2024 Borderland Chopin International Competition

BORDERLAND CHOPIN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION 2024

MAY 22-25, 2024

University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas USA

Sponsored by the Bonnie Brooks Family Foundation

Oscar Macchioni, Artistic Director 
Deborah Svedman, Executive Director  

The Borderland Chopin International Competition (triennial) was created to promote the piano music of beloved Polish composer Frédéric Chopin, as well as other composers from unrepresented groups, in the Borderland region (West Texas, Southern New Mexico, and Chihuahua, Mexico). In addition to bring artists of international caliber to the University of Texas at El Paso, we wish to engage the community through concerts, masterclasses, outreach, and musical instrument donations.

“Borderland” refers to three border cities, encompassing two countries and three states: El Paso in Texas and Las Cruces in New Mexico, USA, and Ciudad Juárez in Chihuahua, Mexico. This is a rich cultural area known for its artisans and culinary wonders, mountains, and Chihuahuan Desert beauty. Our host, the University of Texas at El Paso, boasts a  beautiful, unique campus in Bhutanese architecture.

Eligibility and Prizes:

The Competition is open to pianists of all nationalities between the ages of 18 and 35. Eligibility age is determined by the application deadline of February 20th, 2024. It is understood that members of the International Jury may be acquainted with some participants in the competition because of past associations (for example, previous competitions, music festivals, master classes, or enrollment at academic institutions). Current students of jury members can participate in the competition but must disclose that information in the application or will be disqualified. Jury members whose student/s are competing must disclose the affiliation with the student and will be excused from voting.

1st Prize: $20,000. Hotel accommodation, airfare reimbursement up to $1,000. Performance with the El Paso Symphony Orchestra and community outreach 2024-25 season. Airfare and accommodations approximately. $5,000. Total value approximately. $26,000. Subject to US tax rules.   

2nd Prize: $15,000. Hotel accommodation, airfare reimbursement up to $1,000. All-paid performance of a joint solo recital with 3rd Prize winner at UTEP’s Borderland Chopin Festival 2025, and community outreach. Total value approximately $20,000. Subject to US tax rules. 

 3rd Prize: $10,000. Hotel accommodation, airfare reimbursement up to $1,000.  All-paid performance of a joint solo recital with 2nd Prize winner at UTEP’s Borderland Chopin Festival 2025, and community outreach. Total value approximately $15,000. Subject to US tax rules.  

Wilma Salzman Special Prize for the best performance of a Chopin work (any semifinalist or finalist): $1,000. 

Lewis Peeples Special Prize for a living composer’s work (any semifinalist or finalists): $1,000. 

Competition Schedule and Repertoire

Competition Schedule of Rounds:

February 20, 2024 - Deadline to apply. Preliminary Round, Virtual. Deadline for applications is midnight MST (+7 GMT). Application is on GetAcceptd. Application fee is $50 and is non-refundable. Screening jury will select ten (10) applicants for the live quarterfinals. 

March 5, 2024 - Announcement of ten (10) quarterfinalists as selected by the screening jury. All applicants will be notified of acceptance or rejection by email.

March 15, 2024 - Deadline for participation confirmation and program changes.

May 22-23, 2024 – Quarterfinals, Live. Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall on the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas. A random drawing will determine order of performances. Ten (10) contestants, Jury will select six (6) semifinalists.

May 24, 2024 - Semifinals, Live. Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall on the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas. Six (6) contestants, Jury will select three (3) finalists.

 May 25, 2024 - Finals, Live. Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall on the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas. Announcement of winners and awarding of prizes to follow. The decisions of the jury in each round will be final and not subject to appeal.

Competition Repertoire (All works must be performed by memory for each round except for the living composer work):

Virtual Preliminary Round Repertoire requirements, 25-30 minutes total time:

• Two Chopin Etudes, one from op.10 and one from op. 25 
• One Chopin Nocturne  
• Free choice(s) of piano works by composers other than Chopin to show a well-rounded and varied repertoire. Free works may be repeated on quarterfinals, and single movements of large-scale works are not permitted.

Live Quarterfinal Round Repertoire requirements, 25-30 minutes total time:

• One Chopin Etude from either op. 10 or op. 25 (different from preliminary round) 
• One Chopin Mazurka  
• One Chopin Polonaise  
• Free choice(s) of piano works by composers other than Chopin to show a well-rounded and varied repertoire. Free works may NOT be repeated on semifinals, and single movements of large-scale works are not permitted.

 Live Semifinal Round Repertoire requirements, 45-50 minutes total time.

• One Chopin Major work (Ballade, Sonata, Scherzo, Complete Preludes) 
• One Chopin Waltz 
• One Living composer work (by memory optional); a published copy of the score is required (no photocopies allowed) for the judges. 
• Free choice(s) of piano works by composers other than Chopin to show a well-rounded and varied repertoire. Free works from previous rounds may NOT be repeated, and single movements of large-scale works are not permitted.

 Live Final Round Repertoire requirements, no time limit:

• ONE (1) complete piano concerto to perform with Competition Accompanist at second piano. Finalists may choose from the following list (approved by Maestro Bohuslav Rattay, conductor of El Paso Symphony Orchestra): 
• Bartok 2,3 
• Beethoven any 
• Brahms 1, 2 
• Chopin 1, 2, Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Brillante 
• Gershwin Concerto in F 
• Grieg 
• Liszt any 
• Mozart any except No. 21 in C major 
• Prokofiev 1, 2, 3 
• Rachmaninoff, 1, 2, 3, Paganini Variations. 
• Schumann  
• Tchaikovsky 1  

**The selected three (3) finalists will each have a one-hour rehearsal with the Borderland accompanist for free. If a finalist wants additional rehearsal time, the fee is $100 per hour.

Jury members: 

The Competition jury will consist of the following nationally and internationally acclaimed pianists and conductor:

Guidelines and Requirements for Applying (please read and follow):

1. Applications must be completed online and submitted through the GetAcceptd website
2. Incomplete, late, or fraudulent applications will not be considered, and there is no refund of the application fee. The Competition recommends that applications be submitted well in advance of the deadline to avoid any confusion with dates or times.
3. A non-refundable application fee of $50 will be charged at the time of application submission.
4. The application requires the following:

• • Proof of age: a photocopy of one of the following
    • birth certificate
    • passport
    • driver's license
    • government-issued photo ID).
  • Recent color photograph (headshot) in a high-quality 300 dpi .jpg or .png format.
  • Short biography of 150 words or less in a Word document
  • Resume or CV of achievements and activities since January 1, 2019. Limit 2 pages in a Word document.
  • Complete repertoire list for all competition stages. 
    • Please list works by each round: Preliminary, Quarterfinal, Semifinal, and Final, according to the repertoire requirements listed above. Identify each work to be performed with complete composer name: title, opus number or other identifying system, and movement (if applicable).

               Example:  Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus: Piano Sonata in D Major, K.311, 1st mvt Allegro con spirito

  • Recent (within 18 months) video recordings containing the repertoire required for the preliminary round. The video image must show the pianist’s hands while playing and the right side of his/her whole figure. The video may use performances from different recording sessions, but each complete individual work must be recorded in one take. Videos must be uploaded as three separate files - 1) the Etudes, 2) the Nocturne, and 3) the free choice(s) by composers other than Chopin. Label each file with applicant’s name, name of work, and composer. For example: JennySmith_Etudes_Chopin.mp4 or MWang_Sonata17_Beethoven.mp4.

NOTE: Applicants should utilize the best possible video and audio equipment to record the application files. These files represent the first and only opportunity for applicants to display their pianistic capabilities to the section Jury and should be of the highest possible quality to create a positive impression. Be sure your setting and attire are profes­sional and appropriate, your piano is in good tune, and the sound quality accurately reflects your musicality. For best sound quality, use external microphones (mounted independently of camera). Listen to and watch the video files before uploading to guarantee the quality of the recording.

Rules and Regulations:

1. The deadline for applications is February 20, 2024.
2. All works must be performed by memory for each round with the exception of the work by a living composer. Memorization is optional for the living composer work only. A published copy of the living composer's score is required (no photocopies allowed) for the judges.
3. Practice facilities and times will be provided in the Fox Fine Arts Building for the 10 quarterfinalists.
4. Travel expenses to and from El Paso are the responsibility of each contestant, however, the top three (3) winners will be reimbursed up to $1,000 for their travel expenses. The 10 selected quarterfinalists will have their hotel expenses paid for by the Bonnie Brooks Family Foundation, and the hotel is within walking distance of the Fox Fine Arts Building. The hotel provides a shuttle to and from the airport. There are many restaurants and eateries within walking distance.
5. Contestants not advancing to the next round are invited to stay for the duration, but are not required to.
6. Contestants not appearing at their assigned performance time may be disqualified.
7. The jury has the right to not award all prizes, and the jury makes the final decisions as to awarding prizes and distinctions. The jury’s decisions are not subject to appeal. The Competition Directors’ decisions are final on all matters outside the jurisdiction of the Competition jury.
8. The candidate’s submission of his/her competition application is considered as the candidate’s acceptance of the Competition Rules and means that an agreement has been concluded between the Borderland Chopin Competition, the Bonnie Brooks Family Foundation, and the candi­date concerning all matters provided for in these Rules.

Other information:

1. Competitors for the live quarterfinal round must arrive in El Paso, Texas, no later than Wednesday, May 22, 2024.
2. All live performances are open to the public and will take place in the Recital Hall of the Fox Fine Arts Building on the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso.
3. Jury deliberations covers online and live rounds. A numerical system of points will be used for judging, and no discussion of competitors among the judges is allowed.
4. Each winner is solely responsible for reporting and paying any and all applicable taxes related to the prize(s) and paying any expenses associated with any prize which are not specifically provided for in the official rules. The invited 10 finalists will be required to complete US tax form W-9 prior to arrival at the competition. Each winner must pro­vide the Borderland International Competition with valid identification and valid taxpayer identification number or social security number if a US citizen. Non-citizen winners must complete the Certificate of Foreign Status, Form W-8BEN. Any person winning over $600 in prizes will receive an IRS form 1099 at the end of the calendar year and a copy of such form will be filed with the IRS.
5. The Borderland International Piano Competition reserves the right to produce and distribute, without restriction or fee, all recordings of the entire Competition or parts thereof, including the application recordings and Finals.
6. Sessions may, by permission of the Borderland International Piano Competition, be broadcast live, filmed and/or recorded for subsequent broadcast, telecast or film documentary, and photographed by and for the press or for other publicity purposes, all without fee to the participants.
7. Within the scope of the rights obtained under these Rules, the Borderland International Chopin Competition will be fully authorized to transfer these rights to others, to grant licenses and further authorizations. The contestant will not be entitled to any additional remuneration arising out of this.
8. For any questions or concerns, please contact the Executive Director, Deborah Svedman, at BorderlandChopin@gmail.com.