The competition is dedicated to the fifteenth anniversary of the recognition of independence of the Republic of Abkhazia by the Russian Federation

The competition will be held in Russia and the Republic of Abkhazia, on October 15 - 26, 2023, with the support of by the Government and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Abkhazia

Competition co-founder: Mosconcert

Competition partners:

KES Foundation Charity Fund

Aqua-Abaza Travel Company, Abkhazia

A-Mobile, a mobile operator, Abkhazia

Competition Nominations:

• Academic Solo Vocal Performance
• Art of the Ensemble

Audition options: Round 1-video records

Deadline for the submission of applications for the Academic Solo Vocal Performance nomination - September 15, 2023.

Deadline for the submission of applications for the Art of Ensemble nomination - October 5, 2023.

Round 2 and 3 - liveperformances

*Participants who live more than 300 km away from Moscow can also take part in Round 2 by submitting video records. In this case the draw will be held by a member of the Organizing Committee.

Participants perform live in Round 3.

Categories in the Art of Ensemble 'nomination

String quartet, chamber ensemble, instrumental ensemble, vocal ensemble, piano ensemble

Age restrictions for the nominations:

Academic Solo Vocal Performance nomination: 18 - 45 y.o.

Art of Ensemble nomination: ·18·- 55 y .o. (except for the ·vocalists - up to 45 y.o.).

'

The competition is set to open in Moscow on October 15, 2023.

Auditions are scheduled for October 16 - 18 in Moscow, and October 24 - 25 in Sukhum, at the Abkhazian State Philharmonic named after R. Gumba.

The gala concert, closing ceremony and award ceremony will be' held in Sukhum on October 26, 2023, accompanied by the Russia-Abkhazia combined symphony orchestra at the Abkhazian State Philharmonic named after R. Gumba.

II. Application Submission Process

Submit the following document package to the competition email: gitsba-competition@mail.ru

' by. September 15 2023

• Application (fill out all fields)
• Personal photo
• Performer's CV (if any)
• Open-access download link to the video record for the Round 1 auditions
• Registration fee payment receipt

Applications that fail to meet the above requirements will not be reviewed Document submission deadline is September 15, 2023 (11.59 p.m. Moscow time)

Data submitted by the contestants in the application will be specified in their diplomas.

Contestants are held liable for the information submitted.

Students of the Sukhum Music School named after A .Ch. Chichba participate in the competition free of charge.

Graduates of the Sukhum Music School named after A.Ch. Chichba pay 50% of the registration fee

specified for the selected nomination.

Students of the music schools and colleges pay 50% of the registration fee specifiedfor the selected nomination.

Students of the music universities pay 70% of the registration fee specified for the selected nomination.

Participants may perform together with their accompanists or make use of the services of the competition accompanist.

Participants may take part in two nominations and several competition categories. In the event of refusal to take part in the competition or no-show at the live audition for any reason, including illness, no registration fee is refunded.

Upon the application submission, participants undertake to comply with the competition rules, decisions made by the Organizing Committee and Panel Judges. Participants who fail to comply with the terms and conditions of these Regulations may be disqualified from further participation in the competition.

Video Record Requirements:

The records should be done without any editing and assistance of a sound engineer. It is allowed to combine different parts of the pieces of music. Each piece of music shall be done in one format.

It is required to upload the video records to Google, Yandex Disk or the Cloud and forward an open­access download link.

In case of any force majeure events the competition may be held online.

III. Competition Schedule

The competition has 3 rounds

Round 1

Round 1 is held using video records

Moscow, Russia

Round 2

Day 1.October 15, 2023

Opening ceremony, registration of participants and the draw, a concert given by the Judges and the winners of the previous competition.

Day 2. October 16, 2023

Auditions held as part of Round 2

Day 3. October 17, 2023

Continued auditions held as part of Round 2

Day 4. October 18, 2023

Completion of Round 2 auditions, publication of the results on the competition website

Round 3

Sukhum, the Republic of Abkhazia

All auditions will be held at the Abkhazian State Philharmonic named after R. Gumba on October 23, 2023. If requested, rehearsals may be held on the premises of the Abkhazian State Philharmonic and the Sukhum State Music School named after A .Ch. Chichba

Day 5. October 24, 2023

Auditions held as part of Round 3

Day 6. October 25, 2023

Continued auditions held as part of Round 3

Day 7. October 26, 2023

Abkhazian State Philharmonic named after R. Gumba

Closing ceremony, gala concert of the winners accompanied by the orchestra.

Master classes (on the premises of the Abkhazian State Philharmonic and the Sukhum State Music School named after A.Ch. Chichba)

IV. Program for the Academic Solo Vocal Performance Nomination

Auditions are held with piano accompaniment. No audio records are allowed.

Round 1

Round 1is held using video records

Opera aria by a western composer (19 century)

Romance by a Russian composer (18-19 century)

Performance timing – 10 minutes

Round 2

Old aria (16 - first half of the 18 century)

Romance by a Russian composer (19 century)

Performance timing – 10 minutes

Round 3

Opera aria by a Russian composer (19 century)

Opera aria by a foreign composer (19 century)

Piece of music by a composer of the 20-21 century (aria or romance)

Folk song

Performance timing -- 20 minutes

Any replacements of the pieces of music indicated in the program by the participant can be made no later than ten days before the start date of the competition.

Contestants perform the program without any breaks. The Panel Judges have the right to stop any performance at their own discretion.

The Art of Ensemble Nomination

Round 1

Round 1is held using video records

Piece of music by a composer of the second half of the 18 century - first half of the 19 century

Round 2

Piece of music by a Russian composer (second half of the 19 century - first half of the 20 century)(except for pieces of music by O.O. Shostakovich and S.S. Prokofiev)

Piece of music by a western composer (first half of the 20 century)

Round 2 timing

Vocal ensemble - up to 20 minutes

String quartet - up to 50 minutes

Chamber ensemble - up to 25 minutes

Instrumental ensemble - up to 30 minutes

Round 3

Piece of music by a composer of the 20 - 21 century

Round 3 timing

Ali ensembles - up to 40 minutes

V. Awards and Prizes, Award Fund

Once auditions are completed, the following titles will be awarded including diplomas and cash awards: For more details go to the Award Fund page

VI Award Distribution Procedure

The Grand Prix award is the only and undivided award granted to one contestant who gets the highest scores in two rounds.

Awards are granted separately in each nomination.

First prize is awarded to the participant who gets the highest scores and closest to the highest scores in two rounds. The prize may be divided among the contestants if they score the same number of points, and tenths of points have no significant differences.

Second prize is awarded to the participant whose scores in two rounds have slight differences and are close to the highest score. The prize may be divided between the participants, if they score the same number of points, and tenths of points have no significant differences.

Third prize is awarded to the participant whose scores in two rounds differ but significantly exceed the passing score.

Passing score:

A ten-point sea le is used to estimate participant scores.

The passing score is set at 7.5.

The results are estimated as an average score, based on the total amount of points awarded by the Panel Judges and divided by the number of voters.

Participant Diplomas are granted to all contestants who make it to Round 2 but fail to win prizes.

Certificates of Participation are granted to all participants who make it to Round 1 but fail to make it to Round 2.

Official Records of Participation are granted to all participants who fail to pass Round 1.

VII. Panel Judges

The International Panel of Judges consists of recognized professional musicians, teachers and distinguished artists.

Each Panel Judge is guided exclusively by the level of the participant performance, as well as by the principles of impartiality and objectivity.

The list of Panel Judges is published on the official website of the competition and may be altered by the Organizing Committee any time during preparations far and conduct of the competition.

The competition is publicly held following the principles of equal conditions for all participants.

Lists of contestants who move to the next stage of the competition are published along with the scores given by the Panel Judges and in accordance with the score grades.

Any contestant may appeal the decision of the Panel Judges on the day of audition results publication and no later than 14 days prior to the start date of Round 1 and no later than 24 hours prior to the start date of Round 2.

VII. Responsibilities of the Parties

The Organizing Committee undertakes to arrange and hold the competition, namely provide the premises for the auditions select and approve the Panel of Judges, hold the awarding ceremony for prize and diploma winners.

Contestants and/or their representatives undertake to attend the auditions on the day and time set out in the audition schedule after the draw.

Contestants and/or their representatives undertake to respect the decisions made by the Panel Judges and the Organizing Committee, and are held responsible for their behavior and/or statements in respect to the Panel Judges and/or the Organizing Committee. In the event of any inappropriate behavior in respect to the Organizing Committee and/or Panel Judges, as well as the results, decisions and other information, including details published on the official website and other portals of the competition, the Organizing Committee reserves the right to disqualify a contestant and undo his/her results without any refund.

The Organizing Committee is not held responsible .for any actions of third parties involved in the audition arrangement process.

VIII. Accompanist and Music Sheets

The competition organizers provide the services of three in-house highly professional accompanists.

The accompanist services are not included in the mandatory registration fee and are paid far separately.

The costs of the accompanist services include one rehearsal and performance at the competition. If required, participants can make personal agreements with the accompanist regarding extra rehearsals.

Contestants can perform with their own accompanists.

Contestants who use the services of the in-house accompanist are required to submit all music sheets to the accompanist upon the publication of the audition results, 10 days prior to the start date of Round 1 auditions and within 24 hours prior to the start date of Round 2 auditions.

Music Sheet Submission Process:

l. Submit music sheets personally

1. Use a logistics company to forward music sheets far two rounds 'to a pick-up point (the pick-up point is selected by the accompanist or the Organizing Committee) no later than October 2, 2023 (12.00).
2. Forward the music sheets to a printing house, having pre-paid 'far the printing order and binding. Send the order number to the competition e-mail. The pick-up point is selected by the Organizing Committee or the accompanist.

IX. Must-Know Information for Contestants

Contestants and/or their representatives are requested to arrive in person for the registration and the draw. In the event of failure to attend, the contestants will not be admitted to the competition and no registration fee will be refunded.

The Organizing Committee publishes all information regarding the competition, rehearsal schedule, time and venue of performances, voting results of the Panel Judges, etc., on the official website of the competition: http://gitsba-competition.com/.

Contestants and their representatives undertake to review the required information personally on the official website of the competition (http ://gitsba-competition .com) prior to and during the entire period of the competition.

Please use the delivery status notification option when sending an e-mail message or make a phone call in the event of no feedback from the competition organizers within 2 days upon document submission.

Participants are required to pay for the travel expenses to/from the Republic of Abkhazia,

accommodation, meals, and services of their accompanists. If requested, the competition organizers will provide information regardingpossible accommodation options in Moscow and the Republic of Abkhazia.

Contestants who need a visa to the Russian Federation are required to obtain their visas in advance in line with the established procedure.

The Organizing Committee provides the letters of invitation for participants to get their visas.

Contestants are required to hold a certificate for their musical instruments to secure smooth border crossing (string pl:ayers only).

Detailed information is found on the website of the Embassy of the Republic of Abkhazia at http://embabkhazia.ru/konsulskie_voprosy/pravila_vezda_v_ra.

Information regarding participants is posted on the official website of the competition with their consent.

The organizers reserve the unlimited exclusive right to broadcast the competition, respective audio or video records, arrange TV broadcasts, and hold live broadcasts in social networks. Any videos and photos of the contestants taken during the competition by the official project representative are deemed the property of the competition and may be provided to the contestants at their request. Ali videos and photos of the contestants taken by their representatives shall be provided to the Organizing Committee against request.

Website: http://gitsba-competition.com

E-mail: gitsba-competition@mail.ru

What to perform in the first round of the competition?

Participants in the Academic Solo Vocal Performance nomination are required to submit records of two opera arias by a composer of the second half of the 19 century. Participants in the Art of Ensemble nomination are required to submit a record of the piece of music by a composer of the second half of the 18 century -first half of the 19 century up to 1830.

How to submit a video record?

Upload the video records to Google, Yandex Disk or the Cloud and forward an open-access download link along with the application. Records submitted in any other format will not be reviewed.

How to pay a registration fee?

Please pay the registration fee using the details provided on the Banking Details page.

Being a student, can I get a discount for the registration fee?

Yes, we offer a 50% discount for the students of music schools and colleges and a 30% discount for the students of music universities. Please provide a screenshot of the sealed certificate from the music school, college or university.

How many nominations can I apply for?

Each participant can apply for two nominations and several categories.

The participant pays 50% of the registration fee for the second nomination or category. Solo vocal performance is always treated as the first nomination.

What is the registration fee used for?

The competition has multiple co-founders and partners, but they are mostly media partners, and the project is almost entirely self-sustained. The registration fee covers the costs of the activities of the Organizing Committee, designers, domain and hosting fees, event venue rent, and the Panel Judge fee.

In return, we offer unique proposal to hold concerts for the winners, render assistance in promoting the talented performers and cooperation with well-established concert venues.

How to find out that I made it to Round 1 and 2 of the competition?

The participant lists along with the scores will be published on the competition website within three days once the qualifying auditions are over and five hours upon completion of the live auditions of Round 1.

Round 2 audition results will be announced at the closing ceremony on October 26, 2023.

All participants in the gala concert will be notified in person.

Do I need a visa to Russia or Abkhazia? I need a letter of invitation to obtain a visa

A Russian visa is required for foreign nationals, except for the nationals of the visa-waiver countries.

Any questions regarding entry to the Republic of Abkhazia can be addressed at the website of the Consulate of the Republic.

Russian citizens can enter the territory of the Republic of Abkhazia using their national passports.

http://mfaapsny.org/ru/consular-service/permission/?ysclid=lh8n617h7d844744753

Do I need a musical instrument certificate?

A musical instrument certificate is required for all string instrument players.

If you are a foreign national, you need documents to confirm the title to the musical instrument (sale and purchase agreement, deed of gift, etc.), and fill out the customs declaration upon entry and exit from Russia.

More details can be provided by the Department of Examination of Musical Instruments of the Russian National Museum of Music named after M.I. Glinka.

Where can I stay in Moscow and Sukhum?

There is a wide range of hotels in Moscow and Sukhum to choose from but there is a risk of making a wrong choice. We offer proven accommodation options provided by our partners that can give you a discount depending on the chosen option.

I didn't make it to the live auditions but want to visit Abkhazia.

You can also get a discount if you book hotels in Abkhazia with our partners.

Can you recommend places to eat in Moscow and Sukhum?

Our partners and friends will be happy to provide a discount. Our friends and partners