“Understanding the modern period as an important link in a logical, comprehensible process of development, the very essence of ,contemporary', has always been just as important as reflecting on the implications and variants of all forms of novelty.”

Mauricio Kagel

 

The Mauricio Kagel Composition Competition was held for the first time in 2010 and has since become one of the regular competitions organized by the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.

The aim of this competition, organized every three years by the Ludwig van Beethoven Department of Piano in Music Education, is to promote the composition of new piano music for children and young people at an appropriate level of difficulty, while maintaining high artistic standards. A contemporary musical language, combined with appropriate didactic considerations, is intended to provide learners with inspiration, insights, and new experiences.

The decision-making process for awarding the prizes is conducted in a distinctive way – not behind closed doors, but through open and public discussions. During the final round of the competition, the audience – students, teachers, performing musicians, and music enthusiasts – has the opportunity to follow the jury members’ discussions and guiding questions: Which piano works are suitable for introducing young players to contemporary music? Within what technical framework can compositions be written that are artistically convincing, pedagogically valuable, innovative, and practically feasible for teaching?

Another distinctive feature of the Mauricio Kagel Composition Competition is the anonymous submission of works: the names of the prizewinners are only announced after the jury has reached its final decision.