Mahler Competition 2026 Withholds First Prize for Second Time
The Mahler Competition held in Bamberg from June 23 to July 3, 2026, made headlines as it did not award a first prize. The jury decided that none of the finalists met the criteria for the top award. Polish conductor Jakub Przybycień, 31, claimed the second prize of €20,000, in addition to the Audience Prize. The third prize of €10,000 each went to 29-year-old Italian conductor Sieva Borzak and 25-year-old French conductor Simon Clausse. British conductor Oliver Cope received the Studio Recording Prize with BR-KLASSIK and the Bamberg Symphony. This year's competition showcased 24 conductors from 13 countries, performing pieces from Haydn, Mahler, Bartók, Schoenberg, and Adès. The competition, founded by Marina Mahler and others, previously did not award a first prize in 2007.
Key facts
- No first prize awarded in 2026 Mahler Competition
- Jakub Przybycień won second prize and Audience Prize
- Sieva Borzak and Simon Clausse shared third prize
- Oliver Cope won Studio Recording Prize
- Competition held June 23 to July 3 in Bamberg
- 24 conductors from 13 countries participated
- Repertoire included Haydn, Mahler, Bartók, Schoenberg, Adès
- Previous first-prize winners include Gustavo Dudamel, Lahav Shani, Kahchun Wong
- Top prize previously withheld only in 2007
- Founded by Marina Mahler, Bamberg Symphony, Ernest Fleischmann
Entities
Artists
- Gustavo Dudamel
- Jakub Przybycień
- Sieva Borzak
- Simon Clausse
- Oliver Cope
- Lahav Shani
- Kahchun Wong
- Finnegan Downie Dear
- Giuseppe Mengoli
- Joseph Haydn
- Gustav Mahler
- Béla Bartók
- Arnold Schoenberg
- Thomas Adès
- Marina Mahler
- Ernest Fleischmann
- Jakub Hrůša
Institutions
- Mahler Competition
- Bamberg Symphony
- BR-KLASSIK
Locations
- Bamberg
- Germany