Milan, 16 January 2025 – On the 68th anniversary of the death of Maestro Arturo Toscanini, the Arturo Toscanini Foundation officially presents the 12th edition of the Toscanini Competition in the Toscanini Foyer at La Scala Theatre. The event will take place in the presence of Ruben Jais, Superintendent and Artistic Director of the Foundation, Lorenzo Lavagetto, Councillor for Culture of the Municipality of Parma, Susanna Zucchelli, member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors and representative of the Emilia-Romagna Region, and Peter Paul Kainrath, President of the World Federation of International Music Competitions.
From 16 January to 15 May 2025, young conductors of all nationalities, up to 35 years of age, can apply to take part in the 12th edition of the Toscanini Competition, set to be held in Parma from 31 August to 7 September. Organised by the Arturo Toscanini Foundation and marking the Orchestra’s 50th anniversary, this renowned international competition provides a unique opportunity to promote talented upcoming generations in the field of conducting.
The International Jury will be chaired by Ruben Jais, Superintendent and Artistic Director of the Toscanini Foundation. “This year, on the occasion of such a very important anniversary, we are renewing our commitment to showcasing young talent, offering them an international stage of the highest level”, says Jais. “The competition involves leading figures from major international music institutions, and the winners will receive unparalleled visibility, partly thanks to the support of the International Federation of Classical Music Competitions. As a result, Parma will be confirmed as a music capital, with an event on a global scale”.

Established in 1985 following the initiative of Vladimir Delman, the Toscanini Competition is widely recognised as one of the world’s most prestigious competitions for conductors. Renowned for its demanding selection process, it has launched the careers of artists who are now internationally acclaimed, including Kazushi Ono, Carlo Rizzi, Gyorgy Gyorivanyi Rath, Stanislav Kochanovsky, and Kirill Petrenko, current conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker.

On the occasion of its 12th edition, the Toscanini Competition has unveiled a new logo, symbolising the link between tradition and innovation. The graphics are inspired by the conductor’s gesture, with the idea that the movement of Arturo Toscanini’s hands and baton have left a trace of ink, like a permanent signature upon his art. This symbol has become the emblem of the competition: a synthesis of artistic individuality and the universality of musical language.

Together with President Ruben Jais, the jury includes distinguished representatives of musical institutions from all over the world:
Han-na Chang, Principal Conductor, Trondheim Symfoniorkester
Lü Jia, Principal Conductor, NCPA (China)
Sandra Parr, Vice President – Artistic Planning, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Cristina Rocca, Vice President, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Marian van der Meer, Artistic Coordinator, Concertgebouw Amsterdam

Those who submit their application to be selected from the short list of 12 candidates for the competition will be chosen through a rigorous pre-selection process organised by Carla Delfrate, Marcello Bufalini and Vittorio Parisi, leading Italian teachers in the field of conducting.

31 August – 2 September: First elimination phase (12 participants)
3-4 September: Second phase (6 participants) – open to the public
5-6 September: Final (3 participants)
7 September: Final concert and award ceremony at the Paganini Auditorium, 5 p.m.

Repertoire

For the first phase, the Jury’s assessment will focus on the conducting of the following pieces: Haydn Symphony No. 49/101, Mozart Symphony No. 40/41, Mendelssohn Symphony No. 3/4, Beethoven Symphony No. 4/5/7/8, Schumann Symphony No. 3/4. For the second phase, the works chosen will be Brahms Symphony No. 3/4, Dvořák Symphony No. 7/9, Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5/6. The Final Concert will take place in Parma on Sunday 7 September 2025 at 5 p.m. at the Paganini Auditorium and will be attended by three competitors conducting Prokofiev Symphony No. 1 “Classica”, Stravinsky Pulcinella (suite), Berio Rendering.

Prizes

First Prize Arturo Toscanini: € 20,000 and the conducting of a concert by the Arturo Toscanini Philharmonic Orchestra
Second Prize: € 10,000
Third Prize: € 5,000
Special prizes from the Orchestra (€ 2,000) and the Public (€ 1,000)

The Arturo Toscanini Foundation wishes to extend its appreciation to the Ministry of Culture, the Emilia-Romagna Region and the Cariparma Foundation for their vital contribution to the realisation of this edition of the Toscanini Competition.
Thanks are also due to the Monteparma Foundation and La Giovane for their valuable support.
The competition can also rely on the collaboration of the Gazzetta di Parma as Media Partner.
A special acknowledgement goes to the State Archives of Milan and the Historical Archive of the Istituto Luce in Rome, for making available material on Arturo Toscanini that enhances the historical and cultural context of the initiative, and to the Teatro alla Scala for allowing the use of the Toscanini Foyer for the official presentation.