The European Union of Music Competitions for Youth is a European umbrella organisation for about fifty national and international music competitions for young people. Founded in the 1960s in order to develop the musical education of young Europeans, EMCY arranges concerts, broadcasts, tours, award ceremonies, master classes and courses for competition prize winners throughout Europe. Every year, thousands of musicians under the age of twenty-five take part in EMCY competitions, and its projects with the European Broadcasting Union reach audiences across Europe. EMCY is a registered association under German law with an elected international board of five representatives, headed since 2012 by chairman Paul Scholer. Its registered office is in Munich, Germany. In 2010 EMCY celebrated its 40th birthday at the General Assembly in Heerlen, Netherlands.
EMCY board
The EMCY board is elected every four years at the general assembly. Current members are:
The EMCY office is hosted by Jugend musiziert, the German national competition organised by the in Munich, Germany. It is run by Sophie Duhnkrack, secretary general of EMCY.
General assembly
The EMCY general assembly gathers, in general, every two years in a different European country at the invitation of an EMCY member competition. The last one was held in Luxembourg in 2018, hosted by the Concours Luxembourgeois pour Jeunes Solistes. General assemblies have been held in:
2014 – Luxembourg: Concours Luxembourgeois pour Jeunes Solistes & European Competition for Young Soloists
2016 – Vilnius : National Lithuanian Balys Dvarionas Piano & String Competition, the International Balys Dvarionas Competition for Young Pianists and the International Jascha Heifetz Competition for Violinists
2018 – Luxembourg: Concours Luxembourgeois pour Jeunes Solistes & European Competition for Young Soloists
Member competitions
National competitions
Participation in these competitions is usually reserved for nationals or residents of the respective country. This often includes schools abroad, students at conservatoires or ex-patriates, however.
Österreichischer Jugendmusikwettbewerb prima la musica in Austria
podium.jazz.pop.rock... in Austria
The Papandopulo Croatian Competition of young musicians in Croatia
National Radio Competition of the Czech Republic 'Concertino Praga' in the Czech Republic
Oresund Soloist in Denmark / Sweden
Concours d'excellence – Confédération Musicale de France in France
Jugend musiziert in Germany
National Balys Dvarionas Piano and String Competition in Lithuania
Concours Luxembourgoise pour Jeunes Solistes in Luxembourg
Competition of the United Music and Dance Teacher of Macedonia in Macedonia
EMCY works to help prize winners in their musical and personal development. Performance and training opportunities throughout Europe are arranged by EMCY, together with its member competitions and partners. These concerts, tours, workshops, and master classes are international meeting points for young musicians. EMCY also holds conferences for competition organisers and music educators on particular themes.
