A new format to make the competition connect better with career requirements and to embed it within the relevant realms of the conservatories on the one end and of festivals on the other end.

The competition and the connected master classes aim to encourage early-career pianists to perform on original historic pianos and this way to enlarge their understanding for compositions by performing these on period pianos. Furthermore the competition stimulates the candidates to reach historically informed technical excellence, as well as top-level virtuosity.

The competition is split in three parts:

1. The Romantic Fortepiano (July 2018)
This first part of the competition concerns the fortepiano and square piano of the period starting from about 1800 and thereafter.
It is dedicated to Frédéric Chopin and the award is an initiative created in co-operation with the Chopin Stichting Nederland (member of the International Federation of Chopin Societies).
Information on repertoire
Information on rules and requirements

2. The Early Fortepiano (July 2019)
This second part of the competition concerns the fortepiano and square piano of the early period up till around 1825.
Repertoire and rules & requirements will be announced in due time (please check our website).

3. The finals of the Geelvinck Fortepiano Competition (August 2019)
In the two competitions mentioned above, candidates are tested for the finals of the Geelvinck Fortepiano Competition 2019.

Each part (July 2018 and July 2019) will consist of three rounds, the third round being the finals of each part (separate of finals of the full competition). The second round of each part (2018 and 2019) will always include a piece by Beethoven on a period piano.

Each part of the competition will have its own prizes; for the first part of the competition – ‘The Romantic Fortepiano’ – this will be the Geelvinck Fortepiano Chopin Award, which will be handed to the winner by H.E. Marcin Czepelak, the Ambassador of the Republic Poland in The Hague.

You can take part in each part separately or take the full competition. If you are one of the finalists of either the 2018 fortepiano competition (The Romantic Fortepiano), or the 2019 fortepiano competition (The Early Fortepiano), you are invited to join the finals of the full competition, which includes performing with an ensemble, in August 2019.

The full Geelvinck Fortepiano Competition culminates in the finals in August 2019.

In this final part, the candidates are requested to perform with an ensemble.
The finals are scheduled for August 2019 to give the finalists time to rehearse with the ensemble.

For this last part of the competition, we intend to collaborate with the Early Music Festival (Festival Oude Muziek) in Utrecht.

Further details will be announced in due time: please check our website.

Master classes

To make the candidates more acquainted with original historic fortepianos and square pianos, we will organise several master classes, both in our museum – so you will get acquainted with the fortepianos and square pianos on which you will perform for the competition – and, it is intended also to organise one or two master classes outside the museum at famous collections abroad.

Moreover, there will be lectures on the conservation and the technical part of historic pianos, as well as the annual Geelvinck Symposium on the Historic Fortepiano, which you are suggested to attend.

The whole program will give you the opportunity for capacity building and develop your skills with original historic fortepianos and square pianos.