VIENNA – “13 talented musicians from around the world will get the chance of a lifetime to travel to Vienna, perform with a symphony orchestra in one of the most prestigious concert halls in the world, and be recorded live for international television including PBS SoCal”: the announcement is from Classicalia, organization founded by an international team with decades of experience in the classical music industry. The online classical music competition was launched in summer 2021 “to provide an opportunity for young instrumentalists and singers to learn from the feedback of expert judges, compete internationally, and for 13 winners, to step into an international spotlight”.  

Classicalia competition was born during the pandemic, when the organizers sought to find and give a platform for  talented young prodigies all around the globe while guaranteeing 100% safety through the online format. After submitting their video auditions, each applicant will receive thoughtful and productive written feedback from these adjudicators to help propel their musical education. With this opportunity, 13 musicians within 4 different age categories will be awarded a round trip (flight and accommodation) to Vienna to perform in front of a live audience at the Großer Saal of Wiener Konzerthaus (Great Hall of the Vienna Konzerthaus) in Austria on Sunday, May 1, 2022.

We have a strong panel of international judges (read about Classicalia’s judges here) and are now accepting applications.

“COVID-19 stole a lot from young classical musicians. Sure, there has been a lot of extra time for practicing, but very few opportunities to practice many of the softer skills required to succeed. Auditioning, preparing for concerts, playing in front of an audience… these require a set of skills that need practice for any young musician. Missing out on these opportunities over the last year is going to have a big impact on the next generation of performers, and we wanted to do something to overcome that” said Ella Porett, pianist, teacher, and co-founder of Classicalia.

The founder Ella Porett is also the artistic director of the North York Music & Performing Arts Festival and brings to this partnership decades-long experience both as a judge and an organizer of classical music competitions as well as cultivating a roster of pianists through her own teaching studio, masterclasses and workshops. She is the author of a method book “Piano World”, and a Senior Examiner with the Royal Conservatory of Music, Canada.

With her, behind Classicalia there are other two experienced musicians: Attila Glatz and Daniel Vadász.

Attila Glatz has produced the largest simultaneous New Year’s Concert series in North America, featuring European singers, dancers and full symphony orchestras in more than 30 prestigeous venues across North America annually for more than 25 years, from the Lincoln Centre to Roy Thomson Hall. His company also presents films with live orchestra in collaboration with symphonies and concert halls including Meridian Hall (Toronto), Calgary Philharmonic, and Toronto Symphony Orchestra. 

Daniel Vadász has produced hundreds of musical theatre performances, festivals and television programs in more than 20 countries. Theatre and music are always the focus of his company’s output. Daniel is the President of BRAAAVI performing arts group.

Together the team has brought the television programs “A Salute to Vienna” and “Zoltán Mága and David Foster: Live From Budapest” to PBS in the United States and to broadcasters throughout Europe. Over the last few years the company has co-produced several also another PBS show with pianist extraordinaire Peter Bence, an internationally acclaimed virtuoso pianist, recording artist, composer, and producer. Peter has tens of millions of viewers all over the world with his unique piano arrangements that combine classical with pop, and he is one of our jury members for this competition.

Pre-registration for the competition is now open online at www.classicalia.com (pre-registering before before August 29, 2021). A strong panel of international judges (read about Classicalia’s judges here) and are now accepting applications.