Rules & Regulations

The Rules and Regulations of The 18th International Harp Contest in Israel are binding on all participants:

Chairperson, Director, Legal Committee, Music Director, Members of the Jury, Contestants, and staff

 

Contents:

A. The Contest and Drawing

B. Condition

C. The Required Repertoire

D. Prizes

E. The Director of the Contest

F. The Legal Committee

G. Penalties

H. The Jury

I. The Chairperson of the Jury

J. Voting procedure

K. Miscellaneous

 

A. The Contest and Drawing

In this document the International Harp Contest in Israel shall be referred to as “THE CONTEST” or “THE 18TH CONTEST”, or “IHS”.

The Contest will be divided into four Stages:

Stage I

Stage II

Semi-Final (Stage III)

Final Stage (Stage IV)

Contestants will appear in the first two Stages in an order fixed by drawing lots. The sequence of appearance in Stages III and IV will be determined by the Contest after a special drawing of lots by Contestants for the singer in Stage III, (semi-final Stage). This order will be binding also for Stage IV, the Final Stage.

The drawing of the lots for the sequence of appearance in the Contest will take place on the day and the time determined by the Director of the Contest. The Contestants will be present at the drawing of lots, unless justifiably prevented.

The Chairperson of the Legal Committee, or one of the members of the Committee designated by him/her, will be present at the drawing of lots. The Ballot Box will contain lots in the form of slips of paper, as many as there are Contestants, and numbered consecutively starting with No. 001. Each contestant will draw one number and that number will be entered in his /her personal file and denote the order of his/her appearance in the first two Stages. Contestants may, however, immediately following the drawing of lots, and with the Director’s consent, change the numbers drawn among themselves. In case of such an exchange, the numbers exchanged will be entered on the appropriate page and will be binding for Stages I and II.

The chairperson of the Legal Committee, or any member of the Committee designated by her/him, will draw for absent Contestants. The Director will notify Contestants of the day and the order of their appearance before the Jury.

There will be more than one singer for the Benjamin Britten piece in Stage III. There will be a special drawing of lots by the six semi-finalists to assign their singer. The Director of the Contest, (“the Director”), will determine the order of performance in the Semi-final Stage taking into consideration the contestants’ original numbers and the necessity to alternate singers. Contestants are obliged to personally participate in the drawing for the singer.

Any registered and accepted Contestant, whose arrival is justifiably delayed and approved by the Director, may participate in the Contest with the consent of the Director, if he/she arrives not later than one day before the closing of Stage I. Such Contestant shall then perform last in order.

The Contest reserves the right to record, broadcast, film, televise, make DVD’s or video tapes, and any other media of the Contest Sessions, the Concerts and the Prize-giving Ceremony without any remuneration. All intellectual property rights and all performing rights belong to the Contest.

 

B. Conditions

Contestants may not be older than 35 years of age by November 22, 2012.

Each prize winner will be awarded a diploma.

Semi-Finalists will be awarded a special document.

All contestants will be awarded a certificate.

Prize Winners, when making use of their title, must specify the number of the Contest, the year, the place and the specific prize. i.e. Second prize, 18th International Harp Contest in Israel, 2012.

Contestants participating in the 18th International Harp Contest in Israel will sign the following declaration: “I, the undersigned, certify that I have taken due note of the Rules and Regulations of the 18th International Harp Contest in Israel. I undertake to adhere to them and agree to accept, in good faith, all decisions of the Jury and of the Legal Committee.” “I am also aware that the IHC will not be held responsible for any loss of/or damage to luggage, including the harp belonging to me, which may occur in Israel or en route to and from Israel.”

Consideration for illness, accident etc. will be granted only in Stages I and II. No such consideration will be given in Stages III and IV. Contestants who do not appear at their designated time will be disqualified.

Contestants who do not observe performance duration limits, as indicated in the Contest’s Required Repertoire, (duration of free choice repertoire) will be disqualified, subject to 1 minute grace.

Contestants who do not observe performance regulations for C.P.E. Bach (tonality), and Marin, Dalvimare, Viotti (editions) will be disqualified.

Contestants who do not observe regulations regarding excluding repeats in the Contest Required Repertoire will be disqualified.

Contestants may perform repertoire in Stages I and II in the order of their choice.

The set order of performance and appearance in Semi-final Stage III and Final Stage IV shall be determined by the Contest.

Contestants will not be interrupted during their performance of any Stage. The Jury will listen to their complete program.

The Contest will provide a page turner (for the Israeli composition by Tzvi Avni in Stage I and for the Semi-final Stage), for those contestants requesting such assistance.

The Contest will host all contestants in a hotel – single room with ½ board – for the duration + 1 day, of a contestant’s active participation in the Contest.

Lyon & Healy and Salvi harps will be available for practice and performance by contestants

 

C. The Repertoire

Stage I:

1. C.P.E. Bach (1714-1788) Sonata in G

(must be performed in original tonality.

To be performed with no repeats)

2. Tzvi Avni (1927) Fantasy for harp

(need not be performed from memory)

3. Choose one of the following:

Jean Francaix (1912-1997) Suite pour Harpe

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) Suite for Harp Op. 83

Lynn Palmer (1918-2011) Classical Suite

4. Marcel Grandjany (1891-1975) Rhapsodie

Stage II:

1. Choose one of the following:

Marie-Martin Marin (1769-1861) Sonata Op. 32

Martin-Pierre Dalvimare (1772-1839) Sonata Op. 18, No. 1

Giovanni Battista Viotti (1755-1824)

Sonata per arpa e violino ad libitum

(to be performed without violin)

(All 3 Sonatas must be performed from the Urtext edition of Ut Orpheus Edizioni.)

(All 3 Sonatas are to be performed with no repeats.)

2. André Jolivet (1905-1974) Prélude Pour Harpe

3. Free choice contemporary work

(composed after 1985; duration not less than 5 nor more than 7 minutes; preferably by a composer from the contestant’s own country; may be a movement from a larger work)

4. Henriette Renié (1875-1956) Legende

Stage III: Semi-Final Stage

1. Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) Canticle V “The Death of St. Narcissus” (T. S. Eliot) for high voice and harp

2. R. Murray Schafer (1933) The Crown of Ariadne for solo harp with percussion (1995 edition which includes Ariadne’s Dream)

All percussion instruments for R. Murray Shafer, “The Crown of Ariadne”, will be provided by The Contest. Contestants are requested to bring their own prepared CD of the self recorded harp part in the R.M Schafer, “The Crown of Ariadne”.

The singer for Benjamin Britten Canticle V, “The Death of St. Narcissus”, will be provided by The Contest.

Music in Stage III – Semi Final Stage, need not be performed from memory.

Stage IV: Final Stage

1. Claude Debussy – Danses Sacrée e Profane for harp and string orchestra

2. John Williams – Concerto for harp and orchestra “on willows and Birches”

The Final Stage will be performed with The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Nir Kabaretti.

NOTE!

All music in the Required Repertoire of the 18th International Harp Contest in Israel, a program of original works for harp, must be performed from memory, EXCEPT the ISRAELI COMPOSITION by TZVI AVNI in Stage I and the BENJAMIN BRITTEN and R. MURRAY SCHAFER in Stage III, the Semi-final Stage.

All percussion instruments for R. Murray Shafer, “The Crown of Ariadne”, will be provided by The Contest. Contestants are required to bring their own prepared CD of the self recorded harp part in the Schafer, “The Crown of Ariadne”.

The singer for Benjamin Britten Canticle V, “The Death of St. Narcissus”, will be provided by The Contest.

In Stage IV, the Final Stage, Danses Sacre’e e profane for harp and string orchestra and the Concerto for Harp and Orchestra “On WILLOWS and BIRCHES” by John Williams, will be performed with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Nir Kabaretti.

 

D. Prizes

First Prize:

A custom made Style 23 Gold Concert Grand harp built and presented by Lyon and Healy

A $5000.00 cash prize presented by Lyon & Healy

Promotion of the career of the First Prize Winner by Lyon & Healy

A debut recital in the Lyon & Healy Concert Hall in Chicago

A CD recording sponsored by Lyon & Healy

The First Prize Winner will perform at the ‘Opening Concert’ of the 19th International Harp Contest in Israel (2015)

The First Prize Winner will be invited to perform with the Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon-LeZion

The First Prize Winner will be invited to perform with the Israel Sinfonietta Beer Sheva

Recitals in major European cities

Second Prize:

Rosalind G. Weindling Prize: US $8,000*

Third Prize:

In memory of Rachel Graetz: US $5,000*

Semi-Final Prize:

In memory of Yona Ettinger: US $3,000

For best performance of R. Murray Schafer: The Crown of Ariadne

Special Awards : US $1000*

For each contestant who reaches the Semi-Final Stage and does not continue to Final Stage

Donated by the Aharon Zvi and Mara Propes Foundation

Aharon Zvi and Mara Propes Prize: US $2,500

For best performance of Israeli composition by Tzvi Avni, Fantasy for harp, in Stage I

Mario Falcao Prize: US $1,000

For best performance of a Free Choice Contemporary Work, in Stage II

Irena Kaganovsky Prize: US $1,000

For best performance of H. Reniè, Legende, in Stage II

* With participation of Aharon Zvi and Mara Propes Foundation

Subject to change

 

E. The Director of the Contest

The Director of the Contest represents The International Harp Contest in Israel towards all parties.

In all matters concerning the management of The Contest, the Director is authorized to delegate powers or specially defined functions to others, including outside persons.

Public statements concerning The Contest will be issued by the Director only or by someone designated by him/her.

 

F. The Legal Committee

A Legal Committee for The 18th Contest shall be appointed by the International Harp Contest in Israel. The function of this Committee, (in addition to other functions ascribed to it hereunder), will be to settle any disputes, administrative, civil or disciplinary, which may arise between Contestants and the authorities of the Contest or the Jury, or among the contestants themselves. The decisions of the Legal Committee shall be final and binding, and the Legal Committee or any person specifically designated by it shall have the power of an Arbitrator, and the present Rules and Regulations shall be deemed as an Arbitration Agreement according to the Israeli Law of Arbitration 1968.

The present Rules and Regulations shall be construed and interpreted according to the Laws of the State of Israel and, without derogating from the Arbitration clause mentioned above, it is specifically understood that the District Court in Tel Aviv-Yaffo shall have exclusive jurisdiction concerning the present Rules and Regulations.

Participation in the Contest involves full acknowledgement by members of the Jury and by Contestants of the Jurisdiction of the Legal Committee.

The Chairperson of the Jury and/or the Chairperson of the Legal Committee shall call upon the Legal Committee, if necessary, for arbitration during Sessions of the Contest, during voting, or at anytime questions of procedure may arise. He/she will request interpretation of the rules by the Legal Committee whenever necessary.

The Legal Committee shall be responsible for controlling adherence to repertoire directives, i.e. repeats, required editions and duration of free choice repertoire.

Complaints and requests from Contestants, calling for arbitration by the Legal Committee, shall be addressed in writing to its Chairperson, c/o the Director of the Contest. Such complaints or requests will contain full details including the name of the complainant and the name of the person or entity against whom the complaint is lodged. Such complaint will be presented in writing.

The Legal Committee, while investigating a complaint, will guarantee a full and fair hearing.

A member of the Legal Committee will be present at all Sessions of the contest, at the drawing of lots, at Jury sessions when a vote is taken, and shall oversee the counting of Jury votes.

Members of the Legal Committee will be present at chamber music rehearsals of the Semi-final Stage and at orchestra rehearsals of the Final Stage. They will oversee the adherence to the timetable of such rehearsals.

The legal committee will oversee fair access by Contestants to the percussion instruments for rehearsing the R. Murray Schafer, The Crown of Ariadne.

 

G. Penalties

The Legal Committee of the 18th Contest may impose the following penalties on any and all participants for misconduct regarding these Rules and Regulations.

Reprimand

Expulsion

 

H. The Jury

The Contest shall invite 10 members to participate in the International Jury of the 18th Contest.

The first Plenary Session of the Jury will be opened by the Chairperson of the Contest who shall introduce the Director, the Legal Committee and the Music Director, who shall introduce the Jury. The Chairperson of the Jury shall preside over all meetings of the Jury and all Sessions of the Contest.

A list of the members of the Jury will be given to all Contestants. A list of the Contestants will be given to all members of the Jury.

Contestants are not entitled to object to a member of the Jury, but may file a complaint with the Director or Music Director in case of a violation of the Rules of The Contest by any of the members of the Jury. Such complaint must be submitted in writing.

Beginning from the first Session of Stage I, Jurors and Contestants will maintain a dignified distance one from the other for as long as a contestant is actively participating in The Contest.

Teachers on Jury will have no contact with their students. Jurors will have no contact with any active Contestant.

Members of the Jury who are related to one or more of the Contestants, or have been teachers (in institutions, private lessons and/or Master Classes since November 22, 2011) of one or more of the Contestants, will disclose such relationship, in writing, to the Music Director of the Contest.

Members of the Jury will refrain from making any public statements whatsoever concerning the activities of the Contest.

Each member of the Jury will make the following signed declaration before the Director:

“I, the undersigned, member of the Jury of the 18th International Harp Contest in Israel, 2012, declare that I have taken due note of the Rules and Regulations of the Contest. I undertake to adhere to them, and will judge according to the best of my knowledge and conscience.

“I, the undersigned, agree to accept and support, in good faith, all decisions of the Jury”.

“I, the undersigned, certify that the Contestants whose names are set out in the list handed over to me, with the exception of those names which appear below, are not related to me, nor have they been my pupils since November 22, 2011”.

The Jury of the 18th Contest shall be the Jury for all Prizes offered by the 18th Contest, 2012.

I. The Chairperson of the Jury

The Contest shall appoint a Chairperson and Vice-chairperson of the Jury.

It is the function of the Chairperson of the Jury to preside over all Sessions of the Contest; the Chairperson is assisted in this task by the Vice-Chairperson

The Chairperson of the Jury will preside at all meetings of the Jury and shall announce to the Jury the final result of each vote.

The Chairperson of the Jury will refer forthwith to the Legal Committee any serious infringements of these Rules and Regulations by any member of the Jury or by participants.

The Chairperson of the Jury will refer forthwith directly to the Legal Committee on all questions of procedure during performance of the various Stages of the Contest.

The Chairperson of the Jury will have no vote in evaluating the performances of the Contestants unless otherwise instructed by the Director.

In case of illness or other disability of the Chairperson of the Jury, his/her place will be taken by the Vice-Chairperson, for the whole or part of the Sessions, as the need arises.

The Vice-chairperson of the Jury will vote evaluating the performances of the Contestants.

The Contest will appoint an assistant to the Chairperson of the Jury (not a member of the Jury) who will have free access to the Jury room, back stage, all rehearsals and all venues, to communicate with the Chairperson and/or Director when necessary.

 

J. Voting Procedure

No member of the Jury may refrain from voting, except the Chairperson of the Jury, if so advised by the Contest.

The Jury shall vote by secret ballot unless otherwise directed by the Chairperson of the Jury.

Official voting Papers will be distributed to the members of the Jury.

A Juror wishing to vote for a contestant declared by him, under rule H9c, shall mark his/her vote in a special place indicated on the voting paper. Such a vote will be counted in favor of the Contestant only if it is confirmed by a vote in favor of said contestant by a simple majority of the other Jurors.

Half of the total number of contestants, or 18 contestants, whichever is the lower number, will pass to Stage II. This number shall be announced before the first Session of Stage I. The above notwithstanding, should the total number of contestants be too low, according to the discretion of the Chairperson of the Legal Committee and the Director, then the Director shall be entitle to alter the arrangement prescribed by the present paragraph, and or combine stages, or take any necessary step in order to reasonably enhance the arrangements herein.

At the end of Stage I members of the Jury will have a specified number of votes, all of which must be used. (This number will be announced before the beginning of Stage I). No contestant may be given more than one vote. The vote will consist of a list of names, without order of priority or points, of those contestants the Juror wishes to pass to Stage II. Jurors will base their evaluation on the performances of the contestants during Stage I. Votes will be recorded on voting papers and signed by each Juror (Subject to Rule H9c.) A simple majority is required.

Six Contestants will pass to Stage III.

At the end of Stage II members of the Jury will have 6 votes, all of which must be used. Jurors will list the names of the 6 contestants, without order of priority or points, they wish to pass to Stage III. No contestant may be given more than one vote. Jurors will base their evaluation on the performances of the contestants during both Stages I and II. Votes must be recorded on voting papers and signed by each Juror (Subject to Rule H9c). A simple majority is required.

Three contestants will pass to the Final Stage.

At the conclusion of the Semi-Final Stage, a ballot shall take place, each member of the Jury having 3 votes. Jurors will list 3 contestants, without order of priority or points, whom they wish to pass to the Final Stage. Jurors shall base their evaluation on the performances of the contestants during Stages I, II, III. Votes must be recorded on voting papers and signed by each Juror (Subject to Rule H9c). A simple majority is required.

The Chairperson of the Jury, the Secretary of The Contest and a representative of the Legal Committee shall carry out the counting of the votes for all Stages and for all Prizes. The Chairperson of the Jury shall preside over the counting of votes and shall announce the result of each ballot count to the Jury.

In the event of a tie:

In the event of a simple tie between two Contestants for the last place, a second ballot shall be held for those involved in the tie.

In the event of a multiple tie for the last place, a second ballot shall be held only for those involved in the tie and repeated until the correct number have been chosen. To select the required number of contestants, each Juror will have a number of votes equal to the places remaining to be filled (subject to Rule H9c). The Chairperson of the Jury shall announce the required number before the vote.

Once a tie has been resolved, the Chairperson will announce the results to the Jury. After this announcement there will be no revote.

Final Stage:

First Prize Winner: A simple ballot for the winner of the First Prize only shall be made – each Juror shall write one name on his ballot. (Subject to Rule H9c). In the event of a tie between two Contestants, a second ballot will be held only for those involved in the tie.

When the First Prize has been chosen, a ballot will be passed for Second Prize. (Subject to Rule H9c)

Once the Second Prize has been chosen, a final ballot will be passed for Third Prize. (Subject to Rule H9c)

Jurors will base their evaluation on the performances of the three finalists during all Four Stages of the Contest.

Each Juror will vote according to his personal knowledge and concience. There shall be no discussion or evaluation of Contestants among the Jurors – neither inside nor outside the Jury room.

A public announcement shall be made, immediately following decisions of the Jury, of the names of Contestants chosen to pass to the subsequent Stages.

A public announcement shall be made, immediately following the Jury decisions, announcing the winners of all Special Prizes.

Special Prizes:A simple ballot shall decide the “Propes” Prize (subject to Rule H9c) at the end of Stage I.

The “Mario Falcao” Prize shall be decided (subject to Rule H9c) by a simple ballot at the end of the Stage II.

The “Irene Kaganovsky Prize” shall be decided (subject to Rule H9c) by a simple ballot at the end of Stage II.

The “Yona Ettinger Prize” shall be decided (subject to Rule H9c) by a simple ballot at the end of Stage III, Semi Final Stage

“Special Awards” Awarded to those reaching the semi-final Stage and not continuing to the Final Stage

Note:

The Jury is authorized to award or withhold any or all prizes.

The decision of the Jury as to the awarding or withholding of prizes shall be final.

Before voting on any prize, a decision shall be made by the jury if to award such prize. This decision shall be reached by a simple vote on a prepared ballot.

 

K. Miscellaneous

Rehearsals for Stage III (Semi-Final) and Stage IV (Finals) will be closed. Only authorized persons designated by The Contest will be admitted.

The Four Stages of The Contest will be open to the public.

The management of The Contest may schedule any event it may consider as likely to enhance the Contest.

A printed copy of the Rules & Regulations of The Contest will be given to all Contestants, members of the Jury and to the Legal Committee.

English shall be recognized as the official language of The Contest.