The International Cello Festival, Finland will hold the VII International Paulo Cello Competition on October 1–12, 2023. The competition is open to cellists of all nationalities born between 1993 and 2007, inclusive.

The Paulo Cello Competition is an international high-level event open to cellists of all nationalities aged 16–30. The repertoire has always been exciting and demanding, including both contemporary music and earlier cello masterpieces. Founded on the initiative of The Paulo Foundation and Professor Arto Noras, the Paulo is one of the most important international cello competitions of today.

In 1991 it was decided to honour the 25th anniversary of The Paulo Foundation by holding an international cello competition bearing the Paulo family name. That year marked the centenary of the birth of restaurateur and businessman Reko Paulo. The Paulo Foundation is based upon the last will and testament of his wife, Hulda, and their daughter Marja. The Foundation annually furthers and finances medical research, promotes business research and training and sponsors and develops the visual arts and music.

The previous winners of the International Paulo Cello Competition are Xavier Phillips (1991), Hai-Ye Ni (1996), Enrico Bronzi (2002), Andreas Brantelid (2007), Kian Soltani (2013) and Brandon Cho. The Artistic Director of the Competition is Professor Arto Noras.

FINALS

A maximum of 6 competitors will qualify for the Finals.

FIRST FINAL, October 9–10, 2023

Espoo Cultural Centre, Tapiola

The competitor will be perform one of the following concertos with the Tapiola Sinfonietta.

1. C. P. E. Bach: Cello Concerto in A major, Wq. 172
   
2. Luigi Boccherini: Cello Concerto No. 6 in D major, G479
3. Carlo Graziani: Cello Concerto in D major

The concertos will be performed without a conductor.

After performing the concerto with the Tapiola Sinfonietta, each competitor will also perform the Preludio from the Suite for violoncello solo by Krzysztof Penderecki (Edition Schott) as a compulsory encore.

SECOND FINAL, October 11–12, 2023

Helsinki Music Centre

The competitor will perform one of the following works with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra.

1. Samuel Barber: Cello Concerto, Op. 22
2. Benjamin Britten: Cello Symphony, Op. 68
3. Henri Dutilleux: Cello Concerto “Tout un monde lointain”
4. Joonas Kokkonen: Cello Concerto (1969)
5. Witold Lutosławski: Cello Concerto
6. Krzysztof Penderecki: Cello Concerto No. 2
7. Aulis Sallinen: Cello Concerto, Op. 44
8. Dmitri Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 2, Op. 126

After the concerto with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra each competitor will also perform a movement of her/his choice from a Suite for Solo Cello by Johann Sebastian Bach as a compulsory encore.