The 4th International Eduardas Balsys Composers Competition will take place in Vilnius at the end of 2025. The final concert will be live-streamed worldwide from the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania on November 29th. In collaboration with National Opera and Ballet Theatre, National Philharmonic Society, and other partners, the organisers will bring great contemporary music performers to play the pieces selected for the final round. Therefore, amongst the monetary prizes, the winners and the finalists will also have an opportunity to hear their works being performed live and recorded by great contemporary music performers and their collectives.

The International Eduardas Balsys Composers Competition was established in 2019 to celebrate the centennial of this famous Lithuanian composer. The competition caught the attention of a lot of composers worldwide, and the final concerts, which happened in Vilnius and Klaipėda, were broadcasted by LRT and live-streamed to viewers across the world. The tremendous interest in the Balsys competition raised ambitions for it to become well established and relevant to the contemporary music scene outside the Baltic region as well.

The Balsys Competition stands out in its variety of creative options given to the participants regarding the choice of instruments (from chamber ensembles to orchestra and choir). As it is the main event of the competition, a lot of attention is given to the pieces that are selected for the final round. The musicians that perform these works are highly established performers and highly experienced in playing contemporary music. Amongst the performers from the 2023 competition, there were Riga Chamber Choir “Ave Sol” (conductor Andris Veismanis), Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra (conductor Robertas Šervenikas), string quartet “Mettis”, piano trio “FortVio”, soprano Monta Martinsonė, and others.

The Eduardas Balsys Composers Competition is open to composers up to 36 years old (born after 29.11.1989). We accept your admissions until September 19th, 2025.

Prizes:
1st Prize – 3,000 Euros,
2nd Prize – 2,000 Euros,
3rd Prize – 1,000 Euros.

The rules: www.balsyscompetition.eu
Live updates: www.facebook.co