There are a great number of music competitions that offer prizes for performance and composition in both classical and popular music. Prizes may be monetary, but may also be in the form of less tangible things such as scholarships, recording contract, concert performances, a chance to have one's composition published or performed by an orchestra, etc. Some music festivals—even though there may be a "winner"—offer nothing more than exposure on television. That is important for musicians, but not technically a "prize" and those items are not included on this list. Nor are in-house conservatory prizes included—that is, competitions open only to students of the respective conservatory. This list includes competitions that are, generally speaking, open to "all-comers," although some of them impose age limits or residency (in Italy) requirements. The list, below, divided by area of interest; that is, classical, jazz, opera, instrumental, etc. Most of the competitions listed are annual affairs. Where possible, the competition name is linked to an external site, or an email address is provided where further details should be available.
Popular music Italian Music Awards Latin Music Italian Awards
Classical music piano 'International Piano Competition 'Mauro Paolo Monopoli Prize' Barletta. Puglia International Piano Competition 'Mauro Paolo Monopoli Prize' A.M.A. Calabria international piano competition. Catanzaro "Arcangelo Speranza" European piano competition Taranto, Puglia "A. Scriabin" international piano competition Grosseto, Tuscany "Fryderyk Chopin "Young Pianists" competition Rome "Pausilypon" piano competition Naples, conservatory. International Busoni piano competition Bolzano
violin
Dallas International Violin Competition National competition for interpretation of the Mozart violin concerti Parma "A.Curci" international violin competition Naples Ave Maria Prize Award www.avemaria.mono.net - Stresa
guitar Michele Pittaluga International Classical Guitar Competition Alessandria, Piedmont International guitar competition Nuoro, Sardinia
miscellaneous instrumental/voice Hyperion competition for performance; piano, guitar, strings, voice Ciampino, Roma Val Tidone International Music Competitions Various disciplines: composition, performance on piano, accordion, chamber music. Piacenza International "City of Barletta Young Musicians" competition Barletta, Website 'Città di Barletta' Young Musician Intl. Competition Sections: piano, strings, guitar, chamber music ensemble, wind instruments. International clarinet competition Bari "Gianbattista Viotti" International music competition performance awards for voice, piano Vercelli Concorso Internazionale di Interpretazione di Musica Contemporanea “Fernando Mencherini” Cagli (PU) Prizes for performance of contemporary music by Fernando Mencherini
Chamber music International Carlo Evasio Soliva competition for piano and chamber music Casale Monferrato
City of Chieri International Chamber music competition Chieri, Piedmont "Trieste Trio" International competition for chamber music groups with piano. Trieste "Vittorio Gui" international chamber music competition Florence "Paolo Borciani" international string quartet competition Reggio Emilia International chamber music competition A. Scontrino music conservatory Trapani
Composition 'Città di Barletta' International Composition Competition Barletta Website Città di Barletta Competition International Composition Competition in memory of Camillo Togni Brescia "Sandro Fuga" National Competition for Chamber Music Composition Music conservatory, Torino "Valentino Bucchi" Prize: Words and Music for the Peoples' Unity Rome, International Composition Competition "G. Petrassi" International Competition for Composers Parma "Egidio Carella" composition competition Stradella (PV)
Vocal
"Ave Maria Price Award" competition for all www.avemaria.mono.net in Stresa :Stresa International competition for Verdian voices Busseto, Parma "Tito Schipa" international opera competition for young singers Lecce "Anselmo Colzani" international opera competition Budrio (Bologna) "Adriano Belli" competition for new opera Spoleto "Maria Callas" competition, "New voices for Verdi" Parma International polyphonic competition (for choirs) Arezzo
Jazz International competition for jazz arranging and composition Barga, (LU)
Miscellaneous City of Chieri International music competition Wind Instruments Chieri, Piedmont MusicDocFest prize for films about music Rome "A. Toscanini" international conducting competition Parma "Antonio Pedrotti" International Conducting Competition Trento
See also World Federation of International Music Competitions