Competition Organization & Governance

Executive Directors: George Pehlivanian & Sabina Pehlivanian

Artistic Director: George Pehlivanian

Artistic Advisor: Maja Kojc

Treasurer: Sabina Pehlivanian

Website Master: Jan Kuzma

The Organizers oversee all artistic planning, competition administration, jury coordination, production logistics, financial management, and strategic development of PICC 2026.

Competition Secretary: Sabina Pehlivanian

• The Competition Secretariat is responsible for:
• documentation of jury decisions
• vote collection and ballot integrity
• coordination of jury procedures
• ensuring procedural compliance
• handling confidential materials
• supporting competition operations

Municipality of Bled

Civic partner supporting international cultural programming and the realization of PICC 2026.

Zavod za kulturo Bled (Bled Cultural Institute)

Cultural partner supporting venue coordination, production logistics, and public outreach.

Zavod za turizem Bled (Tourism Bled)
Tourism and media partner supporting international visibility and promotional activities.

RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra (Simfonični orkester RTV Slovenija)
Official orchestral partner for competition Semi-Finals and Finals rounds and the Orchestra
Prize.

Festival Hall Bled (Festivalna dvorana Bled)
Official venue for all competition rounds and the Sustainable Career Development Conference.

Additional partners will be announced in 2026.

The Pehlivanian International Conducting Competition (PICC 2026) is open to all artists with no upper age limit, who are pursuing conducting, are professional conductors, or wish to become professional conductors — regardless of their background, training, or experience.

• Minimum age: 18 years
• No orchestral conducting diploma required
• All applications are welcomed regardless of sex, race, religion, political belief, sexual orientation, or disability.
• PICC is an equal opportunity promoter

• The Artistic Director, together with designated Jury Members in each Global Pre-Selection (GPS) city, will determine which candidates advance to the Preliminary Round in Bled (PRB).
• The number of PRB candidates shall not exceed 144.
• No explanation will be provided for acceptance or rejection of candidates.
• Candidates who submit false or misleading information or materials will be disqualified and forfeit all fees paid.
• The Artistic Director and designated Jury Members for the Global Video Submission (GVS) process will determine which candidates advance to the Preliminary Round in Bled (PRB).
• All jury decisions at every stage (GPS, GVS, PRB, and all orchestra rounds) are final and irrevocable.
• Candidates may not appeal any jury decision under any circumstances.

• The Executive Committee reserevs the right to amend any rules, even after  publication, at its sole dsicretion.
• Any amendments will be announced transparently in the Official Rules section of the PICC 2026 website.

Travel, Visa and Support

• Candidates requiring a visa to enter Slovenia may request an official invitation letter from the PICC 2026 Secretariat after Step 2 confirmation.
• Requests must be made no later than August 15, 2026.
• The Organizer assumes no responsibility for delays or denials of visas.
• The Festival Hall Bled and partner hotels are wheelchair accesible; accessibility support is available upon request.

Audience Access:

• Final Rounds will be open to the public in the Festival Hall.
• Tickets will be available online and at the venue.

All participants, staff, and jury members are expected to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, respect, and integrity.

The following behaviours are striclty prohibited:

• Disrespectful treatment of colleaugues, jury, staff, or orchestra members
• Harassment or discrimination of any kind
• Disruption of competition proceedings or disregard for instructions

Any breach of conduct may result in immediate disqualification from the competition without refund.

• Finalists and prize winners will receive Certificates of Achievement signed by the International Jury and the Artistic Director.
• Upon request, the Organizer may issue reference letters to finalists for professional purposes.

• Jury deliberations will take place immediately after the final candidate completes the Final Round.
• The Awards Ceremony will follow immediately after the Final Round at Festival Hall Bled.
• Not all prizes must be awarded.
• Winners will be announced in the presence of the audience.

MEDIA, RECORDINGS, AND AUDIENCE POLICY

• All rounds, including rehearsals and concerts, may be recorded, photographed, or streamed for documentation and promotional use.
• The Organizer retains the right to broadcast, publish, or commercially use such materials.
• Candidates grant the Organizer royalty-free rights to use their image, name, and performance materials for promotional purposes.

Press & Media Accreditation:

• Journalists and photographers must obtain prior approval by contacting: [email protected]

• The Staff, Jury, and Partners of PICC 2026 accept no liability for any accidents or injuries sustained by candidates during any phase of the Competition.
• PICC 2026 assumes no responsibility for loss or damage to personal belongings.
• Participants must arrange private health and travel insurance for the entire duration of their participation, including travel to and from event locations.

• Step 1 (Application Fee): Non-refundable, except in case of full cancellation of the Competition.
• Step 2 (GPS Fee): Non-refundable, except if a GPS city event is cancelled by the Executive Directors.
  In such a case, registered candidates may:
  (a) transfer to the GVS process, or
  (b) receive a full refund of the Step 2 fee.
• Step 3 (PRB Fee): Non-refundable, except in case of full cancellation of the Competition.

If the entire Competition is cancelled, all Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3 fees will be fully refunded.

The Pehlivanian International Conducting Competition (PICC 2026) is organized jointly by the International Music Association Inc. (USA) and the Zavod Glasbena Akademija Pehlivanian (Slovenia).

Any dispute arising from participation in the Competition shall first be addressed through amicable negotiation with the Organizers. If no agreement is reached, the courts of Slovenia shall have exclusive jurisdiction, as the Competition and all related events are held in Slovenia.