Dutch kick unnecessary contest down the road

Candidate selection for the first International Conducting Competition Rotterdam, which should have been held this week, has been postponed to next summer. Never would be better.

Here’s the press release.

The selection rounds of the very first International Conducting Competition Rotterdam should have taken place this week. Unfortunately these are unprecedented times that we are living in. As a result of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, and the (travel)restrictions intiated by the Dutch government, the selection rounds will be postponed until 1 to 3 June 2021.

We not only want to make sure that this large international event can be hosted in a safe way, but even more importantly, do not want to make any concessions to the quality and impact of what we are offering the 24 selected conductors. That is why it has been decided to also postpone the actual competition. It will now take place from 27 May to 5 June 2022*. We want to thank our partner The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and De Doelen for the efforts to accommodate this change. We will be sharing the exact details of the new competition period, with as little changes as possible, soon.

The forthcoming weeks and months will no doubt be difficult for everyone. We wish you happy holidays, despite these challenging times. We are looking forward to 2021, and we hope to see you soon in Rotterdam!