Download the 2015 “Antonio Guanti” Competition Rules (pdf)
RULES
1. The sixth edition of the Competition will occur in Matera (MT), Italy on Saturday November 12th 2016 and Sunday November 13th 2016, at the “R. Gervasio” Auditorium (Piazza del Sedile).
2. The Competition is divided into two categories:
A. Children Choirs (Male, Female, Mixed Choirs, maximum 15 years old – the Organization can verify the required age, and judge any peculiar case) – Saturday November 12th at 3pm;
B. Youth and Adult Voices Choirs (Male, Female, Mixed Choirs) – Sunday November 15th at 3pm.
3. The Competition is open to Italian and foreign amateur Choirs. Directors and instrumentalists (if participating) can be professional musicians. There is no limitation to the number of choristers.
4. An unique competition phase is provided, for each category, before the winners proclamation.
Repertoire
5. Competitors must perform, for the A CATEGORY, a polyphonic program including:
A. One or more pieces composed before 1900;
B. Two or more pieces composed after 1900 (at least one of these piece must be performed “a cappella”);
C. One or more pieces freely chosen.
The duration of each exhibition must not exceed 20 minutes; exhibition duration does not include applauses, pauses between the pieces and the time necessary to come up and down the stage.
Pieces must be sang in their score original language, it is not allowed to change the order of execution of the list sent in the application form and no piece can be replaced.
Conductors must inform the Jury in writing, before the beginning of the Competition, if any piece is going to be tned in a different key from the sent score.
Choirs must sing at least two pieces without musical accompaniment.
The accompaniment can be played with a piano or an electronic keyboard or other instruments, if not differently specified. It is not allowed to sing on a pre-recorded accompaniment.
Is not allowed to sing composition by the choir conductor; the choirs can, however, sing musical arrangements or harmonization by the choir conductor.
6. Competitors must perform, for the B CATEGORY, a polyphonic program including:
A. At least one XVI cent. sacred or secular piece;
B. At least one XVII-XVIII-XIX cent. sacred or secular piece;
C. At least one XX-XXI cent. sacred or secular piece;
D. One or more pieces freely chosen (ranging between Gregorian Chant from Gradual Triplex and contemporary sacred or secular pieces).
The duration of each exhibition must not exceed 20 minutes; exhibition duration does not include applauses, pauses between the pieces and the time necessary to come up and down the stage.
Pieces must be sang in their score original language, it is not allowed to change the order of execution of the list sent in the application form and no piece can be replaced.
Conductors must inform the Jury in writing, before the beginning of the Competition, if any piece is going to be tuned in a different key from the sent score.
Choirs can not sing more than two pieces with musical accompaniment; the accompaniment can be played with a piano or an electronic keyboard or other instruments, if not differently specified. It is not allowed to sing on a pre-recorded accompaniment.
Is not allowed to sing composition by the choir conductor; the choirs can, however, sing musical arrangements or harmonization by the choir conductor.
Enrollment and registration fee
7. Each Choir must pay a registration fee of 100,00 € (one hundred/00 €), made by Bank Transfer:
IBAN: IT 69 X 05385 16100 000002201523
SWIFT-BIC: BPDMIT3BXXX
Banca Popolare di Puglia e Basilicata – Matera
in the name of Coro della Polifonica Materana “Pierluigi da Palestrina”
with the reason of payment “Antonio Guanti VI Choir Competition Registration”.
The registration fee will be refunded for the extent of 2/3 in case of rejection at the Competition, entirely only if the Competition is cancelled. The payment is net of any bank charges, which must be payed by the participants.
8. The registration form can be sent to the Competition Administrative Office within July 31st 2016 by filling out the web form available on https://www.antonioguanti.org/en/.
The below listed documents must be attached to the registration form, otherwise the choir will be excluded from the competition:
• copy of the Director’s ID (Identity Document);
• a live sound recording made after June 30th, 2015.
• a color photo of the choir (high resolution);
• a copy of each score will be performed during the competition. In conformity to the current copyright laws, the Organization disclaims all responsibilities about copyright infringements;
• copy of the receipt of the € 100,00 payment (registration fee, see art. 7) made by Bank Transfer.
The requested material can be sent in two ways:
• by the Wetransfer file transfer system, following the instructions received with the summary mail;
• by traceable mail (a registered mail with return receipt or courier), attaching a copy of the summary mail, to the following address:
Coro della Polifonica Materana “Pierluigi da Palestrina”, cp 28 – 75100 Matera (MT) – ITALIA.
The shipment must be postmarked by July 31st, 2015.
The registration will be considered complete only after sending the requested documents. The sent material will not be returned.
9. The enrollments will be recorded by chronological order and evaluated by the Organization.
The Organization can ask the Choirs to change one or more pieces, if necessary to guarantee the artistic peculiarity of the competition.
The Organization will inform the Choirs about their admission or rejection by electronic mail no later than three weeks from the enrollments deadline.
Competition Phases
10. The Organization will draw the exhibition order within September 30th 2016 and Choirs will be informed by electronic mail. Absent choirs within the start time (see art. 1) will be considered as renouncers and kept out of the Competition. Participating Choirs can ask the Organization Staff to schedule a short acoustic rehearsal before the Competition begins.
Logistics
11. The Organization will furnish a piano and/or an electronic keyboard: each Choir will provide for other instruments. The Organization will not bear the expenses both for other instruments and instrumentalists cachet.
12. Choirs will bear travel, room and board expenses; the Organization will make available information about accommodation in Matera.
The Basilicata Department, with the D.G.R. 1222 of 08/10/2013, ruling the turistic promotion area, dedicates subsidies for touristical expenses (travel, overnight, services).
Applications form is available at the web page http://www.aptbasilicata.it/Incentivi-al-turismo.1589.0.html
Jury and evaluation parameters
13. The Jury consists of five members at least with voting right (see Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Circ. N. 10 of 5 December 1994 G.U. n. 16 of 20 January 1995) chosen among Choir Directors, Conservatory Professors and famous musicians. Maestro Walter MARZILLI is the Jury President.
14. Exhibitions will be evaluated according to the following parameters:
A. INTONATION
B. EXECUTION FIDELITY TO SCORE
C. SOUND QUALITY
D. PROGRAMME CHOICE
E. GENERAL ARTISTIC IMPRESSION
The Jury will hold a meeting before the competition to equalize evaluation criteria. Jury evaluations, on a 100-point scale, are final and irrevocable.
Choirs can meet the Jury at the end of the competition provided that a request is sent in advance to the Administrative Office.
15. Auditions are public. Competitors accept not to lay claim to radio or television recordings and not to make any economic request to the Organization.
16. The Jury reserves the right to stop the execution if Competitors exceed the maximum allowed time. However, Competitors can perform a shorter programme than 20 minutes.
Awards and certificates
17. The following prizes will be awarded, for each Category:
1st Prize (91/100 at least) Euro 1.000,00 + plaque and certificate
2nd Prize (81/100 at least) Euro 500,00 + plaque and certificate
3rd Prize (71/100 at least) Euro 250,00 + plaque and certificate
Will be awarded the Choirs that, according to the list determined by the evaluation of the Jury, will have received the highest score, following the descending order of evaluation, regardless of the achieved prize-end .
At the discretion of the jury one or more prizes might not be assigned or assigned in joint place. If that happens, the amount will be divided among the same prize winners.
The amounts are gross of withholding taxes.
18. The Jury has the right to assign the “Antonio Guanti” Special Prize (certificate) to any outstanding quality performance. This Prize can be assigned to all competitors Choirs regardless of final results.
19. The Jury has the right to award the best performing choir of a contemporary Italian piece with the A.Ba.Co – Associazione Basilicata Cori Special Prize (certificate). This Prize can be assigned to all competitors Choirs regardless of final results.
20. All the Competitor Choirs will receive a certificate of attendance. Certificates and prizes will be given during the Winners Concert that will happen after the winners proclamation, in the same day of the Category Competition.
Awarded Choirs are required to participate in the Winners Concert, performing 3 pieces (2 if awarded in joint place) from their Competition Programme. A.Ba.Co and “Antonio Guanti” Prizes winners will perform the pieces that made them deserve the special prize.
General Rules
21. A recording secretary will take minutes during the Competition.
If necessary, the Artistic Director can modify the Competition rules.
The organizing Association disclaims all responsibility about damage to persons or property occurring during the Competition. The Court of Matera will have jurisdiction over any controversies.
Under no circumstances any person belonging neither to the organization nor to a participating choir will be admitted on the stage.
22. The enrolling entails the acceptance of all Competition rules.
