- Application period: 1 December 2025 – 20 March 2026
- Public rounds: 1 - 10 October 2026
| Kategorie | Musikalische Leitung |
| Anmeldeschluss | 01 Dez 2025 - 20 Mär 2026 |
| Finalrunden | 01 - 10 Okt 2026 |
| Wo | Budapest & Pécs, Ungarn |
| Altersgruppen | Applicants must be born between 11 October 1991 and 30 September 2008 |
In the autumn of 2026, the Solti International Conducting Competition will take place, thanks to collaboration between Müpa Budapest and Hungarian public media, and will involve prestigious domestic and international partners. With a view to reviving the tradition of the Hungarian Television’s International Conducting Competition, the competition offers an opportunity for conductors to prove themselves in the Hungarian concert halls as they lead top domestic symphony orchestras in front of the most renowned representatives of the profession.
The application period will be open from 1 December 2025 until 20 March 2026 (23:59 CET). After the applications close, from 21 March 2026 until 14 June 2026, the pre-selection process will take place, where the preliminary jury will evaluate the candidates and determine those who meet the qualifications necessary to proceed to the public stages of the competition based on the submitted video recordings. The jury will select 24 applicants to move on to the first public round.
The preliminary round will take place in Pécs, in the Kodály Center Concert Hall, with the participation of the Pannon Philharmonic, from 1 to 4 October 2026. The competitors must conduct two pieces, excerpts from works by Stravinsky, Dohnányi, Kodály, and Bartók. The semi-final will be held on 5-6 October 2026, in Budapest, in the Grand Hall of the Liszt Academy, with the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra as the collaborating ensemble. Ten competitors will advance to this stage of the competition, where their task is to conduct three works or excerpts in the following order: a Mozart aria, a Puccini aria, and a contemporary piece.
The final will be held in the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall at Müpa Budapest as part of the Liszt Fest International Cultural Festival on 9 October 2026. The four competitors who reach the final must each conduct two works, with the assignments determined once again at random. The repertoire for this round includes works by Verdi, Mussorgsky, Dukas, Johann Strauss, Liszt, Dohnányi, Kodály, and Bartók. The awards gala will take place on 10 October 2026 as part of the Liszt Fest International Cultural Festival at the Béla Bartók International Concert Hall at Müpa Budapest: with the Hungarian National Philharmonic.
The Jury will award the following prizes:
- First Prize: EUR 20 000*
- Second Prize: EUR 12 000*
- Third Prize: EUR 8 000*
There will also be an audience prize, which will be awarded from among the four finalists on the basis of votes cast by audience members:
- Audience Prize: EUR 3 000*
*The precise sum received depends on the method of payment.
Other prizes: Concert invitations from the heads of organisations and institutions, orchestra leaders, festival directors and managers invited to the competition
The preliminary rounds competitors must cover their own travel and accommodation expenses, however the competition offers accommodation options in several categories.
The semi-final and final rounds competitors will be provided accommodation in Budapest until the end of the competition, which will be organised and paid for by the competition.
The competition welcomes a live audience to all public rounds in Pécs and Budapest. It will also be possible to follow the event worldwide via television and online broadcasts.
Thanks to Müpa Budapest’s own platforms and the public media, those following the competition will also have access to continuously updated news, short films and interviews that will bring the unfolding events closer to viewers.
The patron of the competition is Ken-Ichiro Kobayashi, who won first prize in Hungarian Television’s inaugural International Conducting Competition and is Hungary’s Ambassador of Culture.