition Rotterdam". World Federation of International Music Competitions. Retrieved 2025-08-22.
- ^ "International Conducting Competition Rotterdam". www.rotterdamsphilharmonisch.nl. 2022-06-01. Retrieved 2025-08-22.
- ^ "Second edition". International Conducting Competition Rotterdam. Retrieved 2025-08-22.
- ^ "Over de ICCR". Symphony.live (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-08-22.
- ^ Jeroen (2022-04-04). "International Conducting Competition Rotterdam starts". Inside Rotterdam Magazine. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
- ^ "International Conducting Competition Rotterdam 2025". NPO Klassiek (in Dutch). 2025-06-11. Retrieved 2025-08-22.
- ^ "VC LIVE | International Conducting Competition Rotterdam - Final Round". The Violin Channel. 2025-05-13. Retrieved 2025-08-22.