The International Eduardas Balsys Composers Competition was established in 2019 to celebrate the centennial of this famous Lithuanian composer. The competition caught the attention of a lot of composers worldwide, and the final concerts, which happened in Vilnius and Klaipėda, were broadcasted by LRT and live-streamed to viewers across the world. The tremendous interest in the Balsys competition raised ambitions for it to become well established and relevant to the contemporary music scene outside the Baltic region as well.

The Balsys Competition stands out in its variety of creative options given to the participants regarding the choice of instruments (from chamber ensembles to orchestra or choir). As it is the main event of the competition, a lot of attention is given to the pieces that are selected for the final round. The musicians that perform these works are highly established performers and highly experienced in playing contemporary music. Amongst the performers from the 2023 competition, there were Riga Chamber Choir “Ave Sol” (conductor Andris Veismanis), Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra (conductor Robertas Šervenikas), string quartet “Mettis”, piano trio “FortVio”, soprano Monta Martinsonė, and others.

The competition is based upon anonymity – the names of the participants are only revealed after the final results are announced. Until then, both jury members and listeners are only able to evaluate the works by their artistry and creativity. Hence, there is a lot of effort put into selecting a jury panel, usually made up of well-established musicians that are active members of the contemporary music scene. Amongst the jury members in the last competition were composers Eriks Ešenvalds and Helena Tulve, an interdisciplinary artist, musician, and composer Antonas Lukoszevieze, and Lithuanian composers, winners of the Lithuanian National Prize for Arts and Culture, Algirdas Martinaitis and Žibuoklė Martinaitytė.

The final of the 4th International Eduardas Balsys Composers Competition will take place in Vilnius at the end of 2025. The final concert will be live-streamed worldwide from the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania on November 29^th. In collaboration with National Philharmonic Society, Agency Klaipėda’s City Concert Hall, National Opera and Ballet Theatre and other partners, the organisers will bring great contemporary music performers to play the pieces selected for the final round. Therefore, amongst the monetary prizes, the winners and the finalists will also have an opportunity to hear their works being performed live and recorded by great contemporary music performers and their collectives.

Competition is organised by “Ars & Sonoris”. 

Partners and sponsors of the competition are Lithuanian Council for Culture, Lithuanian National Radio and Television, Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society, Agency Klaipėda’s City Concert Hall, Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre, JSC “Itoma”, Vilnius Municipality, Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, Professor Dalia Balsytė, Lithuanian Composers’ Union, Music Information Centre Lithuania.

• Freedom of genre – from chamber ensembles to orchestra or choir
• Anonymity – the names of the participants are revealed after the finals
• The highest quality performance – by the best professionals in contemporary music
• Focus on young talents – cash prizes, high-quality recordings of the final works, live streaming of the final concert around the world
• Participants under 36 – good start of your international career

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