DANCE
The Bergmann Edition Competition is a parallel competition to the OPEN Aalborg Composer Competition.
Where the open competition is mining for contemporary concert pieces that showcase the newest trends in the academic classical tradition, the Bergmann Edition Competition will look out for music aimed at a broader public. The music could be suitable for a potential concert repertoire, but it could also appeal to skilled amateurs and teachers.
The competition is themed, and this year’s theme is “DANCE.”
The tradition of writing classical music inspired by dances is old and rich. And we want new music written with the heart, so it needs a pulse.
We want music that will make the baby dance before she can walk, music that makes old people in their wheelchairs tap their feet and nod their heads, young lovers hugging to the last dance at the party, or music that lets us imagine the spring dance of cranes. It could be music that follows the tradition, like Allemande, Ballet, Gigue, Habanera, Mazurka, Minuet, Sarabande, Tarantella, Tango, etc. or something completely new.
The formal rules are the same as for the OPEN competition.
If you submit a didactic work (or collection), you must add a description of your goal and the target audience. The text must be in English and will be considered an integral part of the work. If you submit a collection of smaller pieces, the total performance time must be within the eight-minute limit.
Terms and Conditions - Composer Competition
NEW Deadline October 26th 2025
General Guidelines and rules:
- Open to composers of all ages and nationalities.
- Compositions submitted must be written for solo guitar.
- Compositions must be written for the six-stringed classical guitar.
- Alternative tunings are acceptable.
- Fixed media and/or live electronics are not accepted.
- Compositions submitted must be no longer than 8 minutes.
- Composers may submit multiple works.
- Compositions submitted must be previously unpublished (not published by a commercial publishing house).
- The competition is organized by the society: Aalborg International Guitar Festival & Competitions.
- The decision of the jury is final. The judging system is an internal system and is not open to public discussion.
Remaining regulations:
- All potential problems and/or situations not covered by the above rules will be decided by the organizers of the competition
Submissions:
Application Deadline: October 26th 2025
Application Fee
- €50/350 kr for each work (ticket fee for Billetto 3,5 €/25 kr. ).
- Multiple works may be submitted (an additional application fee must accompany each extra work).
- Application materials and fees must be submitted and paid online no later than October 12th 2025, by 11.59 pm.
All submissions to the competition should include the following:
- First, complete online payment at: Billetto.dk Please make a pdf copy of your payment receipt/ticket, and send it together with your music and mp3 file of your work to: bergmannedition@aalborgguitarfestival.com (before October 26th 2025 by 11:59 pm). Application fees are non refundable.
- The pieces must be notated in a music notation program: We accept Finale, Sibelius, Musescore, and Dorico files. We also accept Music.XML files, as long as the XML is readable by one of the four listed applications.
- You must include a recording as an mp3 file of the work, either a live recording or a computer-generated mock-up.
- All compositions must contain the composer’s name and will be anonymized before being presented to the judges.
- The name/number of the composition and the name of the composer must appear on the payment for participation.
- All files must be sent to bergmannedition@aalborgguitarfestival.com (before October 26th 2025, by 11:59 pm).
Prizes
1st prize:
- The winner will receive a €500 prize.*
- The winning work will be published by “Bergmann Edition”, both on paper and digital.
2nd prize:
- The winner will receive a €300 prize.*
- The winning work will be published by “Bergmann Edition”, as a print-on-demand.
3rd prize:
- The winner will receive a €200 prize.*
- The winning work will be published by “Bergmann Edition”, as a print-on-demand.
Judges have the right to award all or some of the prizes or none.
Winning compositions will be announced at the Award Concert on November 16th 2025, 14.30 and posted online at www.aalborgguitarfestival.com as well as at: https://www.facebook.com/
* All winners will receive an email, and the prize will be transferred to the winner’s bank account.
Jury:
Chairman: Allan Bergmann, Denmark
Jurymembers:
Jesper Sivebæk, Denmark
Angela Mair, Austria
