Call for Applications: Competitive Round of the “Listening to the Young 2026” Programme
APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO SATURDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2026
Dear colleagues,
Fondation Kaloy of Corinth, in partnership with the association Diazoma, the Athens Concert Hall, the Third Programme, as well as with our partner cultural organisations – the Athens State Orchestra, the Thessaloniki State Orchestra, The Underground Youth Orchestra, the Heraklion Conference and Cultural Centre, and the SYRREO International Classical Music Festival – invites final-year students and graduates of music studies in symphony orchestra instruments and piano to take part in the competitive round of the “Listening to the Young 2026” programme.
The aim of the programme is to give talented young artists the opportunity to present and develop their work through multiple concerts and recordings, as well as to connect with already established musicians, festival organisers, and potential sponsors.
Candidates for the auditions, up to 25 years of age, are asked to prepare a video of 15–20 minutes, featuring works from three different periods (excerpts of works may also be presented; transcriptions and arrangements are excluded).
The panel, comprising:
Panagiotis Theodosiou (composer, artistic director of the Kalogeropouleio Foundation’s Conservatory),
Thodoris Tzovanakis (pianist, piano professor at the Athens Conservatory),
David Alexander Bogorad (violinist, Co-Principal Second Violin, Thessaloniki State Orchestra),
Asterios Poufis (cellist, Co-Principal, Athens State Orchestra),
Ilias Sdoukos (violinist, Principal, Greek National Opera Orchestra), and
Spyros Mourikis (clarinettist, Principal, Athens State Orchestra)
will select ten (10) candidates.
- From these, three (3) soloists will be selected during a final evaluation by Mr. Giannis Vakarelis, pianist and artistic director of the Athens Concert Hall.
The selected candidates will present their work in three individual recitals and two shared concerts of the winners (five concerts in total).
The three recitals, in which collaboration with established soloists will be encouraged, will take place as follows: one in Corinth (concert hall of the Kalogeropouleio Foundation), one in another Greek city, and one in a venue of interest to our sponsors. The Corinth concerts will be recorded for broadcast on the Third Programme and on Christos Papageorgiou’s programme “Searching for the Lady with the Strychnine.”
The individual recitals will last approximately 50 minutes.
The two shared concerts will take place: one at an ancient theatre in Greece, in which the winners will perform chamber music works together with established musicians of the Athens State Orchestra, and one in the Dimitris Mitropoulos Hall of the Athens Concert Hall.
- From the 10 candidates, the Athens State Orchestra, the Thessaloniki State Orchestra, the Underground Youth Orchestra, the Heraklion Conference and Cultural Centre, and the SYRREO International Classical Music Festival, through their directors Mr. Loukas Karytinos, Mr. Simos Papanas, Mr. Kostas Iliadis, Mr. Myron Michailidis, and Mr. Nikolas Kavakos respectively, will select up to three musicians each, to whom they will offer the opportunity to collaborate during the 2026–2027 concert season (chamber music concerts, or possibly a soloist engagement).
Participation in the competition is free of charge.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE:
- Candidates will upload their video(s), with a combined duration of 20 minutes, to YouTube. Separate videos may be submitted, one per work presented.
- Candidates will send the video link and a short biography, as a PDF file, toakoumetousneous@gmail.com, with a copy to pmalapani@gmail.com (Popi Malapani, pianist / programme coordinator). Please include the following in the email subject line: “Ακούμε τους Νέους 2026,” the candidate’s name, and instrument.
- Videos must be filmed using a single camera, with no editing or audio processing.
- The final application deadline is SATURDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2026.
We invite you to take part in the innovative “Listening to the Young 2026” programme, and remain at your disposal for any clarifications at the email addresses above.
For more information on the programme and the “Listening to the Young” concerts, please visit www.akoumetousneous.gr and www.fondationkaloy.com
With respect,
Maria Christara, President of Fondation Kaloy
Popi Malapani, Programme Coordinator