Applications now open for the 3rd Hong Kong International Conducting Competition

Organised by Hong Kong Sinfonietta, the 3rd Hong Kong International Conducting Competition will take place on 27-31 January 2027 at the Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall. Conductors of any nationality aged 35 or below are invited to apply for a chance to win coveted prizes of up to HK$200,000. Applications are now open until 17 June 2026.

One of the most well-regarded conducting competitions in the Asia-Pacific region, the Hong Kong International Conducting Competition provides a platform for top young conductors around the world to expand their professional network. The 1st Prize Winner will take home HK$200,000, a concert engagement with Hong Kong Sinfonietta as well as potential mentorship opportunities with conductors from the Jury. Led by Co-chairs Yip Wing-sie (Music Director Emeritus of Hong Kong Sinfonietta) and Christoph Poppen (Music Director of Hong Kong Sinfonietta), the esteemed Jury also includes Nicolás Pasquet (Zubin Mehta Chair of Conducting at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía; International Chair in Conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music), Chien Wen-pin (General and Artistic Director of the Kaohsiung Weiwuying Center for the Arts), Xenia Groh-Hu (Managing Director of karsten witt musik management), Youri Son (Director of Artistic Planning at KBS Symphony Orchestra), James Cuddeford (Concertmaster of Hong Kong Sinfonietta) and Ambrose Lui (Violinist at Hong Kong Sinfonietta).

A maximum of 16 Candidates – chosen and announced by late July 2026 – will conduct Hong Kong Sinfonietta through three rounds of competition. Acclaimed Hong Kong pianist and Van Cliburn Competition prizewinner Rachel Cheung will make an appearance to collaborate with all Semi-Finalists and perform the third movement of Schumann’s Piano Concerto; leading local composer Daniel Lo Ting-cheung’s specially commissioned new work Endless Rhythm will be one of the set works in the Finals. All rounds of the Competition are open to the public; tickets will be on sale at URBTIX with details to be announced in due course.

The first two editions of the Hong Kong International Conducting Competition took place in 2018 and 2023, establishing Hong Kong as one of the world’s important stages for cultural exchange, artistic excellence and career development. Past Candidates and Prizewinners of the Competition have landed major roles with leading orchestras and secured management by international artist agencies.

Full details of the Competition can be found at: https://www.hkconducting.com/competition/2027-competition/