There are a great number of music competitions that offer prizes for performance and composition in both classical and popular music. Prizes may be monetary, but may also be in the form of less tangible things such as scholarships, recording contract, concert performances, a chance to have one's composition published or performed by an orchestra, etc. Some music festivals—even though there may be a "winner"—offer nothing more than exposure on television. That is important for musicians, but not technically a "prize" and those items are not included on this list. Nor are in-house conservatory prizes included—that is, competitions open only to students of the respective conservatory. This list includes competitions that are, generally speaking, open to "all-comers," although some of them impose age limits or residency (in Italy) requirements. The list, below, divided by area of interest; that is, classical, jazz, opera, instrumental, etc. Most of the competitions listed are annual affairs. Where possible, the competition name is linked to an external site, or an email address is provided where further details should be available.
Popular music edit
Classical music edit
piano edit
- 'International Piano Competition 'Mauro Paolo Monopoli Prize'
Barletta. Puglia International Piano Competition 'Mauro Paolo Monopoli Prize'
- A.M.A. Calabria international piano competition.
- Catanzaro
- "Arcangelo Speranza" European piano competition
- Taranto, Puglia
- "A. Scriabin" international piano competition
- Grosseto, Tuscany
- "Fryderyk Chopin "Young Pianists" competition
- Rome
- "Pausilypon" piano competition
- Naples, conservatory.
- International Busoni piano competition
- Bolzano
violin edit
- Dallas International Violin Competition
- National competition for interpretation of the Mozart violin concerti
- Parma
- "A.Curci" international violin competition
- Naples
- Ave Maria Prize Award www.avemaria.mono.net - Stresa
guitar edit
- International guitar competition
- Nuoro, Sardinia
miscellaneous instrumental/voice edit
- Hyperion competition for performance; piano, guitar, strings, voice
- Ciampino, Roma
- Val Tidone International Music Competitions
- Various disciplines: composition, performance on piano, accordion, chamber music.
- Piacenza
- International "City of Barletta Young Musicians" competition
- Barletta,
Website 'Città di Barletta' Young Musician Intl. Competition
- Sections: piano, strings, guitar, chamber music ensemble, wind instruments.
- International clarinet competition
- Bari
- "Gianbattista Viotti" International music competition
- performance awards for voice, piano
- Vercelli
- Concorso Internazionale di Interpretazione di Musica Contemporanea “Fernando Mencherini”
- Cagli (PU)
- Prizes for performance of contemporary music by Fernando Mencherini
Chamber music edit
- International Carlo Evasio Soliva competition for piano and chamber music
- City of Chieri International Chamber music competition
- Chieri, Piedmont
- "Trieste Trio" International competition for chamber music groups with piano.
- Trieste
- "Vittorio Gui" international chamber music competition
- Florence
- "Paolo Borciani" international string quartet competition
- Reggio Emilia
- International chamber music competition
- A. Scontrino music conservatory
- Trapani
Composition edit
- 'Città di Barletta' International Composition Competition
- Barletta
Website Città di Barletta Competition
- International Composition Competition in memory of Camillo Togni
- Brescia
- "Sandro Fuga" National Competition for Chamber Music Composition
- Music conservatory, Torino
- "Valentino Bucchi" Prize: Words and Music for the Peoples' Unity
- Rome, International Composition Competition
- "G. Petrassi" International Competition for Composers
- Parma
- "Egidio Carella" composition competition
- Stradella (PV)
Vocal edit
- "Ave Maria Price Award" competition for all www.avemaria.mono.net in Stresa :Stresa
- International competition for Verdian voices
- Busseto, Parma
- "Tito Schipa" international opera competition for young singers
- Lecce
- "Anselmo Colzani" international opera competition
- Budrio (Bologna)
- "Adriano Belli" competition for new opera
- Spoleto
- "Maria Callas" competition, "New voices for Verdi"
- Parma
- International polyphonic competition (for choirs)
- Arezzo
Jazz edit
- International competition for jazz arranging and composition
- Barga, (LU)
Miscellaneous edit
- City of Chieri International music competition
- Wind Instruments
- Chieri, Piedmont
- MusicDocFest prize for films about music
- Rome
- "A. Toscanini" international conducting competition
- Parma
- "Antonio Pedrotti" International Conducting Competition
- Trento