APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR THE 1st STEPANOV INTERNATIONAL FLUTE COMPETITION!

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR 
THE 1st STEPANOV INTERNATIONAL FLUTE COMPETITION!

PROVISION
ON THE 1st STEPANOV INTERNATIONAL FLUTE COMPETITION

1. MAIN PROVISIONS
 
1.1 The 1st International Competition of Flute Players named after F.V. Stepanov is held in the specialty “The Art of Concert Performance on Orchestral Wind Instruments” and is aimed at support, development of performing skills and popularization of this specialty.
The competition is named after Fyodor Vasilyevich Stepanov, an outstanding flautist, the first Russian professor of wind instruments in Russia and the founder of the Russian school of flute playing.

1.2 The founder of the 1st International Stepanov Flute Competition is the N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov St. Petersburg State Conservatory.

1.3 The compositions of the Organizing Committee and the Competition Directorate are formed by the founder.

1.4 The composition of the Competition Jury is formed and approved by the Competition Organizing Committee.

1.5 Aims and objectives of the Competition:
- Preservation and development of the best traditions of the domestic school of flute performance; 
- Identification, support and encouragement of gifted and promising young musicians; 
- Enhancement of professional skills, improvement of flutists' performing culture;
- Attracting attention and increasing the prestige of flutists' performance; 
- Exchange of creative and professional experience.
 

2. NOMINATIONS, TERMS
AND PROCEDURE OF THE COMPETITION

2.1 Competitive auditions are held in the specialty “Flute”.

2.2 The competition is held in two age groups:
- Junior group from 12 to 17 years old (inclusive). 
- Senior group from 18 to 30 years old (participation in the Senior Group of persons under 18 years old is allowed).
- The age of the participant is determined at the time of the opening of the in-person part (II round) of the competition - March 24, 2025. 
2.2 Competition auditions shall be held:
- Junior Group in two rounds: the I-st qualifying round is held in absentee format (by video recordings), the II-nd round - in-person from March 26 to 27, 2025 in St. Petersburg. (Participants of the younger group can attend all the competition events).
- Senior group in three rounds: the I-st qualifying round is held in absentee format (by video recordings), the II-nd and III-rd rounds - in person from March 24 to 30, 2025 in St. Petersburg.

2.3 Competitive auditions of the III-rd round shall be accompanied by a symphony orchestra.

2.4 At the end of the competition auditions, a final gala concert accompanied by a symphony orchestra will be held, in which the winners of the competition will take part.

2.5 The Organizing Committee provides concertmasters for rehearsals (free of charge 25 min. before each round). If additional rehearsal time is necessary, it is paid in accordance with the rates set by the administration of the St. Petersburg Conservatory. 
Concertmasters are provided free of charge for competition performances. Competition participants have the right to perform with their own accompanists. This information must be specified in the application form.

2.6 Schedule of the IInd and IIIrd rounds of the Competition:

3. CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION IN THE COMPETITION
 
3.1 All participants of the competition are obliged to comply with the terms and conditions of these regulations.

3.2 Professional musicians-performers (students and graduates of secondary and higher professional music educational institutions) from Russia and other countries can take part in the competition.

3.3 The entry fee is 5000 rubles. The entry fee shall be paid before submitting documents for participation in the competition. The entry fee is non-refundable.

3.4 Foreign participants shall pay the entry fee in Yuan of the People's Republic of China at the exchange rate of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation on the day of transfer of funds to the account or in rubles upon arrival in the territory of the Russian Federation through the branches of PJSC “Sberbank of Russia”.

3.5 The entry fee does not include bank commission. The applicants for participation in the Competition shall independently pay for bank services for transfer of the entry fee.
3.6 All expenses related to the organization of video recording, travel, meals and accommodation of the contestants and accompanying persons shall be borne by the contestants themselves or at the expense of the sending organization.
 

4. SUBMISSION AND TERMS OF CONSIDERATION OF APPLICATIONS

4.1 In order to participate in the competition it is necessary to send a package of documents (application form) to the e-mail address of the competition: flute@conservatory.ru  
4.2 The package of documents (application) to be sent to the contest includes:
1) a completed application form (Appendix No. 1) in two formats: a MicrosoftWord document and a scan of the completed application form with the participant's signature;
2) creative biography (resume) of the performer in Word format;
3) concert photo (1 piece) in high resolution;
4) a link to the contest video recording (see item 5 of these Regulations);
5) a receipt with a bank stamp on payment of the entry fee (or online payment receipt) (Appendix No. 2).

4.3 The deadline for submitting a package of documents (applications) for participation in the competition is from September 1 2024 to January 15, 2025 inclusive.

4.4 Applications submitted later than the deadline will not be considered.

4.5 By sending photo and video materials to the Competition Organizing Committee, the participant automatically confirms his/her consent to the use of the materials by third parties (organizers, jury members, other participants of the Competition). 

4.6 Applications are processed by the Contest Organizing Committee and the contest videos are evaluated by the jury from January 16 to January 28, 2025. 

4.7 The results of the 1st absentee round will be published no later than January 29, 2025 on the website of the St. Petersburg Conservatory  (https://conservatory.ru). 

4.8 The Organizing Committee undertakes to send notifications of the results of the absentee auditions to all participants of the 1st round and official invitations to the 2nd round within 3 days after the official announcement of the results on the Conservatory's website, i.e. not later than February 1, 2025.

5. REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPETITION VIDEO MATERIALS

5.1 The video recording must contain a performance of a piece from the first round of the Competition, as defined in clause 7 of these Regulations.

5.2 Videos must be easily accessible via links from the computer or other device of each Jury member, and must not require registration on the platform or downloading the video to view it. 

5.3 Access to the links is the responsibility of the contestant.

5.4 The video recording must ensure the identity of the performer: the contestant must be clearly visible full-length. At the very beginning of the video recording, the performer must clearly and distinctly announce the surname, first name, patronymic (if any) and the title of the work, or post this information as subtitles. Videotaping in “self mode” is prohibited.

5.5 The recording of works must be made in the concert hall or in a large classroom in concert clothes. 

5.6 All works of the 1st round can be performed from notes.                                        

5.7 Video recordings of the live performance of the qualifying program are allowed to participate in the competition. 
Ist round. All three works of the first round may be recorded in different files. Gluing and editing within the works is prohibited.

5.8 Video recordings of poor quality, including recordings with a resolution of less than 720 pixels, are not allowed to participate.

5.9 Videos should be sent as a link to YouTube or to cloud services: Yandex.Disk, Google.Disk, Mail.Ru Cloud (publication of the number in social networks is not allowed). 
 

6. JURY AND SUMMARIZING THE RESULTS OF THE COMPETITION

6.1 The jury of the Competition is composed of leading Russian and foreign flutists.

6.2 Based on the results of absentee auditions of the 1st round no more than 25 participants in each group are allowed to participate in the 2nd round of the Competition.

6.3 Based on the results of the auditions of the II-th round, no more than 8 participants (senior group) are allowed to participate in the III-th round of the Competition.

6.4 The decision of the Jury is final and is not subject to review and appeal. Judicial intervention is excluded. Disputable scores are decided by voting between all members of the Jury.

6.5 The Jury has the right to:
1) not to award all prizes;
2) to divide the places between the participants who have scored the same number of points;
3) award special and additional diplomas and prizes.

6.6 Based on the results of the competition auditions, the following titles shall be awarded to the contestants:
- Contestant (a certificate is awarded to all contestants who have passed the 2nd round)
- Competition Diploma winner (all contestants who have passed to the IIIrd round are awarded with a diploma)
- Competition Laureate (winners of three degrees)

6.7 Cash prizes are awarded to the laureates in the amount of:

JUNIOR GROUP:
Laureate of the I degree: 100,000 rubles.
Laureate of the II degree: 75 000 rubles.
Laureate of the III degree: 50,000 rubles.
SENIOR GROUP:
Laureate of the I degree: 200 000 rubles + Prize named after. A.M.Vavilina (flute from “Atelier Goncharov”)
Laureate of the II degree: 150 000 rubles + memorable gift from the sponsor Laureate of the III degree: 100 000 rubles + memorable gift from the sponsor

Special prizes: 
- From sponsor Atelier Goncharova;
- performance at the Mariinsky Theater Festival;
- performance with the S.V. Rakhmaninov Academic Symphony Orchestra. S.V. Rachmaninov Academic Symphony Orchestra. Artistic Director and Principal Conductor - Alexey Morgunov (Tambov);
- from the Moscow Flute Center.

6.8 At the end of the competition auditions, the final gala concert of the Competition Laureates with the Symphony Orchestra will take place. 

7. COMPETITION PROGRAM

You can download the sheet music from the link: https://disk.yandex.ru/d/JTyEnVDP1oZw_g

Competition works of all rounds must be performed by heart (except for the 1st round, performance from notes is allowed).
Works of the I and II rounds must not be repeated.

JUNIOR GROUP:

I ROUND
(qualifying by video recordings)

1.    A work of the Baroque or Classicist era (without repetition in any version) of the participant's choice.

2.    A work of the Romanticism or XX century at the participant's choice.

II ROUND

1.    A work of the participant's choice:
- W. Mozart. Sonata in F Major, K. 13, Op. 3 No. 4
- W. Mozart. Sonata in C Major, K. 14, Op. 3 No. 5
- W. Mozart. Sonata in B flat major, K. 15, Op. 3 No. 6

2.    C. Pugni “Ballade” from the ballet “Pharaoh's Daughter” (arranged by C. Ciardi - F.V. Stepanov)

3.    Piece for flute and piano, specially written for the competition. (To be published at the end of Round I, no later than 26.12.2024. Performance by sheet music is possible).

SENIOR GROUP:

I ROUND
(qualifying by video recordings)

1.    G. Telemann. 12 Fantasias for flute solo (any fantasy of the performer's choice).

2.    N. Paganini. 24 Caprice for solo violin (arrangement for solo flute) (any caprice at the performer's choice).

II ROUND

1.    A work of the participant's choice:
- C.F.E. Bach. Sonata in E minor Wq. 124, H. 551
- C.F.E. Bach. Sonata in G major Wq. 86, H. 509
- J.-M. Leclair. Sonata in G Major op. 9, No. 7
- J.-M. Leclair. Sonata in E minor op. 9, No. 2 

2.    A work of the participant's choice:
- A. Eshpai. One of the “Three Pieces” for solo flute (1987) 
- S. Gubaidullina. Sonatina for flute solo (1978)
- А. Lurie. “Pan's Flute” for flute solo (1957)

3.    Piece for flute and piano, specially written for the competition. (To be published at the end of Round I, no later than 12/26/2024. Performance by sheet music is possible)

III ROUND

1. W. Mozart. Andante in C major, K.315

2. Helmer - Rainer Sinisalo. Concerto for flute and orchestra (1940).

If you have any questions, please write to the e-mail address: flute@conservatory.ru

The general sponsor of the F.V. Stepanov International Flute Competition is the Russian flute manufacturer Goncharov Atelier
https://vk.ru/atelier_goncharov

JURY

Сhairman of the jury DENIS LUPACHEV 
Russia

Born in 1975 into a musical family. He studied at the special music school at the St Petersburg State Conservatoire, then in Paris at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique (class of Professor Alain Marion) and at the St Petersburg State Conservatoire (class of Professor G.P. Nikitin). In 2002 he completed postgraduate studies at the Hochschule für Musik in Munich (class of Professor András Adorjan). 
In 1993 Denis Lupachev became a laureate of the Virtuosi 2000 festival (Russia), in 1997 he received a special jury prize at the International Flute Competition in Kobe (Japan), in 1999 he won the Leonardo de Lorenzo International Competition (Italy).
Since 1998 he has been a soloist with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra.
He has performed as a soloist with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra and conductors Gianandrea Noseda, Tugan Sokhiev and Mikhail Agrest. He has also performed with the Moscow State Academic Chamber Orchestra, the Ekaterinburg Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, the Novosibirsk Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra and many other Russian orchestras. 
He regularly gives concerts in collaboration with pianist Peter Laul at the Small Hall of the St Petersburg Philharmonic and the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre. 
In 2016 he founded the annual Flute Virtuosi festival, which has already featured Emmanuel Pajou, Denis Buryakov, Walter Auer, Julien Bodiman and Matvey Demin.
In 2019 he took part in the first ‘Festival of Baroque and Chamber Music’ in Sochi.
His new audio recording ‘A Flute for the Tsar’ was released in January 2020 on the ReachSound.Art label
As an associate professor at the St Petersburg State Conservatoire, Denis Lupachev gives masterclasses both in Russia and abroad.
Artist of Sankyo Flutes, plays the Sankyo 14K White Gold and Sankyo 24K flute.

IRINA STACHINSKAYA
Russia

Irina Stachinskaya is a well-known Russian flautist, laureate of international competitions, candidate of art history, artistic director of the festival ‘Voice of the Flute’ (Nizhny Novgorod) and the festival of wind music ‘Music of the Wind’ (Kaliningrad), exclusive artist of the Powell company in Russia, senior lecturer at the Moscow State Institute of Music named after A.G. Schnittke.
She was born in Moscow into a family of musicians. At the age of six she entered the Gnessin Moscow Specialised Music School in the class of I.F. Pushechnikov (block flute). There she studied flute at first with A.V. Korneev and then with V.L. Kudri, continuing her studies in his class at the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music since 2015. 
During the years of her studies she began working as a flute soloist in the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra for Children and Youth, and since 2007 she has taken the place of the first flute of the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Moscow State Academic Philharmonic Orchestra. 
In 2008 she became a regular participant in the annual master courses of the famous flautist James Galway in Switzerland. There in 2010 she won the ‘Rising star’ award. 
At the request of James Galway, Muramatsu, Lafin and Musik Bertram present her with a silver flute. 
In 2014 and 2015, Irina had successful solo performances in the US at the National Flute Conventions in Chicago (2014) and Washington, DC (2015), as well as tours in Japan and Korea.
In 2017, she completed her postgraduate studies at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris ‘Alfred Cortot’ in Paris.
Irina Stachinskaya is a member of the jury of prestigious domestic and international flute competitions and gives master-classes in Russia and abroad.
In addition to her active concert activities, Irina Stachinskaya is the initiator and director of flute festivals in Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod. She actively collaborates with the Moscow Flute Centre. 
 

MARIA FEDOTOVA
Russia
Honored Artist of the Russian Federation

Associate Professor of the Department of Woodwind Instruments of the St. Petersburg Conservatory named after N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov.
She began studying music at the age of five, and from the age of eight she performed in solo concerts accompanied by the Mariinsky Theater Chamber Orchestra and in a duet with her father, flutist Vladimir Fedotov.
In 1996, she graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatory, studying flute with Professor Alexandra Vavilina, a soloist of the legendary Mravinsky Orchestra.
In 1991, she became a soloist with the Tchaikovsky Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Vladimir Fedoseev, successfully combining work in the orchestra with a solo career.
From 2012 to the present - soloist of the Mariinsky Theater Symphony Orchestra. As part of the orchestra, he performs solo parts in opera and ballet performances, and performs with solo and ensemble programs in the chamber halls of the theater.
Participant in international festivals in Basel (Les muséiques), St. Moritz (Snow and Symphony), Paris (Bach et la transcription), Brussels (Europalya), Salzburg, Verbier, Bregenz, Gstaad, Elmau and other European cities.
She performed solo programs at the Musikverein (Vienna), the City of Music and the Champs-Elysees Theater (Paris), and the Musikhalle (Hamburg).
In Russia, her performances took place at the festivals “December Evenings of Svyatoslav Richter”, “Palaces of St. Petersburg”, “Crescendo”, at the Moscow Easter Festival, in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, and the State Chapel of St. Petersburg.
She has played as a guest soloist with the World Peace Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Zubin Mehta. 
In addition to the modern flute, she can perform authentically and has collaborated with the ancient music ensembles “ArsConsoni” and the “Academy of Ancient Music”. Maria Fedotova's recordings have been released on CDs.
Maria Fedotova provides support to young talented musicians and conducts master classes in Russia (as part of the River of Talents and Sirius projects) and abroad. Currently teaches at the St. Petersburg Conservatory.

OLGA IVUSHEIKOVA
Russia

Associate Professor at the Moscow State Conservatoire. Laureate of All-Union and international competitions.
Born in Moscow.
In 1989 she graduated from the Gnessin Secondary Specialised Music School (class of N. D. Selezneva). In 1989 she graduated from the Gnessin Secondary Specialised Music School (classes of N. D. Selezneva, M. I. Kashirsky and A. V. Korneev).
In 1987 she won first prize at the All-Russian (Leningrad) and All-Union (Khmelnitsky) competitions of woodwind instrument performers and received a prize as the youngest participant.
In 1994 she graduated from the Moscow Conservatoire, and in 1996 completed an assistantship (class of Yuri Dolzhikov).
In 2004 she completed postgraduate studies at the F. Mendelssohn School of Music in Leipzig. In 2004 she completed postgraduate studies at the F. Mendelssohn School of Music in Leipzig (Germany) (in the class of Professor B. Chaloga. She studied authentic performance on the traverse flute).
In 1995 she won the Van Wassenaer International Competition in The Hague.
In 2002-2004. - In 2002-2004 she was a scholarship holder of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
In 1996-2000 she took master-classes with A. Adorian (Praad, France), M. Kofler (Austria), W. Haselseth (Köthen, Germany), C. Hunteller (Muenster, Germany), B. Koeken (Belgium).
Pedagogical activity:
Since 1997 she has been teaching modern and ancient flute at the Faculty of Historical and Contemporary Performing Arts of the Moscow State Conservatory, since 2005 she has been an associate professor.
From 2010 to 2011 she was a professor at Sakuyo University (Japan).
Olga Ivusheikova is one of the founders and organisers of the annual International Summer School at the Gnessin Academy.
She regularly gives masterclasses in various regions of Russia.
She regularly teaches at the Sirius Educational Centre (Sochi).
Among her graduates are laureates of international competitions and soloists of leading Russian orchestras.
Since 2004 she has been a soloist with Pratum Integrum, the first authentic orchestra in Russia.
She is actively engaged in concert activities in Russia and abroad. 
Olga Ivusheikova is a member of the jury of prestigious domestic and foreign flute competitions.

EDUARDO BELMAR
Germany

One of Europe's foremost flutists, he is a soloist with the Frankfurt Opera Orchestra and a lecturer at the Hochschule für Musik und Performing Arts Frankfurt.
Eduardo began his studies at the École Supérieure de Musique de Catalunya in Barcelona with Vicenç Prats, then studied at the Conservatoire National de Musique et de Danse de Paris with Professors Sophie Chérier and Vincent Luca, and at the École Supérieure de Musique de Stuttgart under Professor Davide Formisano. He completed his studies at the Hochschule für Musik Basel under Professor Felix Renggli.
He has participated in festivals such as the Pablo Casals Festival and La Folle Journée de Nantes in France, the Delt Chamber Music Festival in Spain and the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival.
As first flute he has collaborated with orchestras such as Orchestre de Paris, Munich Philharmonic, WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, Liceu Symphony Orchestra Barcelona, SWR Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart, HR Symphony Orchestra Frankfurt and Deutsche Oper Berlin, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, NDR Orchestra of the Elbe Philharmonic in Hamburg, as well as with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Munich Chamber Orchestra, with whom he has also appeared as soloist. 
From 2014 to 2016 he was soloist with the Baden State Capella Orchestra. Since 2022 he has been a member of the Bayreuth Festival Symphony Orchestra.
Winner of the third prize at the 2015 ARD International Competition in Munich.
In the field of chamber music, since 2018 he has been playing in duo with the pianist Yuko Mizutani, with whom he recorded the CD ‘Bouquet d'impréssions’ in 2021.
 

STANISLAV YAROSHEVSKY 
Russia

Born in Moscow.
In 2003 he graduated from the Gnessin School and in 2008 from the Gnessin Academy of Music (class of Professor A.L. Gofman, People's Artist of the Russian Federation). 
In 2008, 2009 and 2012, 2013 he trained at the summer flute school of Professor Susan Milan of King's College London.
Laureate of prestigious international competitions.
Repeatedly performs as a soloist with chamber and symphony orchestras in Moscow and other Russian cities.
He has given masterclasses in Korea and in many Russian cities.
Since 2012 soloist-regulator of the flute group of the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Russia.
Since 2010 a lecturer, since 2015 an associate professor, and since 2016 head of the Department of Wind and Percussion Instruments of the Maimonides Academy Institute of the Kosygin Russian State University. In 2024 he was awarded the academic title ‘Associate Professor’.
Since 2021 he has taught at the Gnessin Music School and the Moscow State College of Musical Performance named after F. Chopin, since 2022 he has taught at the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music.
In 2021, together with pianist Marina Belashuk, he released a solo disc dedicated to the works for flute by Vladimir Tsybin.