Pehlivanian International Conducting Competition 2026 Announces Inaugural Edition, Three Jury Panels, and Sustainable Career Development Conference

The Pehlivanian International Conducting Competition (PICC 2026), a new international competition for orchestra and opera conducting, announces its inaugural edition, to be held from 7 to 14 November 2026 at Festival Hall Bled, Slovenia. Applications open on 15 December 2025 and are open worldwide to conductors aged 18 and above, with no upper age limit.

PICC was founded as a private philanthropic initiative of the Pehlivanian family, created from George Pehlivanian’s lifelong dedication to education and in the name of his mother, the soprano Dame Arpiné Pehlivanian. The competition was conceived in response to the realities of the conducting profession, where artistic development does not follow a single, linear timeline. By removing an upper age limit, PICC reflects the belief that artistic maturity and professional readiness can emerge at different moments, and that opportunity should be based on merit rather than age.

Competition Structure

The competition unfolds in three steps and includes several live rounds in Bled.

Step 1 — Online Applications
15 December 2025 to 15 February 2026 (23:59 CET).
Selected candidates advance to Step 2. Step 2 registration deadline: 25 February 2026 (23:59 CET).

Step 2 — Global Pre-Selection (GPS)
April–May 2026. Live Global Pre-Selection auditions take place in 15 international cities: London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Oslo, Ljubljana, Milan, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, and Taipei. Each audition is evaluated by designated local jury members together with George Pehlivanian, who is present at every GPS audition. An exceptional Global Video Submission (GVS) option is available for candidates unable to travel.

Global Pre-Selection Jury Members include:

• Marlene Brüggen and Eckart Hübner (Berlin)
• Robert Gilder (Vienna)
• Pål Svendsberget and Torleif Thedéen (Oslo)
• Evans Mirageas (New York, Chicago, Los Angeles)
• Henry Fogel (Chicago)
• Neal Stulberg (Los Angeles)
• Toshihiro Yonezu (Tokyo)
• Christopher Chen (Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei)
• Yunsung Chang (Seoul)
• Maja Kojc (Ljubljana)
• Ruben Jais (Milan)
• Local jury members to be announced for London and Paris

Up to 144 conductors advance to Step 3.

Step 3 — Preliminary Round Bled (PRB)
7–9 November 2026, Festival Hall Bled.
The Preliminary Round Bled is a two-piano round adjudicated by a Special Jury of five international conductors: Christopher Chen (Chair), Ibrahim Yazici, Hossein Pishkar, Rodolfo Barráez, and George Pehlivanian. This jury selects 18 finalists.

Five Orchestra Rounds
10–14 November 2026. Finalists work with partner ensembles across repertoire categories including Stravinsky, Mozart, Opera, Concerto, and Symphony.

Final Concert and Awards Ceremony
14 November 2026, Festival Hall Bled.

International Jury — Final Rounds

The orchestral rounds are adjudicated by the International Jury, consisting of Bill Chandler (Chair), Cristina Rocca, Henry Fogel, Marlene Brüggen, Lawrence Foster, Ruben Jais, Umberto Fanni, Maja Kojc, Robert Gilder, Alessandro Ariosi, and George Pehlivanian (Honorary Jury Member).

Prizes and Professional Opportunities

The total prize fund is USD 75,000, including a USD 50,000 Grand Prize. Additional prizes are awarded from second to sixth place, alongside the Orchestra Prize, Special Jury Prize, Public Prize, and the Pehlivanian Prize.

Winners and/or finalists are eligible for guest conducting engagements with partner orchestras, assistant conductor or official guest observer invitations with partner opera houses, a recording project (Orchestra Prize), and personal mentorship from Maestro George Pehlivanian.

All 18 finalists receive hotel accommodation and breakfast in Bled from 10 to 15 November 2026.

Sustainable Career Development Conference

7–9 November 2026, Festival Hall Bled

The Pehlivanian International Conducting Competition 2026 includes a three-day Sustainable Career Development Conference as a core component of its programme. Held at Festival Hall Bled and streamed live worldwide, the Conference brings together approximately 30 professionals from across the classical music ecosystem, including representatives of orchestras, opera houses, festivals, artist agencies, conservatories, cultural networks, and the tax and legal sectors.

Structured as a moderated professional forum, the Conference addresses the professional conditions that shape sustainable careers in classical music. Topics include education pathways, professional management, leadership, mobility, funding structures, and the practical realities of cross-border work. The programme combines keynote presentations, panel discussions, and guided exchanges designed to connect speakers, moderators, and participants.

The Conference reflects the wider mission of PICC to strengthen the foundations of the classical music profession through knowledge sharing and cooperation. By bringing together perspectives from across the ecosystem, it aims to provide participants with a clearer understanding of the systems in which they work and to encourage informed dialogue about long-term sustainability. All sessions will be broadcasted live via the official Pehlivanian International Conducting Competition YouTube channel.

Audience

All public rounds in Bled, including the Final Concert and Awards Ceremony, are open to audiences. Audience members vote for the Public Prize.

Applications

Applications are open and close on 15 February, 2026 at 23:59 (ECT)
https://pehlivaniancompetition.com