International Piano competition for Amateurs
„Only talents are original, geniuses always repeat the same truths“ – Egon Friedell
The Fifth Kölner Klavierzimmer, an international competition for amateur pianists, will take place from 20.08.2025 – 24.08.2025.
The competition is open to all piano lovers at any age. Everyone is welcome!
The competition is called the Kölner Klavierzimmer because it emphasizes the idea of the individual and contrasts it with a professional career. It is primarily aimed at adult piano lovers, regardless of age. While it is possible to get together with other instruments in amateur orchestras, as a pianist you sometimes remain quite alone.
The primary purpose is therefore the shared experience of playing the piano: the Klavierzimmer is conceptualized as a competition and is intended to facilitate encounters and inspiring interaction. It is intended to offer a space where you can show and expand your own skills, where you can pause for a moment, play for yourself and others, listen, reflect, meet like-minded people and receive new ideas in the unifying and powerful atmosphere of the piano.
Conditions of participation
The competition is open to all age groups.
The essential thing is that you do not earn your living by playing the piano in public, either in whole or in part, and that you are not studying for it.
After all, this is about amateurs!
The competition format is based on the great demand for live music and live performances. At the same time, we also want to encourage those to take part who have to refrain from participating in person due to appointments or other reasons. Therefore, either online or in-person participation is possible.
There are several participation categories: Piano Solo, Piano Duo, Chamber Music Strings-
Piano and Piano Trio.
Other ensemble combinations are also accepted on request.
All participants in attendance will play on a Bösendorfer grand piano in the church of St. Heinrich and Kunigund.
Online participation is possible by submitting one or more videos. A separate video may be recorded for each piece. The videos may not be cut or edited in any other way.
The videos must be recorded in horizontal format and explicitly for this competition!
To make this clear, please place a clearly visible sign with the words „Fünftes Kölner Klavierzimmer“
in the picture. The videos will be sent by email to wettbewerb@klavierzimmer.com via wetransfer.com.
The submitted videos will be published on the competition’s YouTube channel on the first day of the competition.
Registration will be possible from 01.04.2025 up to and including 27.07.2025.
There will be a final concert by the participants. The concert will take place on Sunday, August 24th, 2025 at 4 p.m. in the Church of St. Heinrich and Kunigund, Cologne, and is public.
Repertoire
The repertoire is free to choose. Everyone should present themselves with their favorite pieces.
Own compositions are welcome. Playing by heart is welcome but not obligatory.
This applies to both the live performance and the video recording. The competition takes place in one round.
Location
The venue is the church of St. Heinrich and Kunigund in Nippes, Cologne. The auditions are open to the public, friends and family are warmly invited to listen. Opportunities for participants to prepare are within 3 minutes walking distance.
Jury
The jury consists of personalities from the piano world who are highly experienced in both
concert performance and pedagogy, and for whom the artistic idea of amateur music-making
occupies an important position in everyday life.
- Ana-Marija Markovina - pianist and author, Cologne
- Franz-Michael Deimling - pianist, composer, member of the board of the association of composers of Germany
- Dietrich Schöller-Manno - conductor, violinist, teacher, Balingen
- Georg Küper - Pianist, piano teacher from Gelsenkirchen
- Paula Muthig - Artists Management IfBK, Cologne
Participation categories
The competition is aimed at piano players of all ages. There are 7 age categories.
A • 4-8 years (born 2017 and later)
B • 9-12 years (born 2013-2016)
C • 13-16 years (born 2009-2012)
D • 17-21 years (born 2004-2008)
E • 22-41 years (born 1984- 2003)
F • 42-65 years (born 1960-1983)
G • 66-99 years (born before 1959)
The participation fee for piano solo is 45,00 Euro for categories A,B,C and D.
The participation fee for piano duo / chamber music is 60,00 Euro for categories A, B, C and D.
The participation fee for piano trio is 75,00 Euro for categories A,B,C and D.
The participation fee for piano solo is 85,00 Euro for the categories E,F, and G.
The participation fee for piano duo / chamber music is 100,00 Euro for the categories E,F, and G.
The participation fee for piano trio is 120,00 Euro for the categories E,F, and G.
Final concert
There will be a public final concert on Sunday, August 24th, at 4pm.
Prizes
Prizes are awarded according:
- Outstanding
- Excellent
- Very Good
All participants will receive a diploma and feedback from the jury in person.
The diplomas of the online participants will be sent together with feedback in written form by e-mail.
Other Diplomas:
Special Prizes:
• Orchestra concert
• A scholarship for a masterclass in Varazdin (Croatia)
• Study visit to Cologne (one week)
• Subscription for one year of „PianoNews“ – magazine for piano and grand piano, sheet music, etc..
Invitation to the Bösendorfer piano factory
- Cost absorption for the trip to Vienna
- 2 nights in a double room
- Detailed tour of the Bösendorfer piano factory in Wiener Neustadt
- Afterwards, you will have the opportunity to play on our various grand piano models in our large selection centre.
- The date is to be fixed in coordination with Bösendorfer, redemption of the special price until the end of Dec. 2025
Contact
Paula Muthig +49 174 9534141 (WhatsApp)
Partner
Contact
Klavierzimmer e.V.
Gocher Strasse 19
50733 Köln, Germany
Tel.: +49 221 13 95 40 99 wettbewerb@klavierzimmer.com
Bank details
Klavierzimmer e.V.
IBAN:DE39 3705 0198 1935 8763 40
SWIFT/BIC: COLSDE33