4th National Instrumental Competition for students of the first and second degree music school "Virtuoso!"

The Aulos Foundation invites to participate in the 4th National Instrumental Competition for students of the first and second degree music school "Virtuoso!", which will take place in Toruń on April 15-30, 2026. This year's edition is planned in an online formula (uploading the recordings). A special prize will be awarded for the best performance of a work by a Polish composer of the 20th or 21st century. Deadline: April 12th, 2026.

The competition aims to: popularize classical music, promote young artists, create a space for students to present their own artistic personality and raise the level of teaching.

It is addressed to students of first and second degree music schools. Participants must record two contrasting pieces; there are different age groups. You can join the competition in up to two from the available categories:

1. string instruments (specialties: violin, viola, cello, double bass),
2. woodwind instruments (specialties: flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, bassoon),
3. brass instruments (specialties: horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba/euphonium/saxhorn),
4. piano,
5. guitar,
6. accordion,
7. percussion instruments,
8. chamber ensembles (up to 10 musicians, no instrumentation limits).

Participants will be evaluated by the Jury appointed by the Organizer of the Competition, which will include Polish and foreign lecturers of music universities, instrumentalists and conductors. The Jury will select the winners in each category and age group.

There are prizes for the winners!

The patronage of the Competition is held by: The National Centre for Culture, Marshal of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Piotr Całbecki, Mayor of Toruń Paweł Gulewski, and the Rector of the F. Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz, Prof. Elżbieta Wtorkowska. The Strategic Partner of the event is the F. Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz.

Partners: Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne, Alenuty.pl Music Bookstore, and Chopin University Press.

Media Patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC.

Details and regulations are available at: https://www.aulos.org.pl/