Competition Rules XVIII International Competition Paços’ Premium
“Paços’ Premium” International Music Competition – 2025
Competition Rules
INTRODUCTION
1. The XVIII Paços’ Premium International Music Competition – 2025, which will cover the categories of Guitar, Trumpet, Clarinet and Piano, will take place from the 27th of June to the 6th of July 2025, at Dr. Arménio Carvalho Auditorium of Paços de Brandão Music Academy (AMPB). The competition is geared to students in various levels of specialized artistic musical education: beginners, elementary, secondary and advanced.
2. This competition is held annually.
3. The goals of this competition include fostering the study of music, promoting learning exchanges among students from various schools and nationalities, encouraging students to achieve new levels of performance, and developing a taste for classical music.
4. The competition’s organizing committee comprises the AMPB’s String, Wind and Keyboard Departments, under the artistic direction of Teacher Alexandra Trindade (President of Pedagogical Direction).
CONDITIONS FOR PARTICIPATION
1. The Registration Form, completed online, must be submitted between 1st of April and 6th of June 2025, via the AMPB website: www.acadmusicapb.com. No registrations shall be accepted beyond said date.
2. Applicants must also send a (sharp) photo and a photocopy of the Identity Card or Citizen’s Card
3. A copy of solo music scores and one copy of the piano part (whenever accompanied) in digital format shall be submitted with the registration form.
4. Registration fees shall be as follows:
Categories A and B – 65.00€
Categories C and D – 55.00€
Categories E, F and G – 45.00€
Academy members get 20% off. Payment can be made via bank transfer to the following IBAN: PT 50 0018 211305591321020 95 (It is mandatory to send proof of payment).
In the event of withdrawal from the competition, this amount is non-refundable.
5. The given program may not be changed after the application is sent in.
6. Each student must present the repertorie in the step they are proposing.
7. The candidate’s age is considered as of 31st of December 2024.
8. Participants shall be introduced in alphabetical order, within the level in which they are competing.
9. In each level, the first 16 (sixteen) registrations will be admitted, except in level A, where only the first 9 (nine) registrations will be accepted.
10. Every public performance, rounds and Laureate’ s Concert, over 6 years old, shall take place at the Dr. Arménio Carvalho Auditorium on the AMPB premises. The public will have to attend each performance in its entirety and shall not be able to leave or enter during each one of them.
11. The repertoire of the final round will have to be different of elimination round.
12. The performance schedule and timetable shall be abided by, as previously stipulated, where of candidates shall be made aware, via electronic mail until 48 hours before the beginning of
the performances.
13. Candidates will all be allowed to rehearse at the place where elimination round and single performances are to be given, and at a time to be set by the competition’s organizing committee.
14. Candidates shall provide their own Accompanying Pianist (despite not shouldering any responsibility, the academy may provide contacts of possible accompanying pianists).
15. Winners (1st Prize Winners) from previous competitions may enter only in higher age categories.
16. Participants shall be solely responsible for expenses for personal travel and accommodation.
17. The organization is not responsible for the non-use of original scores, nor for copyright payments. The organization warns that the use of musical score must always be guaranteed only by legally admissible means or supports, under penalty of the user incurring a criminal offence.
18. The academy can provide a list of music stores where foreign applicants can get Portuguese composers pieces, if applicable and these are their choice.
19. The Laureates’ Concert will be recorded by the Paços de Brandão Music Academy.
20. When candidate formalizes her application, authorize/grant the use of your data to publicize and promote the competition, to the extent necessary.
21. It shall be incumbent on the competition’s organizing committee to resolve issues not included in these rules.
PANEL OF JUDGES
1. The panel of judges shall comprise 3 members and chaired by AMPB teacher of Instrument in the Competition.
2. For the attribution of the Excellence and Orchestra Prize, the jury will be constituted by the Educational Direction of AMPB (Teachers Alexandra Trindade and Salomé Fonseca), a representative of the AMPB Administrative Direction, the Artistic Director or representative of Paços de Brandão International Music Festival (FIMUV) and a representative of Youth Wind Band and Symphony Orchestra of Santa Maria
da Feira.
3. The panel of judges reserves the right to interrupt the performance of each candidate, if said panel deems it appropriate.
4. The panel of judges reserves the right not to award any prize.
5. Decisions by the panel of judges shall be final.
6. In exceptional cases where the candidate is a student of one of the members of the panel of judges, such panel member shall be ruled out of that same candidate’s evaluation.
DATES
1. Elimination round, final and single performances shall be given on 27th and 28th of June – Guitar; 29th and 30th of June – Trumpet; 1st and 2nd of July – Clarinet; 3rd and 4th of July – Piano.
2. Paços’ Premium Opening Concert 2025, shall be given by the laureates of Category B on the XVII Edition of the Competition, in 2024, on 23rd of April, at 3 p.m. at Dr. Arménio Carvalho Auditorium of AMPB.
3. The Laureates’ Concert shall be held on 6th of July, at 4 p.m., at the Dr. Arménio Carvalho Auditorium of AMPB.
PRIZES
1. There are 3 prizes per category (first, second and third prizes), along with honorable mentions and certificates of participation; no ex-aequo prize shall be awarded in any category.
Category A
1st prize – 900.00€ + 300.00€ for the performance of Recital in one of cultural spaces of the Municipality of Santa Maria da Feira until 31st of December of 2025* + Trophy
2nd prize – 400.00€ + Trophy
3rd prize – 300.00€ + Trophy
*Recital of Trumpet and Piano, on 26th of September of 2025, at 9.30 p.m., at Municipal Library Auditorium of Santa Maria da Feira.
Recital of Clarinet and Guitar, on 5th of November of 2025, at 3.00 p.m., at the Dr. Arménio Carvalho Auditorium of AMPB.
Category B
1st prize – 500.00€ + Participation in the Opening Concert of the Paços’ Premium 2026 + Trophy
2nd prize – 300.00€ + Trophy
3rd prize – 200.00€ + Trophy
Category C
1st prize – 250.00€ + Trophy
2nd prize – 150.00€ + Trophy
3rd prize – 100.00€ + Trophy
Category D
1st prize – 100.00€ + Trophy
2nd prize – 75.00€ + Trophy
3rd prize – 50.00€ + Trophy
Categories E, F and G
1st prize – Certificate + Trophy
2nd prize – Certificate + Trophy
3rd prize – Certificate + Trophy
2. Revelation Prize: the panel of judges shall select the candidates in each instrument the competition; winners will be invited to take part in the Saint Cecilia Day Concert, on November 21 of 2025, at 6 p.m., at the AMPB Auditorium.
3. Excellence Prize: at the end of the Laureates’ Concert, the committee comprising the Educational Direction of AMPB, a representative of the AMPB Administrative Direction, the Artistic Director or representative of Paços de Brandão International Music Festival and a representative of Youth Wind Band and Symphony Orchestra of Santa Maria da Feira will select the candidate that most stood out during said Concert, who shall be invited to participate in the 49th Paços de Brandão International Music Festival in 2026.
4. Orchestra Prize: also, at the end of the Laureates’s Concert, the commission referred to in point 3, will select the best category A laureate who will receive the Orchestra Prize, performing on 4th of October 2025, with Youth Wind Band and Symphony Orchestra of Santa Maria da Feira, at Centro Cultural de Milheirós de Poiares, at 9:30 p.m. Participants shall be solely responsible for expenses for personal travel and accommodation. The organization is not responsible for the non-use of original scores, nor for copyright payments.
5. Certificate of participation for every candidates.
6. The official awards ceremony shall take place at the Laureates’ Concert, where all winning candidates must to be present, otherwise, they will not be awarded to the respective prizes; if they are minors, they will have to be accompanied by a legal guardian or close relative to collect the monetary prize, under penalty of losing the right to the prize.
MEMBERS OF THE PANEL OF JUDGES
AMPB Teacher of Instrument in the Competition (Chairman)
Ricardo Abreu (Guitar)
Ricardo Barceló (Guitar)
Joaquín Eustachio (Trumpet)
Vasco Silva de Faria (Trumpet)
Esteban Valverde (Clarinet)
Hélder Gonçalves (Clarinet)
Fausto Neves (Piano)
Taíssa Poliakova Cunha (Piano)