FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

GENERAL INFORMATION

PICC 2026 will take place from 7–14 November 2026 at Festival Hall Bled, Slovenia.

The Preliminary Round Bled (PRB) runs from 7–9 November, followed by the orchestral rounds and Final Concert from 10–14 November 2026.

PICC consists of two integrated parts:

The international conducting competition (three steps and 5 Orchestral Rounds).
The three-day Career Development Conference (7–9 November), held during the PRB.

ELIGIBILITY

The competition is open to conductors of all nationalities aged 18 or older.

There is no upper age limit, and no requirement for formal conservatory training.

Yes. The competition welcomes aspiring, emerging, and professional conductors at all career stages.

PICC 2026 evaluates all applicants without discrimination based on sex, race, religion, political belief, sexual orientation, or disability.

We are committed to being an equal-opportunity promoter.

STEP 1 - APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications open 15 December 2025 and close 15 February 2026.

1. Visit the Application section on our website.
2. Complete the Step 1 Application Form.
3. Pay the 130 € application fee.
4. You will receive a confirmation email once your full application is received.

After review by designated jury members, selected candidates will be invited to Step 2 – Global PreSelection (GPS).

STEP 2 — GLOBAL PRESELECTION (GPS)

GPS is the second step of the competition. Selected applicants audition live in one of 15 cities or, if eligible, through the Global Video Submission (GVS) option.

Invited candidates must:

Complete the Step 2 form,
Pay the 275 € Step 2 fee,
Select their preferred GPS city.

Deadline: 25 February 2026.

GPS will be held in major international hubs such as Berlin, Vienna, Oslo, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Paris, Ljubljana, Milan, and London.

All candidates conduct:

Brahms — Symphony No. 1 (Mov. 1 and 2), performed on two pianos.

GLOBAL VIDEO SUBMISSION (GVS)

Candidates who cannot travel to a GPS city due to:

Living in South America, Africa, the Middle East, Turkey, Australia/New Zealand, Balkan region (except Slovenia), former Soviet republics, or the Russian Federation,
Visa denial,
Serious injury, illness, or disability (with documentation).

Complete Step 2 form,
Pay 275 €,
Submit a recent conducting video (any repertoire, not older than one year) by 25 February 2026.

You can submit your video in two ways:

Option A – Video link (recommended)
Submit a link to your video hosted on YouTube, Google Drive, Dropbox, WeTransfer (link only), Vimeo, or another platform that provides a public link.
Option B – File upload
Upload your video file directly through the Step 2 application form.

We strongly recommend Option A – Video link, as it is more reliable and faster, especially for large video files.

If you choose file upload, please note the following limits:

Format: MP4 (H.264)
Maximum duration: 12 minutes
Maximum resolution: 720p
Maximum file size: 250 MB

Large uploads may take longer and can fail due to internet or browser limitations.

No. There is no file size limit when submitting your video via a link.

The submission will be rejected. Links must be publicly accessible.

Yes, but the link must remain active and accessible until the competition ends.

You may use:

YouTube
Google Drive
Dropbox
Vimeo
WeTransfer (link only)

Any platform that provides a public, shareable video link.

Yes, but only via a link.

Do not send the video by email. Make sure the link remains active until the competition ends.

Because when you are logged into your own Google Drive, Dropbox, or YouTube account, the video may appear accessible only to you. Testing the link in an incognito/private window shows exactly what the jury will see.

Copy your video link
Open a new incognito/private browser window
Paste the link into the address bar
Press Enter
If the video plays immediately, the link is correct.

What if the video does not open?
Your link is restricted. Please update the sharing settings to “Anyone with the link can view” and test again.

Is this step required?
Yes. Submissions with inaccessible or private links may be considered incomplete.

If the jury cannot access your video due to:

broken links,
expired WeTransfer links,
restricted permissions, or
failed uploads,

your submission may be considered incomplete.

For the best and safest experience, please use Option A – Video link whenever possible.

Yes. If you choose Video Submission for Step 2, you may complete your application and payment first, and submit your video later.

Step 2 application/payment deadline: March 5, 2026

Video submission deadline: May 1, 2026

A separate Step 2 Video Submission Form is available on the website for applicants who have already completed Step 2 application and payment.

The Step 2 Video Submission Form is only for applicants who have already completed the Step 2 application and payment by March 5, 2026.

Please use the same email address as in your original application. If available, include your application reference number.

STEP 3 — PRELIMINARY ROUND BLED (PRB)

Up to 144 conductors will be invited to the PRB in Bled.

Yes. A 65 € administrative fee confirms participation in the PRB.

Performed on two pianos:

Bartók — Concerto for Orchestra, 4th movement
Tchaikovsky — Symphony No. 6 “Pathétique,” 1st movement

A PRB Jury of 5 international conductors select 18 Finalists to advance to the orchestral rounds beginning 10 November 2026.

Yes. All PRB candidates must attend the Welcome Meeting and Draw of Lots on 6 November 2026 at 19:00.

COMPETITION ROUNDS

The first 3 (16 th final, 8 th final and Quarter-final) rounds are performed by the POA Festival Orchestra, one of the two official partner orchestras of the competition.

Round 4 and 5, (Semi-Final and Final) rounds are performed by the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, one of the two official partner orchestras of the competition.

All orchestral rounds and the Final Concert are open to the public, except for the Final Round rehearsal.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE

A professional development program focusing on career sustainability, including talks, panels, mentoring, and practical sessions with leading experts.

Yes. All candidates (Step 1 to Step 3) may attend free of charge.

PRIZES & SUPPORT

PICC 2026 awards a total of 75,000 USD in prizes, plus guest engagements, mentorship opportunities, and invitations to collaborate with partner orchestras, opera houses, and festivals.

Yes. All 18 finalists receive hotel accommodation and breakfast in Bled from 10–15 November 2026.

Travel to and from Slovenia is the responsibility of each candidate.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

The working language is English.

Candidates must check their visa requirements for Slovenia/Schengen. Invitation letters can be provided after acceptance.

JURY & FEEDBACK

All jury members are listed on the Home page under the Jury button.

Where possible, eliminated candidates may request short feedback from designated jurors or mentors, in (PRB) Round.

MEDIA & PRIVACY

Some rounds or events may be recorded or streamed. By participating, candidates accept that their image and performances may be used for official promotion.

All data is managed according to our Legal & Privacy Policy.