The Orchestra’s Conductor Competition was established and is managed since several years by Maestro Cristian Orosanu, together with a dedicated team. Its aim is to encourage the discovery of talented conductors.

1. A NEW CONCEPT

   This new competition concept will give the candidates the unique opportunity of being selected by the orchestra’s musicians, so there is no external jury.

   The winners will have the opportunity to conduct the host orchestra during the seasons following the competition. There will also be a possibility for the winners to be invited at different other international orchestras, whose directors will attend the final round of the competition.

   Representatives of artists agencies and music journalists will be invited to the final round of the competition.

2. GENERAL INFORMATION
   1. Geros Association, in cooperation with the Vratsa Symphony Orchestra will present the 5th edition of the Orchestra’s Conductor Competition, which will be held in Vratsa (Bulgaria) from 24th to 30th of April 2026.
   2. Candidates of all nationalities are invited to apply from 1 October 2025 until 19 January 2026. There is no age limit.
   3. The competition will take place in two distinct phases: during phase one, successful candidates will be selected based on media materials. The selection in the second phase is made as following: during the 1st round, 5 members of the guest orchestra (forming a quintet) together with the president and the vice-president of the competition will make the selection of the invited candidates. During the 2nd and 3rd rounds (semifinal and final), the winning candidates will be selected only by the members of the orchestra.
   4. Phase one will be based on an assessment of videos (please check the guidelines for the videos at the bottom of the page);
   5. The second and final phase will take place from 24 to 30 of April 2026 in Vratsa (Bulgaria), ending with the finalist’s concert on the podium of the Vratsa Symphony Orchestra, 30th of April 2026.
   6. In order to participate, candidates must complete the on-line application form, here.
   7. The official language of the website and for all communication is English. The Competition’s management can assist applicants who do not speak English, upon request.
3. REGISTRATION
   1. Candidates must complete the on-line application form (link in the menu), pay the registration fee and upload the required data:
      • 2 video recordings showing the candidate conducting an ensemble (please follow the guidelines at the end of this document);
      • Surname, given name, nationality.
   2. Applications must be received by midnight on 19 January 2026.
   3. Registration fee for the initial phase is 35 Euros; the participation fee for the second and final phase is 490 Euros;
   4. The application fee (to be paid by 19 January 2026) and the participation fee (to be paid by 2 March 2026) will be paid through bank transfer to the following account:

      Beneficiary: Asociatia Geros
      Banca Transilvania, address: 13 December street, Brașov, Romania
      IBAN: RO90BTRLEURCRT0434868701
      SWIFT: BTRLRO22

      or via PayPal on the page of the actual edition, with an additional PayPal tax.

   5. Any eventual bank taxes are payable by the participants.
   6. Only completed applications meeting the above criteria will be considered. Registration will only be considered complete upon receipt of the full fees.
   7. The semi-finalists from past editions will pay no registration fee for the initial phase. They will automatically be invited, paying only the participation fee for the second phase of the competition. If you are one of the semi-finalists from the past editions, please send us your diploma and complete the special application form here.
4. INITIAL PHASE
   1. Candidates are requested to send two videos (please check the guidelines at the bottom of the page);
   2. Initial phase candidates will be informed of the result of the selection procedure by e-mail, within 16 February 2026. The names of the selected candidates invited to take part in the final phase (a maximum of 75 conductors), will also be published on our website, around two weeks before the competition.
   3. The president of the competition (or the vice-president), a representative of the host orchestra and an internationally recognised conductor will select the candidates for the final phase. For the 2026 edition, Maestro Grigor Palikarov will be part of the selection team.
5. THE FINAL PHASE
   1. The selected candidates invited to take part in the final phase will have to pay the participation fee of 490 euros by 2nd of March 2026. After this date, the competition’s management reserves the right to cancel invitations and replace them with people from the waiting list.
   2. The invited candidates to the final phase will provide to the competition’s secretary some additional information: photos, CV, copy of passport, social media profiles and phone number.
   3. The final phase consists of a First Round with a string quintet, a Semifinal and a Final Round with the Vratsa Symphony Orchestra.
   4. Candidates admitted to the first round of the final phase will conduct a compulsory piece and will choose a second piece from a set repertoire, within a podium time of 10 minutes.
   5. For the second round, the president of the competition (or the vice-president) will choose the pieces to be conducted by each candidate: an orchestral piece and one piece with soloist, from the repertoire designated for the final concert. They will find out these pieces 30 minutes before coming on stage.
   6. The soloist for the 5th edition of the Orchestra’s Conductor Competition will be the cellist Atanas Krastev.
   7. For the concert, there will be 3 blocks of two works, each one with an orchestral piece and a piece with a soloist. The repertoire for the 3 finalists will be determined by drawing lots.
   8. In each round the candidates will have a limited amount of time to demonstrate their conducting abilities: 10 minutes in the first round and 25 minutes in the second round. The three finalists will have a maximum of 40 minutes to rehearse the orchestra on the morning of the final round, in preparation for their evening concert.
   9. Travel and accommodation expenses are to be met by the candidates invited to the final phase of the competition.
   10. Candidates who don’t make it to the semi-finals and finals, can attend the rest of the competition in the audience. Candidates who are in the semi-finals and finals will be admitted listening to their colleagues, only after their personal performance in front of the orchestra.
   11. The management will organise a 90-minute feedback session with the quintet musicians, the president and the vice-president, during the hours following the first round of the final phase. Candidates thus could ask direct opinions to the musicians.
6. SCHEDULE OF THE FINAL PHASE
   1. FIRST ROUND (24, 25 and 26 April 2026)

      A maximum number of 75 candidates (max. 25 conductors/day) will participate in the first round.

      Each candidate will have to conduct this compulsory piece:

      • Stravinsky: Concerto in D (1st movement, up until figure nr.27)

      and choose another piece from the following list:

      • Mozart: Divertimento in B-flat major, K.137: second movement (Allegro di molto), without repetitions.
      • Tchaikovsky: Serenade, 2nd movement
      • Respighi: Antiche danze ed arie, Suite nr.3, Second movement — Arie di corte (up until bar nr.122)
      • Bartók: Divertimento, 1st movement (up until bar nr.41)

      The candidate should run through the compulsory piece and then rehearse some spots, taking care to organise the timing to conduct also one of the other pieces, in the same way: run through first and then work. The total time for each candidate in the 1st round is 10 minutes.

      The eventual short “divisi” passages from the scores will be simplified by the musicians, to fit the string quintet.

   2. SECOND ROUND — SEMIFINAL (27, 28 and 29 of April 2026)

      A number of 18 candidates (6 conductors/day) will participate in the second round. The president of the competition (or the vice-president) will choose for each candidate two pieces, one orchestral and one with soloist, from the following repertoire, which will also be available for the final concert:

      • J. Haydn: Symphony nr.27, G major
      • J. Haydn: Symphony nr.95, C minor
      • J. Haydn: Symphony nr.96, D major
      • M. Bruch: Kol Nidrei, op.47
      • P. I. Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme
      • R. Strauss: Romanze for cello and orchestra, TrV 118

      The candidate may decide to run through or rehearse, or both, for a maximum duration of 25 minutes.

   3. THIRD ROUND — FINAL (30 April 2026)

      There will be a dress rehearsal in the morning and a final concert in the evening of Thursday, 30 April 2026.

      The three finalists will draw lots from the following combinations:

      • Haydn 96 + Strauss
      • Haydn 95 + Bruch
      • Haydn 27 + Tchaikovsky

      The draw will take place in the afternoon of 29 April, immediately after the semi-final result is announced (around one hour after the rehearsal).

      The final round is open to the audience, both in the morning and the evening of 30 April 2026.

7. PRIZES
   1. FIRST PRIZE
      • 3500 EUROS
      • One concert during the 2026/27 or 2027/28 season of the Vratsa Symphony Orchestra.
      • The possibility of being invited by other orchestra directors, who will attend the final round of the competition.
      • A diploma
   2. SECOND PRIZE
      • 2500 EUROS
      • One concert during the 2026/27 or 2027/28 season of the Vratsa Symphony Orchestra.
      • The possibility of being invited by other orchestra directors, who will attend the final round of the competition.
      • A diploma
   3. THIRD PRIZE
      • 1500 EUROS
      • One concert during the 2027/28 or 2028/29 season of the Vratsa Symphony Orchestra.
      • The possibility of being invited by other orchestra directors, who will attend the final round of the competition.
      • A diploma
   4. The semi-finalists will receive a certificate attesting to their classification in the competition. They will also have the right to participate in the next editions of the competition, without passing through the preselection process.
8. THE VOTING SYSTEM
   1. Selection in the initial phase will be carried out by the president of the competition (or the vice-president), a representative of the host orchestra and an internationally recognised conductor. The candidates selected to take part in the final phase (maximum 75) will be informed within 16 February 2026.
   2. Selection in the first round of the final stage will be carried out by 5 musicians of the orchestra (forming a string quintet), together with the president and the vice-president of the competition, with marks from 1 to 10. The first 18 candidates (based on the average results of the attributed marks) will be accepted to go through to the second round, and the results will be announced on the evening of 26 April 2026. In the event of a tie, the musician playing the first violin will have the casting vote.
   3. The same system of voting will be used for the second and third rounds, but only the orchestra musicians will take part in the vote; each member of the orchestra will mark the candidate from 1 to 10. All the musicians’ scores will then be totalled. The three candidates with the highest scores will go forward to round three and the results will be announced on the afternoon of 29 April 2026 for the semi-finals, and at the end of the concert for the final round. In the event of a tie, the leader of the orchestra will have the casting vote.
   4. All musicians of the guest orchestra will have the right to vote in both the semi-final and the final rounds, even if not playing, provided they attend every rehearsal and performance by every competitor.
   5. Any musician has the right to abstain from voting for a particular candidate. The score obtained by a candidate is determined by the musicians voting.
   6. The soloist of the competition will also get the right to vote, like all the other musicians from the orchestra.
9. COPYRIGHT
   1. The competition is a media event that can be recorded and broadcast by television, radio or any other media that the organisation will consider useful for promotional purposes.
   2. By submitting their application the candidates authorise the organisation the use of their image using photographs and audio or video materials that can be broadcast via radio, television and other media (internet, etc.).
   3. By submitting their application candidates also authorise the organisation to use their name and image in printed publications or announcements related to the competition.
   4. The organisation expects the candidates to be available for interviews, photo shoots, and any other activity designed to make the competition attractive to the media.
10. CANCELLATION / FORCE MAJEURE

    In the event of cancellation of the Competition due to force majeure (war, civil and political unrest, epidemics, floods, public bereavement etc.), no fees or expenses incurred by candidates may be refunded and no recourse may be taken against the competition organisers or their partners.

11. PERSONAL DATA
    1. These Regulations consider the new rules on the protection of personal data imposed by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of 25 May 2018. Only the information necessary for the proper conduct of the Competition is collected. Candidates agree to the collection of this personal data upon registration for the Competition. The Geros Association is responsible for collecting this data, required for the following purposes: registration and participation in the Competition, allocation of prizes, and all communication of information to candidates relating to the ongoing production of the Competition.
    2. By entering the Competition, candidates accept these Regulations and the collection of the data required for registration. Candidates are informed that all the information requested as part of the registration process is mandatory and indicated as such. Failure to provide this mandatory data will result in elimination of the candidate from participation in the Competition.
    3. All personal data collected will remain confidential and will not be used for commercial purposes: Geros Association will not communicate this data to third parties and undertakes to guarantee the security and confidentiality of the data collected during the registration of candidates for the Competition to avoid their loss, alteration, deterioration or misuse.
    4. Pursuant to Act No. 78-17 of 6 January 1978, amended by Act No. 2018-493 of 20 June 2018 following the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of 25 May 2018 taking effect, candidates are reminded that they have a free and permanent right of access to modify, rectify, delete, oppose portability and limit processing in respect to their personal data.
    5. This right may be exercised at any time by candidates relative to information concerning them by sending a letter, accompanied by a photocopy of proof of identity, to the following e-mail address: dpo@orchestrasconductor.com
12. LEGISLATION / ELECTION OF DOMICILE

    These regulations are subject to Romanian law. Any dispute that may arise in connection with the interpretation or execution of these rules will be submitted to the competent Tribunal in Brasov (Romania), after all avenues of conciliation have been exhausted.

13. VISA and TESTS
    1. Each participant is responsible for ensuring that the legal requirements for entry into the country where the competition is held are respected, including visa, medical tests and any other formalities required by authorities to enter the country and to participate in the competition events.
    2. The organisers may, at a nominated candidate’s request, issue him/her with an official letter of invitation.
14. FINAL NOTICE
    1. The decisions of the jury for phase one and of the orchestra members for phase two are final and irrevocable and cannot be the subject of an appeal. The Competition’s management is under no obligation to provide explanations concerning its decisions to participants.
    2. The final round of the competition is open to the public; sharing comments, pictures and impressions on social media is welcome; audio or video recording is not allowed.
15. VIDEO GUIDELINES FOR COMPETITION ENTRANTS
    1. The videos’ aim is to illustrate the candidate’s skills, thus it is required that the conductor is clearly visible and at least part of the video is filmed in frontal view;
    2. Any instrumental or vocal ensemble is accepted (at least 2 musicians);
    3. The candidates can provide links to videos of performances from any historical period;
    4. Two movements/parts of the same piece are permitted;
    5. The videos must be played in streaming mode (videos don’t have to be downloaded) and must be visible without any restriction;
    6. The candidates shall send one link for each video;
    7. Each video should last a minimum of 3 minutes, without any cuts.

    Respecting these guidelines is in the interest of the candidates. Video materials not corresponding to the guidelines will be more likely to get lower rates in the process of pre-selection.