International Van Wassenaer Competition

The International Van Wassenaer Competition (IVWC) is the oldest competition for early music ensembles in the Netherlands. Since 2014 the three-day event has taken place during the Utrecht Early Music Festival.

After a pre-selection the ensembles are assessed by an international professional jury during the semi-final, which is open to the public. The ensembles who drop out in this round are offered a coaching session with one of the jury members. In the final, a maximum of four ensembles compete for various cash prizes and a paid concert tour. In addition, all finalists receive a masterclass voucher which they can exchange for coaching by a musician of their choice. In this way they get the chance to learn from their musical examples.

Starting in 2019, the IVWC will no longer be held every two years but annually, with a varied focus on early (Middle Ages and Renaissance), middle (Baroque / basso continuo) and late (Classical and Romantic) repertoire, performed on historical instruments.

The International Van Wassenaer Competition 2025 will take place from 3 until 5 September, with a focus on Classical and Romantic repertoire.

Applications for the International Van Wassenaer Competition 2025 are closed.

Click here for the rules & regulations.

Applications closed

Krijn Koetsveld - conductor, organist, pianist and co-founder of the International Van Wassenaar Competition.
Olga Pashchenko - keyboard player, masters harpsichord, organ, fortepiano and modern piano.
Octavie Dostaler-Lalonde - cellist, performs as a soloist and as a chamber and orchestral musician in a wide range of genres.
Johannes Leertouwer - violinist and chief conductor of the Nieuwe Philharmonie Utrecht.
Sylvie Brély - director of several classical music projects and founder of Nouvelle Athens, centre for pianos from the Romantic era.
Claron McFadden - soprano, soloist in several major international opera and orchestral productions.