France’s Lyon International Chamber Music Competition Names 2023 Finalists

With awards totalling over €20,000, ten piano trios will perform for the top prize at Lyon University’s Grand Amphithéâtre from April 12–15, 2023

Now in its 18th edition, the Lyon International Chamber Music Competition (CIMCL) provides outstanding emerging artist ensembles to perform publicly for their peers and professional arts organizations. Ensembles are invited to receive career development guidance and various performance and networking opportunities. 

The 2023 CIMCL finalists are:

• Trio Pantoum (Paris, France) 
• Trio Bohémo (Budapest, Hungary)
• Trio Jasper (Hanover, Germany)
• Trio Astatine (London, England)
• Trio Arabesque (Zürich, Switzerland)
• Trio Ex (Berlin, Germany)
• Trio Chagall (Torino, Italy)
• Trio Parhélie (Lyon, France)
• Trio Brontë (Berlin, Germany)
• Trio Havisham (London, England)

A total of €18,000 will be given among the first, second, and third prize winners, while €5,500 is available for special prizes. These include the SEAM Prize for commitment to contemporary music, Best Interpretation of a commissioned work by Daniel Arango-Pradao, and Best Performance of the first movement of Lucien Durosoir’s Trio in B minor —  awarded by the Musicians Between War and Peace association.

Additionally, a career development prize valued at €19,000 includes both the Belle Saison prize with concert opportunities, residencies, and artistic project development; and the Musical Academy Villecroze prize, where the winning trio will receive a masterclass and residency with Finnish pianist Ralph Gothony from September 18–24, 2024. 

Each of the 10 piano trios will perform three recitals across four days of concerts beginning on April 12, 2023, culminating in the awards ceremony hosted by Judith Chaine. All concerts will be held at the  Grand Amphithéâtre of Lumière University Lyon 2. To attend, click here. 

The competition jury comprises Attila Falvay, David Grimal, Louise Hopkins, Mari Kodama, and Vincent Coq. 

Changes to the 2023 competition included a tighter preselection process and a greater variety in programming. The organization will also ensure that those regularly attending the competition will not have to return home after just one appearance before the jury, saving travel fees. 

“We regularly propose new ways of revealing musicians’ personalities by way of free programmes, additional instrumentalists and the like,” wrote CIMCL’s president Prosper Teboul. “Chamber music creates a space of freedom and experimentation for artists, with a field of possibilities for them to weave their way and envisage their own collaborations. This is why we strive to seek out competition structures that value such initiatives.”

“Music competitions have managed to prevail to this day by adapting to artists’ expectations and various professional challenges,” Teboul continued. “This includes questioning what seems unchangeable, making alterations without distorting, and embracing innovation.

“For musicians, this does not mean being the fastest, loudest, or softest performer possible,” Teboul added. “The feat itself does not lie in metronomic measure, but rather in the power artists have to dive into pieces, bring their interpretations to life, delve into repertoires, seize differing styles, and ultimately find the balancing point of a group.”

As of 2004, the CIMCL has hosted over 1,300 young artists from 35 different countries, who have been part of highlighting the arts and culture of the City of Lyon. CIMCL has been a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC) since 2007.