The Friends’ Association’s Heinz Kunle Competition

Heinz Kunle Competition 2026/27
organised by the Friends of the Karlsruhe University of Music e. V.

New concert formats

Students from all disciplines are invited to explore new ways of experiencing concerts through innovative programming, to experiment with new approaches to presentation and outreach, and thereby to expand the traditional concert framework.

The competition is open to students at the Karlsruhe University of Music. External participants may be involved for artistic reasons.

The task

On 13 March 2027, Wolfgang Rihm would have turned 75. The composer, who passed away on 27 July 2024, was a teacher of composition at the Karlsruhe University of Music from 1985 until his death, where he guided and shaped generations of young composers on their artistic journeys. In his own compositions, he repeatedly engaged with composers and compositions of the present day and other eras. His work is also characterised by his engagement with literature, poetry, philosophy, theatre and musical theatre, the visual arts and film; it reflects all areas of artistic expression.

The 2026/27 Heinz Kunle Competition invites participants to develop an artistic programme of approximately 60 minutes, based on a work or an idea by Rihm, which resonates with the source material and, where appropriate, explores references and reflections. In addition to musical elements, the programme may also incorporate other artistic disciplines and performative, spatial, media-based, communicative, interactive or participatory elements. The aim is to expand the traditional concert format, to convey the underlying ideas or content through the programme’s design, and thereby, where possible, to appeal to new audiences.

The programme must be feasible within the spatial and technical constraints of the concert hall (MUTprobe 1).

As part of the competition, the 60-minute programme must be shortened to 30 minutes and presented to the jury.

For MUTprobe 1, a performance area of approximately 44 square metres is available, which can be arranged flexibly within the space whilst taking escape and emergency routes into account. Further details regarding all other spatial conditions and possibilities can be found in the technical rider attached to the call for entries.

The contact person for any venue-related or technical enquiries is Moritz Schenzle, Tel. 0721 6629-238, Email: moritz.schenzle@hfm-karlsruhe.de

Closing date for applications: Thursday 22 April 2027

Eligibility:

All students at the Karlsruhe University of Music

Applications:

• Submission of a written concept proposal (choice of musical programme, conceptual approaches, target or dialogue groups, overarching idea, information on composers, works or excerpts from works/music)
• Submission of a video lasting no more than 20 minutes. The video should be an excerpt from the programme and illustrate the concept.  (Format e.g. YouTube/MP4 file, unlisted)
• Biographies of all participating artists/performers (max. 1,000 characters, not in table form)
• Photographs of the performers (resolution min. 300 dpi)
• Stage directions/technical rider
• Certificate of enrolment

Entries must be submitted by Thursday, 22 April 2027, exclusively by email to the competition office, for the attention of Silke Blume (email: silke.blume@hfm-karlsruhe.de).

All entrants will receive confirmation of receipt as soon as their entry has been received. Incomplete entries are invalid and will not be considered.

Schedule

• Applications must be submitted by Thursday, 22 April 2027
• Preliminary judging of concepts by Friday, 14 May 2027
• Rehearsal slots prior to the competition for the selected ensembles:
  Wednesday, 30 June and Thursday, 1 July 2027
• Competition: Friday 2 July 2027:
  A maximum of 6 candidates will be invited.
• Set-up time for the competition entry: 30 minutes; dismantling within 15 minutes;
  presentation of a 30-minute concert excerpt followed by a discussion with the jury.
  Announcement of the prize-winners following all presentations.

Winners’ concert to showcase the first-place competition entry:
Monday, 5 July 2027, 7.00 pm, MUTprobe 1 + 2
(Rehearsals on this day are possible in MUTprobe 1 from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm / MUTprobe 2 from 10.00 am to 9.00 pm, including 2 hours of technical support.)

Prices

• First prize: 3,000 euros. The prize money covers all costs associated with the performance.
• Second prize: 750 euros
• Third prize: 500 euros