How to participate?

Prepare a good quality video.

1. You can record yourself with an ordinary smartphone. You can use professional equipment, but you’re not obliged to. The key is to remember to set the best quality. Try to use a tripod and record horizontally.
2. Don’t place the recording equipment too far away to avoid reverberation. We also recommend that you clearly show your silhouette and the position of your hands on the keyboard.
   We accept videos from a variety of angles.
3. Upload your video to YouTube or a similar website and send us a link via the application form.

Now choose your category:

Choose one of the five main categories:

• Piano Prodigy (9 years old and younger)
• Piano Junior (10-13 years old)
• Piano Senior (14-19 years old)
• Piano Master (20 years old and above)
• Amateur (no formal musical education and without age limit)

* Participant’s age by the current deadline date.

and then you have the opportunity to participate in additional categories (this choice is not mandatory). Each category is a separate competition, where you compete against other participants entered in the selected group. You can enter many additional categories.

You have a choice of the following extra categories:

• Baroque
• Classical period
• Romantic period
• Impressionism
• 20th Century
• 21st Century
• Etude
• Sonata/Sonatina
• Concerto
• Toccata
• Bach
• Chopin
• Liszt
• Haydn
• Mozart
• Beethoven
• Schubert
• Schumann
• Brahms
• Rachmaninov
• Prokofiev
• Own Composition

You can apply with one program to multiple categories or submit an additional recording to compete in additional categories. Alternatively, you can choose no additional category and participate only in the main one.

The duration of the program should not exceed 15 minutes in each category. If it does exceed, the Jury reserves the right to listen only to the time specified in the rules and judge only on that basis.

Separate parts from cyclical pieces are allowed. The number of inserted links to recordings is arbitrary, but pay attention that the recording time does not exceed 15 minutes (for each group).

The entry fee for the Competition is 60 euros for the main categories and 30 euros for each additional category.

The form will calculate for you the price of the application according to the selected categories.
After completing the form, you are redirected to a secure payment platform (Stripe).

Ad Libitum is a competition where you are judged by professional, experienced Jurors.

The total scoring is influenced by partial points for musicality and expression, charisma, technique, the level of preparation of the program, and a sense of the style of the piece being played.

The total score is 25 points.

For a certain score you get a certain prize:

• 24-25 points – Gold Prize
• 22-23 points – Silver Prize
• 19-21 points – Bronze Prize
• 17-18 points – Laureate title

What do you receive?

Diplomas (pdf) for all the Prizewinners

Diploma of participation (pdf) for all participants

Extensive commentary from the jury (if you choose to receive it), helping your further development. YOU ARE GUARANTEED THAT THE JURY WILL LISTEN TO YOUR ENTIRE RECORDING. 

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Diplomas (pdf) for all the awardees in all categories. 

Versatile Pianist award for the laureate of the highest prizes in the most categories and listing his or her name at the top of the winners page.

Pianist of the Season award for the participant who received the highest score in the entire competition (the sum of the scores of all categories in which he or she participated). The winner of this award will be listed at the top of the winners page. 

Pianist of the Year award for the highest scorer in the most groups throughout the calendar year.