The Sixth Alexander Kastalsky International Competition of Choral Writing

01 March 2025 - 29 September 2025 |

Regulations on the Competition

List of Abbreviations and Contractions Used in These Regulations

1. “ACA”: Russia’s Viktor Popov Academy of Choral Art.
2. “ADC”: Artistic Director and Conductor.
3. “CCAP”: TMSC’s Center for Coordinating Artistic Projects.
4. “CCD”: Choral Conducting Department.
5. “CCW”: TMSC’s Alexander Kastalsky International Competition of Choral Writing
6. “COGPTC”: TMSC’s Center for Organizing Its Graduates’ Practical Training and Careers.
7. “DFCSE”: Department of Festivals, Competitions and Special Events of TMSC’s CCAP.
8. “DIA”: TMSC’s Department of International Activities and Work with Students from Foreign Countries.
9. “Founder” or “TMSC”: Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory.
10. “FSOCC”: TMSC’s Faculty of Symphony Orchestra and Choral Conducting.
11. “HPE”: higher professional education.
12. “MSIM”: Alfred Schnittke Moscow State Institute of Music.
13. “MTD”: Music Theory Department.
14. “NNSC”: Mikhail Glinka Nizhny Novgorod State Conservatory.
15. “RUC”: Russia’s Union of Composers.
16. “SPbSC”: Rimsky-Korsakov St. Petersburg State Conservatory.
17. “TGA”: teaching and guiding activities.
18. “TMSC” or “the Founder”: Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory.

1. General Provisions

1.1. The Founder of the Alexander Kastalsky International Competition of Choral Writing (briefly
“the CCW of TMSC”) is Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory (briefly either “the Founder” or “TMSC”).

1.2. The CCW of TMSC was founded in 2015 and hence is held every two years.

1.3. The official name of the competition to be held in 2025 is The Sixth Alexander Kastalsky International Competition of Choral Writing (hereinafter to be referred to as “the 6th Competition of Choral Writing,” briefly “the 6th CCW”).

1.4. The 6th CCW is held from 1 March to 29 September 2025 inclusive.
The working languages of the 6th CCW are Russian and English only.

1.5. The co-founders of the 6th CCW (hereinafter to be referred to, both jointly and severally, as “the Co-Founders”) are:

  • 1.5.1. Viktor Popov Academy of Choral Art (briefly “the ACA”);
  • 1.5.2. Alfred Schnittke Moscow State Institute of Music (briefly “the MSIM”);
  • 1.5.3. Mikhail Glinka Nizhny Novgorod State Conservatory (briefly “the NNSC”);
  • 1.5.4. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory (briefly “the SPbSC”).

1.6. The DFCSE of TMSC’s CCAP (see clause 8.1) undertakes general control over the holding of the 6th CCW and the coordinating of all matters with regard to the event.

1.7. The working group on the organizing and holding of the 6th CCW (see clause 8.2) consists of the employees
of TMSC’s FSOCC who are appointed by the Organizing Committee (see Article 2) specifically for this purpose (hereinafter to be referred to as “the Working Group”). The Working Group is headed by the Executive Director
of the 6th CCW (see sub-clause 3.9.4).

1.8. A combined group of singers to be gathered from the Founder’s and two Co-Founders’ educational institutions (hereinafter to be referred to as “the Consolidated Choir”) will participate in the final concert of the 6th CCW (hereinafter to be referred to as “the Final Concert”).

1.9. Any content words used in clauses 1.5, 3.2, 3.5, 4.1, 4.2, 4.4, 4.5, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.7, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3 and 7.4 of these Regulations may be and are to be understood in both the singular and the plural, as appropriate
to the context.

2. The Organizing Committee of the 6th Competition of Choral Writing:

  • (1) Prof. Alexander Sokolov, D.A.: Acting Rector of TMSC, Chairman of TMSC’s Academic Board, Deputy Chairman of TMSC’s Board of Trustees, lecturer at TMSC’s MTD, Honored Art Worker of Russia, — Chairman of the Organizing Committee;
  • (2) Prof. Konstantin Zenkin, D.A.: Vice-rector for the Research and Morale Building Activities of TMSC, Chairman of the Council for Editorial and Publishing Activities of TMSC, Chairman of TMSC’s Thesis Board, member of the Council for TGA of TMSC, Chief Editor of the Journal of Moscow Conservatory, lecturer
    at TMSC’s Foreign Music History Department;
  • (3) Assc. Prof. Margarita Karatygina, PhD in Art Studies: Head of TMSC’s DIA, Art Director of TMSC’s Scholarly and Art Center World Music Cultures, lecturer at TMSC’s MTD;
  • (4) Mr. Vitaly Katkov: Vice-rector for the Concert Activities of TMSC, Honored Culture Worker of Russia;
  • (5) Mrs. Natalia Kobets: Head of TMSC’s Finance Department, Chief Accountant of TMSC;
  • (6) Dr. Oleg Liang, PhD in Engineering: Vice-rector for the Estates and Buildings of TMSC, Honored and Merited Builder of Russia, Honored Builder of the City of Moscow;
  • (7) Prof. Nikolai Tarasevich, D.A.: Vice-rector for the TGA of TMSC, lecturer at TMSC’s MTD, Honored Culture Worker of Russia;
  • (8) Mrs. Xenia Bonduryanskaya: Head of TMSC’s CCAP;
  • (9) Ms. Irina Gor'kova: Head of TMSC’s Department of Information Policy and Advertising;
  • (10) Ms. Tatiana Zadorozhnaya: Head of TMSC’s Multifunctional Work-study Center for Sound Recording and Sound Engineering;
  • (11) Ms. Ekaterina Atepayeva: Head of the DFCSE of TMSC’s CCAP;
  • (12) Mr. Dmitry Gorbatov: translator of TMSC’s DIA, editor of the English part of TMSC’s website, bachelor’s degree in choral conducting, master’s degree in composition (USA), member of RUC;
  • (13) Prof. Alexander Solovyev: Acting Rector of the ACA, ADC of TMSC’s Chamber Choir, lecturer
    at the TMSC’s CCD, member of RUC, — Deputy Chairman of the Organizing Committee;
  • (14) Prof. Eduard Fertelmeister: President of the NNSC, Deputy Chairman of the Nizhny Novgorod Composers’ Regional Organization, People’s Artist of Russia;
  • (15) Prof. Yuri Gurevich: Rector of the NNSC, Honored Art Worker of Russia, — Deputy Chairman
    of the Organizing Committee    ;
  • (16) Prof. Alexei Vassiliev: Rector of the SPbSC, Merited Artist of Russia, — Deputy Chairman
    of the Organizing Committee    ;
  • (17) Prof. Lev Pankratov: lecturer at the NNSC’s CCD, Merited Artist of Russia, member of RUC, — Executive Director of the 6th CCW;
  • (18) Prof. Bettina Gray: member of the International Alliance for Women in Music, member of the American Society of Arrangers and Composers.

3. The Jury Team of the 6th Competition of Choral Writing

3.1. Members of the Jury Team of the 6th CCW (briefly “the Jury Team”) are appointed by the Organizing Committee.

3.2. The objects of both analysis and assessment by the Jury Team are to be any composed and/or adapted/arranged pieces, including their scores and audio recordings (hereinafter to be referred to, both jointly and severally, as “the Pieces”), submitted by the applicants to the Working Group under Article 6 of these Regulations.

3.3. All members of the Jury Team, including both the chairman and his deputy, perform their duties on a pro bono basis exclusively.

3.4. Members of the Jury Team evaluate the competitors’ scores and audio recordings remotely by way of forwarding the evaluation sheets to the Working Group’s official e-mail address in due time (see clause 8.2).

3.5. None of the members of the Organizing Committee and/or the Jury Team, including both chairmen and all their deputies, may undertake any direct or indirect actions aiming to disclose an authorship of the Pieces (see clauses 6.2 and 6.4).

3.6. All decisions of the Jury Team are final and irrevocable.

3.7. No member of the Organizing Committee and/or the Jury Team, including both chairmen and all their deputies, may vote for any competitors who officially have been / were his/her students during the three years immediately preceding the 6th CCW. Should such a case take place, the respective member of both/either the Organizing Committee and/or the Jury Team must notify the Working Group thereon in writing prior to the beginning
of the Jury Team’s work.

3.8. The Jury Team may, at their own discretion, for any category in any group of the competitors (see clause 4.1), award:

  • 3.8.1. not all prize-winning positions among the announced 25 ones;
  • 3.8.2. one prize-winning position to several competitors;
  • 3.8.3. one and the only grand prix to the best competitor (hereinafter to be referred to as “the Grand Prix”);
  • 3.8.4. any other special prizes (see clause 4.6).

3.9. Members of the Jury Team:

  • (1) Prof. Lev Kontorovich: Acting Head of TMSC’s CCD, ADC of the Academic Large Choir Virtuosi of Choral Singing as part of Russia’s State Music Radio and TV Center, People’s Artist of Russia, — Chairman
    of the Jury Team    ;
  • (2) Prof. Sergei Ekimov: Dean of the SPbSC’s Faculty of Composition and Conducting, ADC of the SPbSC’s Choir, member of RUC, member of the Association of Folk and Choral Groups of the Academic Performers’ Guild of Russia’s Musical Union, laureate of the St. Petersburg Government Award, — Deputy Chairman
    of the Jury Team    ;
  • (3) Prof. Alexei Rudnevsky: Acting Dean of TMSC’s FSOCC, lecturer at TMSC’s CCD, ADC of the TMSC Students’ Choir and of the Kastalsky Men’s Choir (Moscow), — Director of the Consolidated Choir
    of the 6th CCW    ;
  • (4) Prof. Lev Pankratov: lecturer at the NNSC’s CCD, ADC of the Chime Men’s Cappella, Merited Artist
    of Russia, member of RUC, — Executive Director of the 6th CCW;
  • (5) Prof. Evgeny Bobrov: ADC of the Chamber Choir of the Sheremetev Center as part of the State University of Chemistry and Technology of the City of Ivanovo, Chairman of the Interregional Center for Russia’s Choral Art, Chairman of the Board of Auditors of Russia’s Choral Society, Honored Worker of HPE of Russia, Honored Culture Worker of Russia;
  • (6) Prof. Natalia Buyanova, Doctor of Education: Vice-rector for the TGA of the MSIM, Head of the MSIM’s CCD;
  • (7) Mr. Andrei Chernetsov: lecturer at the MSIM, ADC of both the Shrine Academic Choir and of the Eaglets Boys’ Choral Cappella in Zelenograd (Moscow), Honored Culture Worker of Russia;
  • (8) Prof. Dorina Comănescu, PhD in Art Psychology: lecturer at the George Enescu National University
    of Arts (City of Iași), ADC of the Aletheia Choir (Romania);
  • (9) Prof. Vadim Durandin: lecturer at the NNSC’s CCD;
  • (10) Assc. Prof. Alexei Gavdush: lecturer at the ACA’s CCD, Chairman of the Commission for the Cycle
    of Academic Courses on the Choral Conducting Specialty of Alexander Sveshnikov Choral Music College
    as part of the ACA;
  • (11) Prof. Bettina Gray: member of the International Alliance for Women in Music, member of the American Society of Arrangers and Composers; permanent guest composer for the Slavyanka Russian Choir
    (San Francisco);
  • (12) Senior Deacon Alexander Kedrov: Arch-Chanter of the Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Paris (France);
  • (13) Prof. Denis Khramov, PhD in Art Studies: Head of the ACA’s CCD, Honored Culture Worker of the City
    of Moscow;
  • (14) Prof. Valery Kiktá: lecturer at the TMSC’s Composition Department, Secretary of RUC, Honored Art Worker of Russia;
  • (15) Prof. Vladimir Kontarev: lecturer at the TMSC’s CCD, ACD of the Yaroslavl Philharmonic Choral Cappella;
  • (16) Mr. Dmitry Lukin: lecturer at the ACA’s CCD;
  • (17) Prof. Boris Markus: lecturer at the NNSC;
  • (18) Prof. Igor Matyukhov, PhD in Art Studies: Head of the ССD of the Institute of Music, Theater and Choreography as part of Russia’s Alexander Herzen State University of Pedagogy; lecturer at the SPbSC’s CCD; Honored Art Worker of the Republic of Belarus;
  • (19) Assc. Prof. Sergei Movchan: lecturer on choral arrangement at TMSC’s CCD, Senior Researcher
    of the Moscow Conservatory Publishing Center, member of the Moscow Composers’ Union;
  • (20) Prof. Dmitry Onegin: lecturer at the CCDs of both the MSIM and Russia’s Gnessins Academy of Music, ADC of the MSIM’s Choir, Honored Worker of HPE of Russia;
  • (21) Prof. Sergei Pleshak: lecturer at the SPbSC’s CCD, member of RUC;
  • (22) Prof. Nikolai Pokrovsky: Head of the NNSC’s CCD;
  • (23) Assc. Prof. Andrei Savritsky: lecturer at the CCD of the State Music Academy of the Republic of Belarus (Minsk);
  • (24) Ms. Irina Shachneva: ACD of the Slavyanka Choir, member of the USA Choral Conductors’ Guild and Musicians’ Board, art director of international music festivals in San-Francisco and Boston;
  • (25) Prof. Sergei Smirnov: lecturer at the NNSC’s CCD, ADC of the Rebirth Youth Choir (Nizhny Novgorod), Honored Culture Worker of Russia;
  • (26) Prof. Alexander Solovyev: Acting Rector of the ACA, ADC of TMSC’s Chamber Choir, lecturer
    at the TMSC’s CCD, member of RUC;
  • (27) Prof. Yulia Tikhonova, PhD in Art Studies: lecturer at TMSC’s CCD, ADC of the Children’s Choir
    of TMSC’s COGPTC, member of RUC.

4. The Prize-winning Positions To Be Awarded at the 6th Competition of Choral Writing

4.1. The Jury Team of the 6th CCW awards twenty-five prize-winning positions without monetary remuneration: three ones in each category for both groups (see sub-clauses 5.2.1 and 5.2.2), as well as one and the only Grand Prix.

  • 4.1.1. The competitor who deserves the Grand Prix gets the title of the Grand-prix Winner of the 6th CCW.
  • 4.1.2. The competitors who deserve any other prize-winning positions other than the Grand Prix get the titles of the Laureates of the 6th CCW, provided that:
  • 4.1.3. those who deserve every first prize-winning position get the titles of the winners of the 6th CCW;
  • 4.1.4. those who deserve every second and every third prize-winning position get the titles of the awardees
    of the 6th CCW.

4.2. The Pieces composed/adapted/arranged by both/either the Grand-prix Winner and/or the Laureates will be performed by both/either the Consolidated Choir of the 6th CCW (see clauses 1.8 and 4.3) and/or the Children’s Choir of TMSC’s COGPTC at the Final Concert on 29 September 2025 at 14:00 in TMSC’s Great Hall. Both/either the Grand-prix Winner and/or the Laureates will conduct their Pieces at the Final Concert.

4.3.1. The Consolidated Choir will be formed from the choral groups of the Founder and the Co-Founders as follows: (1) 22 singers from TMSC; (2) 20 singers from the ACA; (3) 24 singers from the MSIM.
4.3.2. The Working Group assumes that the distribution of the singers in their quantities over the choral parts will be as proportionate as possible: in other words, the permitted disproportion is to be limited to no fewer than five singers for any of the four parts from each of the three institutions (see sub-clause 4.3.1).

4.4. The program of the Final Concert and the order of performing the Pieces by both/either the Grand-prix Winner and/or the Laureates will be compiled with consideration of the Jury Team’s collective opinion.

4.5. In the event both/either the Grand-prix Winner and/or any Laureate cannot, or refuses to, participate
in the Final Concert, his/her Piece is to be excluded from its program. Should such a case take place, members
of the Jury Team proceed with their additional anonymous vote in order to make a decision that such a Piece be substituted with a Piece composed/adapted/arranged by another Laureate.

4.6. Upon the Working Group’s consent, public organizations, foundations, mass media and/or individuals may establish any additional prizes, awards and/or gifts for the competitors. Decisions to award any special prizes and/or gifts will be made by the Jury Team.

5. Procedure for Holding the 6th Competition of Choral Writing

5.1. Both students of specialized institutions of music education and professional musicians who are not younger than 16 but younger than 31 years as of 1 June 2025 may participate in the 6th CCW.

5.2. The 6th CCW is held in four categories for two groups of the competitors.

  • 5.2.1. The groups are as follows:

A. Students of Specialized Institutions of Music Education
B. Professional Musicians

  • 5.2.2. The categories are as follows:

No. 1. Secular Piece for Choir a cappella
No. 2. Folksong Adaptation for Choir;
No. 3. Arrangement for Mixed Choir;
No. 4. Sacred Piece for Choir.

5.3.1. The scores of the Pieces to be submitted for Categories Nos. 2, 3 and 4 may include any string and/or wind instruments of a contemporary symphony orchestra with/without a piano, provided that the total number
of musicians in the instrumental ensemble does not exceed four performers.
5.3.2. The Pieces to be submitted for Categories Nos. 1, 2 and 4 may use either homogeneous or mixed choir
of any kind, as well as children’s choir (upon the applicant’s choice).
5.3.3. An object of adaptation to be submitted for Category No. 2 may be any folklore music material, with no other restrictions.
5.3.4. An object of arrangement to be submitted for Category No. 3 may be any material of academic and/or popular music (including jazz), except for folklore music, with no other restrictions.
5.3.5. The text of a sacred Piece to be submitted for Category No. 4 may be both canonic and non-canonic.

5.4. Every applicant may submit no more than four Pieces for the 6th CCW, one per each category. The length
of each Piece has to be no less than one minute but no more than seven minutes.

5.5. Only Pieces that have not been performed publicly, published earlier, and awarded with any prize at any other competitions, including all the previous TMSC’s CCWs of the previous years, may participate in the 6th CCW. Should it be revealed that any Piece has ever been performed publicly and/or published earlier and/or awarded with any prize at any other competition:

  • 5.5.1. the applicant who has submitted such a Piece to the Working Group is to lose the right to participate
    in the 6th CCW;
  • 5.5.2. the competitor who has received the title of the Grand-prix Winner or Laureate of the 6th CCW for such a Piece is to be deprived of the awarded title by a decision of the DFCSE of TMSC’s CCAP, regardless of when this fact is to be revealed.

5.6. Upon agreement with the DFCSE of TMSC’s CCAP, the Working Group is to organize for each conductor,
prior to the Final Concert, one acoustic rehearsal with the Consolidated Choir in TMSC’s Great Hall for no longer than 15 minutes.

5.7. The names of both/either the Grand-prix Winner and/or the Laureates of the 6th CCW will be published
on TMSC’s official website during a period of 1–11 September 2025 inclusive.

6. Submission of the Documents, the Score, and the Audio Recording

6.1. In order to participate in the 6th CCW, the following documents have to be scanned and forwarded
to the Working Group’s official e-mail address (see clause 8.2):

  • 6.1.1. the filled-out application with the applicant’s personal signature; download *.DOC
  • 6.1.2. the consent for the processing of the applicant’s personal data with his/her personal signature; download *.DOC
  • 6.1.3. the front page of the applicant’s passport or other identifying document (with his/her photo and
    the holder’s signature);
  • 6.1.4. one artistic photo of the applicant taken against a neutral background with a minimum resolution
    of 300 dpi;
  • 6.1.5. the applicant’s certificate of music education or certificate from his/her educational institution
    (if a student), either in Russian or in English.

6.2. In addition, every applicant must also submit both the score and the audio-recording of each Piece of his/hers, with no author’s name on them (see clauses 3.5 and 6.4). The necessary requirements are as follows:

  • • for the score: (1) the file format is PDF; (2) the filename (prior to the dot) is to include: the letter (A/B) and the digit (1/2/3/4) indicating the group and the category respectively (see sub-clauses 5.2.1 and 5.2.2), then a space and the title of the Piece with no punctuation marks (40 characters maximum, including all spaces);
  • • for the audio recording: (1) the file format is MP3; (2) the filename (prior to the dot) is to include:
    the letter (A/B) and the digit (1/2/3/4) indicating the group and the category respectively (see sub-clauses 5.2.1 and 5.2.2), then a space and the title of the Piece with no punctuation marks (40 characters maximum, including all spaces).

6.3. The deadline for submitting the documents, the scores and the audio recordings of the Pieces participating
in the 6th CCW is 30 April 2025.

6.4. No music material containing any personal information about the applicant, nor any audio file whose name does not contain the title of the Piece, may be allowed to participate in the 6th CCW (see clauses 3.5 and 6.2).

6.5. The fact of forwarding the documents, the score and the audio recording to the Working Group’s e-mail address means the applicant’s unconditional consent with all the terms of these Regulations.

7. Special Provisions of the 6th Competition of Choral Writing

7.1. The Co-Founders unconditionally transfer to the Founder the exclusive copyright for audio- and/or video-recording, as well as for any TV and/or online broadcasts, of the public performances of the Pieces at the Final Concert.

7.2. Neither the Laureates nor the Grand-prix Winner receive any copyright for any usage by the Founder of audio- and/or video-recording, as well as of any TV and/or online broadcasts, of any public performances of their Pieces.

7.3. All transportation, travel and other expenses related to the arrival of the Grand-prix Winner and/or
the Laureates and/or members of the Jury Team and/or the instrumental performers (see sub-clause 5.3.1)
to the Final Concert are to be reimbursed either by the comers themselves or by their sponsoring organizations.

7.4.1. Should any conductor who participates in the Final Concert need a visa to enter Russia, he/she must forward a respective request to the Working Group’s official e-mail address not later than on 15 July 2025.
7.4.2. The Founder will render visa support only to the conductors who participate in the Final Concert.

7.5. These Regulations are published both in Russian and in English and are the only true Regulations on the Sixth Alexander Kastalsky International Competition of Choral Writing. Should any dispute or disagreement arise
in the interpretation of any of the terms of these Regulations, the Russian version published on TMSC’s official website shall prevail.

8. Contact Information

8.1. The DFCSE of TMSC’s CCAP: +7 (495) 055 5519.

8.2. The Working Group of the 6th CCW:

  • • E-mail: lev.pankratov@mail.ru
  • • Office phone number: +7 (495) 629 9736
  • • Emergency phone number: +7 (929) 561 5771

 

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