Regulations
The Competition is open to choral conductors born in 1996 or later.
First Prize winners of the 5th and 6th Jāzeps Vītols International Choral Conductors Competition are not eligible to participate.
Participants are required to take part in all rounds of the Competition for which they qualify.
Competition Format
The Competition consists of three rounds.
Round I (2 days)
Round I is open to conductors who have successfully passed the preliminary selection process and have been invited to participate in the Competition.
Part 1 – rehearsal with the Mixed Choir of the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music
Part 2 – rehearsal with the Riga Cathedral Girls' Choir TIARA
Round II (1 day)
The Jury will select no more than ten (10) participants to advance to Round II.
Part 1 – rehearsal with the Latvian Radio Choir
Part 2 – rehearsal with the Riga Chamber Choir AVE SOL
Part 3 – concert performance with the Riga Chamber Choir AVE SOL and the Latvian Radio Choir
Round III (1 day)
The Jury will select no more than six (6) participants to advance to Round III.
Part 1 – rehearsal with the State Choir LATVIA
Part 2 – concert performance with the State Choir LATVIA
Additional Provisions
The order of appearance of participants and the repertoire for each round of the Competition shall be determined by a draw held prior to the respective round.
The official language of the Competition for all rehearsals with the choirs is English, including for participants from Latvia.
Publicity
The Organisers reserve the right to make, or to authorise third parties to make, audio and audiovisual recordings of the Competition. In doing so, the Organisers shall acquire the rights of the phonogram producer and shall have the unrestricted right, without limitation in time or number of uses, to authorise the broadcasting and publication of such recordings on radio, online platforms, and other media, as well as to store them in publicly accessible archives.
The Organisers reserve the right to publish information provided by participants in the application form and its accompanying documents (excluding passport or identity document details), participants' photographs, and the official Competition results.
Applications must be submitted no later than 9 September 2026 by email to ccc@jvlma.lv.
Each application must include the following:
- a completed Application Form;
- an artistic biography (1,000–1,300 characters);
- a high-quality photograph in JPG format (approximately 0.5 MB);
- a link to an online video recording of a choral concert in which the applicant is conducting (minimum duration: 20 minutes), recorded in 2025 or later;
- a copy of a bank payment confirmation showing payment of the EUR 30.00 registration fee.
Preliminary Selection
Admission to the Competition is based on a preliminary evaluation of the submitted applications.
The Organisers reserve the right to determine the number of participants admitted to the Competition.
If necessary, the Organisers may request additional information from applicants.
The preliminary selection will be carried out by a committee appointed by the Organisers. Participants will be notified electronically of the preliminary selection results by 21 September 2026. The list of participants selected through the preliminary selection process will be published on the Competition website at www.vitolakonkurss.lv.
Upon registration, each participant must present a valid passport or identity card confirming their date of birth.
All Competition rounds are open to the public.
Registration Fee
A registration fee of EUR 30.00 must be paid to the designated bank account no later than 9 September 2026.
The registration fee is non-refundable, including in cases where an applicant is not selected to participate in the Competition.
Participation Fee
A participation fee of EUR 50.00 must be paid to the designated bank account no later than 1 November 2026.
The participation fee is non-refundable in the event of withdrawal or non-participation.
Payment Details
LATVIJAS DIRIĢENTU ASOCIĀCIJA
(Latvian Conductors' Association)
Registration No. 50008122691
Registered address:
Dainu iela 2A
Langstiņi, Garkalne Parish
Ropaži Municipality, LV-2137
Latvia
Bank: Swedbank AS
SWIFT (BIC): HABALV22
IBAN: LV96HABA0551056176615
Payment reference (mandatory): participant's first name and surname, Competition participation fee
Travel and Accommodation
Participants are responsible for all travel and accommodation expenses.
Upon request, the Organisers may provide information about partner hotels and other suitable accommodation options.
Participants are responsible for making their own accommodation arrangements.
Other Provisions
Should an applicant fail to complete the required formalities within the specified deadline, the Organisers reserve the right to invite another applicant to participate in the Competition.
First Prize – EUR 3,500 and a Laureate Diploma
Second Prize – EUR 2,500 and a Laureate Diploma
Third Prize – EUR 1,500 and a Laureate Diploma
Special Prize – EUR 500
Sponsors' Prizes
All prize amounts are stated net of taxes and comply with the applicable legislation of the Republic of Latvia.
Final Provisions
Any matters not covered by these Regulations shall be considered and decided by the Organisers in cooperation with the Jury, in accordance with the principles of professional ethics, objectivity, fairness, and equal treatment.
Contact Information
Artistic Director
Aira Birziņa, Mg.art.
Associate Professor, Department of Choral Conducting
Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music
Project Manager
Agita Rimšēviča
Telephone: +371 29555770
E-mail: ccc@jvlma.lv
The Jāzeps Vītols 7th International Choral Conductors Competition is organised by the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music in cooperation with the Latvian Conductors' Association.