Herbert von Karajan
Young Conductors Award
Herbert von Karajan
Young Conductors Award
Supported by ROLEX
Aiming for the highest musical standards was a founding tenet of the Salzburg Festival, which means that the greatest conductors and most important artists of their time have always worked in Salzburg. Herbert von Karajan, whose name graces this award, was one of them; Manfred Honeck, the chairman of the jury, is another.
The three finalists who vie for the prestigious Herbert von Karajan Young Conductors Award at the Award Concert Weekend are among the most exciting conducting talents of the next generation. Each will conduct their own concert with the Camerata Salzburg and have the chance to convince both the high-powered jury and the Festival audience that they are a future force to be reckoned with.
The winner, who will be decided by the jury after the last concert, can look forward to prize money of €15,000 and an invitation to the 2024 Salzburg Festival, where they will conduct the Award Winner’s Concert in the Felsenreitschule.
A glance at the history of the competition shows that the Young Conductors Award often presents the first opportunity to encounter the top conductors of tomorrow. Past winners include Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, Lorenzo Viotti or Maxime Pascal.
The Herbert von Karajan Young Conductors Award is an initiative of the Salzburg Festival in cooperation with the Eliette and Herbert von Karajan Institute.
Registration was only possible until 15 January 2023 at 11:59 pm via this registration page.
Schedule
The Herbert von Karajan Young Conductors Award is open to conductors from all over the world who are over 21 and under 35 years of age.
Registration
Registering for the competition is only possible via the online form by 15 January 2023 at 11:59 pm. After the deadline, the jury will view the materials submitted and choose up to eight candidates. Applicants will be notified by the end of February 2023.
Rehearsal Day
The Rehearsal Day, which is not open to the public, takes place on 3 April 2023 in Salzburg. On this day, the eight candidates will work with the Mozarteum Orchestra and the œnm. œsterreichisches ensemble fuer neue musik on three compositions each, in the presence of the jury. In addition to a mandatory piece, there will be works for the candidates to choose from.
At the end of the Rehearsal Day, the jury will announce the three candidates who are invited to the Award Concert Weekend.
YCA Award Concert Weekend
The three finalists will conduct a one-hour concert each as part of the 2023 Salzburg Festival on 4, 5 and 6 August at the Main Auditorium of the Mozarteum Foundation, which will also involve participants in the Young Singers Project. The concert programmes will be chosen jointly by the Salzburg Festival and the candidates, one focus being on contemporary compositions. Rehearsals for the concerts begin on 31 July 2023.
In a public award ceremony after the last concert, the jury will announce the winner of the Herbert von Karajan Young Conductors Award, who receives a cash prize of 15,000 €.
YCA Award Winner’s Concert
In addition to the prize money, the winner of the Herbert von Karajan Young Conductors Award will have the opportunity to conduct a concert with an international orchestra and a young, up-and-coming soloist as part of the 2024 Salzburg Festival. The programme selection is the responsibility of the prizewinner in consultation with the Salzburg Festival.
The prizewinner’s concert will be recorded and published as a CD in the edition “Salzburger Festspieldokumente”.
Repertoire for the Rehearsal Day
Finalists 2023
Jury
Once again, Manfred Honeck will chair the jury of the 2023 Herbert von Karajan Young Conductors Award.








Laureates



Chief Conductor of the Tyrolian Symphony Orchestra Innsbruck

Music Director of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg

Principal conductor of the Dutch National Opera

Music Director of the orchestra Le Balcon


Principal Guest Conductor City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra


Chief Conductor of the Orquestra y Coro Nacional de España
Video
Conditions of Participation
Contact
For further information or if you have any questions please contact yca@salzburgfestival.at