Period: 24 -27 AUG 2026
Discipline: Conducting
Age limit: Below 35 years at the time of the competition
Location: Trondheim, Norway
Application deadline: 10 APR 2026

Competition repertoire

Application form

Eligibility

The competition is open to conductors below the age of 35 at the time of the competition.

Exclusion of Russian and Belarusian candidates
Princess Astrid IMC stand united with the Norwegian government, the EU and the UN in condemning Russia´s illegal war against Ukraine. For the 2026 competition we will therefore not be accepting applications from Russian and Belarusian candidates. This also applies to persons with Russian/Belarusian citizenships that are in exile and/or have dual citizenships. Despite of music being a globally unifying force, it cannot be ignored that it exists within the context of international relations and conflicts. It is also the case that competitors traditionally represent their respective nations when attending international music competitions. Although this regulation is set to exclude Russia and Belarus as nations, we are aware it affects many young musicians in ways that may be perceived as unfair. It is our hope that we will be able to invite Russian and Belarusian musicians to the competition again in the foreseeable future.

Rules and regulations
Before applying all applicants are required to read the Rules and regulations of the competition. By submitting an application the candidate automatically agrees to all statements in this document, and is obliged to follow these throughout the competition.

Application video

• The applicant must provide two videos of the applicant conducting an orchestra. Each video must consist of one continuous musical work (not a compilation of excerpts). The two videos must represent contrasting repertoire and have a combined minimum duration of 20 minutes.
• The recordings must not be older than four years.
• The candidate must be clearly visible from the visual perspective of the orchestra musicians.
• Audio quality must meet a minimum standard to enable proper assessment of the applicant’s performance. Submissions with insufficient quality will not be assessed.
• Edited videos are not permitted; however, videos may be trimmed before and after the musical performance.
• The video heading should contain name of applicant and title of the piece.
• Both videos are to be submitted as links in the application form. Please make sure they are valid and set to "public".

Application fee
When submitting an application, a non-refundable fee of 30 € must be paid in order for it to valid. Please follow the instructions of the application form.

Contact
Åse Våg Aaknes, project manager
aase@tso.no
+4790093139