Prizes and Awards

1^st Prize — 10,000 CHF and the loan of a fine violin by Jean–Baptiste Vuillaume for a period of four years

The winner of the 1^st prize will be invited by the Gstaad New Year Music Festival to give a solo recital in the 21^st edition of the festival 2027.

2^nd Prize — 5,000 CHF

3^rd Prize — 3,000 CHF

Audience Award — The winner of the Audience Award will be invited by the Gstaad Menuhin Festival & Academy to give a recital in the summer of 2027 as part of the festival's concert series “Matinées des Jeunes Étoiles”

4^th “Alberto Lysy” International Violin Competition

8^th — 10^th October 2026

Gstaad (Switzerland)

Rules

1. The Alberto Lysy International Violin Competition, organised by the Association Rencontres Musicales - Camerata Lysy de Château-d’Oex (Switzerland), is open to violinists of all nationalities born after 8^th October 1998, and will take place in Gstaad (Switzerland) from Thursday 8^th October to Saturday 10^th October 2026.
2. Prizes and Awards:
   

   The candidate who wins 1^st prize will receive 10,000 CHF and a violin by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume on loan for 4 years. The terms and conditions of the loan will be covered and explained the day after the prize award.

   The winner of the 1^st prize will be invited by the Gstaad New Year Music Festival to give a solo recital in the 19^th edition of the festival 2025.

   2nd prize - 5,000 CHF
   3rd prize - 3,000CHF
   Audience Award - The winner of the Audience Award will be invited by the Gstaad Menuhin Festival & Academy to give a recital in the summer of 2027 in the festival's concert series "Matinées des Jeunes Étoiles".
3. All candidates must attend the opening ceremony which will be held in Gstaad on Wednesday 7^th October at 7pm. The running order for the candidates will be decided by drawing lots during the above ceremony.
4. The competition consists of a shortlist drawn up based on the candidate’s application and a video recording, two qualifying rounds and a final. The total number of candidates selected is limited to 20. All the performances will be public.
5. Candidates must send in their registration form and programme by 23:59 CEST on 15^th June 2026. In exceptional circumstances, changes to the works to be played may be made up to 15 August 2026 at the latest. No changes may be made to the programme beyond this date.
6. The registration form should be accompanied by a video recording in the form of a link to a video uploaded on to www.youtube.com (private, unreferenced or public video). It must be a live recording, unedited and uncut apart from eventual transitions and editing in between pieces and movements, of good audio and video quality and in which the candidate’s presence can be easily seen (ideally at a distance of 5 to 10 meters).
   The works played in the video will be a chosen caprice by Niccolò Paganini and two contrasting movements of one of the Bach Solo Sonatas or Partitas.
   The caprice and the Bach movements can be recorded at different times and locations. The candidate must however indicate the location(s) and date(s) of the recording(s).
7. Candidates may be accompanied by their own personal pianist as long as they cover the related costs. Concerning the accompaniment offered by the Competition organisers, each candidate is allocated a rehearsal with his/her designated accompanist.
8. The performances will be from memory, apart from the works of Schubert, Beethoven and the contemporary piece. Each work may only be played once.
9. The Competition’s qualifying rounds and the final concert may be photographed and recorded partially or in their entirety and circulated live or pre-recorded via the media chosen by the organiser (internet, radio, television, written press, etc.) without any form of financial compensation for the candidate.
10. The jury’s decisions are final. The jury is not bound to award the Prizes. The jury reserves the right to terminate a candidate’s performance if it considers it necessary.
11. The candidates must pay a registration fee of 150 CHF (excluding bank charges) ONLY if a candidate is successfully preselected, based on their application and submitted video. The bank transfer must be identified in the competitor’s name and sent no later than the 25.08.26.
12. The accommodation for the selected candidates will be arranged and paid for by the organiser of the competition.
13. Candidates must register online on www.albertolysy.org and send the following documents by e-mail to competition@albertolysy.org no later than 23:59 CEST on 15^th June 2026 :
    • A biography (not longer than 300 words and in English)
    • A link to a high-quality video recording cf. point 6 of the rules
    • A recent photo (high resolution for a high-quality print)
    • A copy of valid proof of identity
14. Applications will be examined by the Competition's artistic committee. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Registration will not be effective until they are confirmed by the Competition organisers on 1^st July 2026.
15. The organiser reserves the right to amend and supplement these rules without prior notice.
16. By signing the registration form, the candidate demonstrates his/her acceptance of all the terms and conditions of the rules.

Registration Form

First Name:

Surname:

Date of Birth:

Day: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Please set the day

Month:

January February March April May June July August September October November December

Please set the month

Year:

Please set the year

Nationality:

Street Address:

City:

State/County:

Postcode:

Country:

Telephone:

Email:

Video Link:

 

Repertoire for the competition's qualifying rounds:

 

First qualifying round

A programme for solo violin lasting approximately 25 minutes comprising:

1 - J.S. Bach: a work for solo violin chosen from the following list:

Sonata no. 1 in G minor BWV 1001 (Adagio & Fugue)

Partita no. 1 in B minor BWV 1002 (Allemande, Double, Courante, Double)

Partita no. 1 in B minor BWV 1002 (Sarabande, Double, Bourrée, Double)

Sonata no. 2 in A minor BWV 1003 (Grave & Fugue)

Partita no. 2 in D minor BWV 1004 (Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gigue)

Partita no. 2 in D minor BWV 1004 (Chaconne)

Sonata no. 3 in C major BWV 1005 (Adagio & Fugue)

Partita no. 3 in E major BWV 1006 (Preludio, Loure and Gavotte en Rondeaux)

and

2 - A solo work from the 20th or 21st century. Free choice, no longer than 15 minutes.

 

Semi-final

Recital - maximum duration 45 minutes:

1 - A sonata by F. Schubert or L. van Beethoven from among:

L. van Beethoven - Sonata no. 1, op. 12 in D major

L. van Beethoven - Sonata no. 2, op. 12 in A major

L. van Beethoven - Sonata no. 4, op. 23 in A minor

L. van Beethoven - Sonata no. 6, op. 30 in A major

L. van Beethoven - Sonata no. 8, op. 30 in G major

Franz Schubert - Sonata in A major (D574)

Franz Schubert - Sonata in A minor (D385)

Franz Schubert - Sonata in G minor (D408)

Please select a sonata for the semi-final

and

2 - The first movement of one of the following concertos:

W.A. Mozart - Concerto no. 3 KV. 216

W.A. Mozart - Concerto no. 4 KV. 218

W.A. Mozart - Concerto no. 5 KV. 219

Please select the first movement of a Mozart concerto.

and

3 - A virtuoso work from among::

E. Ysaÿe – Caprice d’après l’Étude en forme de Valse de C. Saint-Saëns

C. Saint-Saëns – Havanaise

C. Saint-Saëns – Introduction et Rondo Capriccioso

H. Wieniawski - Polonaise de concert op. 4 in D major

P. de Sarasate - Caprice Basque op. 24

Please select a virtuoso work.

 

Repertoire for the final round

With the St.Gallen Sinfonieorchester

1 - A concerto from among:

J. Brahms - Concerto in D major op. 77

J. Sibelius - Concerto in D minor op. 47

P.I. Tchaikovsky - Concerto in D major op. 35

 

I agree to the regulations

Please indicate that you agree

 

Submit Application Clear Application Form

Please select a concerto for the final.