PIF2021

RULES
46th International Accordion Prize “Città di
Castelfidardo” for Soloists and Groups
28 SEPTEMBER – 02 OCTOBER 2021
Artistic Direction: Antonio Spaccarotella

The Municipal Administration of Castelfidardo (Italy) announces the International

Accordion Award “City of Castelfidardo” from 28 September to 02 October reserved for
soloists and groups.

RULES 2021
1. The registration fee is set at € 40.00 for soloists and € 60.00 for groups.
2. Candidates can enroll in multiple categories but not repeat the same program in the
different categories. In the “Jazz” and “Gervasio Marcosignori Award” categories it is
allowed to repeat a program presented in other categories but with different arrangements.
3. The closing date for registrations is 31 August and will be finalized by connecting to the
pifcastelfidardo.it site.
4. Candidates will receive confirmation of registration by e-mail.

“CLASSICAL ACCORDION” SECTION

CLASSIC CATEGORY “PREMIO”

SOLOISTS WITH NO AGE LIMITS – 3 TRIALS
First round
Free choice program including a composition for harpsichord or organ by J.S. Bach with a
maximum duration of 20 minutes. Programs should show as much as possible the variety
of original accordion literature, drawing from the repertoires of the various national
schools; at the same time they must include pieces of different character, age, aesthetics
and style. A maximum of 8 competitors will be admitted to the second round.

Second round
Those admitted will have to perform a free choice program different from the one
presented in the first test. Total program duration: 25 minutes. A maximum of 3
competitors will be admitted to the third round.

Third round
Those admitted will have to perform in a rehearsal with Orchestra performing the
obligatory piece, which this year was commissioned to the Ukrainian composer Volodymyr
Runchack, DOWNLOAD HERE the obligatory piece and the score.

1. 1st prize winner

o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 3,000.00 (pre-tax)
o The special prizes will be announced by May 30 so as to facilitate their programming in
anticipation of the artistic restart of the festivals and international partners.
2. 2nd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 1000.00 (pre-tax)
o The special prizes will be announced by May 30 so as to facilitate their programming in
anticipation of the artistic restart of the festivals and international partners.
3. 3rd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 500.00 (pre-tax)
o The special prizes will be announced by May 30 so as to facilitate their programming in
anticipation of the artistic restart of the festivals and international partners.

CLASSIC CATEGORY “D”

SOLOISTS WITH NO AGE LIMITS
Free choice program including at least one composition from the Baroque period.
Maximum duration 25 minutes. Competitors cannot submit programs consisting entirely
of transcripts.

1. 1st prize winner

o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 1000.00 (pre-tax)
o The special prizes will be announced by May 30 so as to facilitate their programming in
anticipation of the artistic restart of the festivals and international partners.
2. 2nd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 500.00 (pre-tax)
3. 3rd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 250.00 (pre-tax)

CLASSIC CATEGORY “C”

SOLOISTS UP TO 18 YEARS (BORN FROM 2003 ONWARDS)
Free choice program with a maximum duration of 18 minutes. Competitors cannot submit
programs consisting entirely of transcripts.

1. 1st prize winner

o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 400.00 (pre-tax)
o The special prizes will be announced by May 30 so as to facilitate their programming in
anticipation of the artistic restart of the festivals and international partners.
2. 2nd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 200.00 (pre-tax)
3. 3rd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 100.00 (pre-tax)
 CLASSIC CATEGORY “B”
SOLOISTS UP TO 15 YEARS (BORN 2006 ONWARDS)
Free choice program with a maximum duration of 12 minutes. Competitors cannot submit
programs consisting entirely of transcripts.

1. 1st prize winner

o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 250.00 (pre-tax)
2. 2nd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 150.00 (pre-tax)
3. 3rd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 100.00 (pre-tax)

CLASSIC CATEGORY “A”

SOLOISTS UP TO 12 YEARS (BORN FROM 2009 ONWARDS)
Free choice program with a maximum duration of 10 minutes. Competitors cannot submit
programs consisting entirely of transcripts.

1. 1st prize winner

o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 200.00 (pre-tax)
2. 2nd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 100.00 (pre-tax)
3. 3rd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 50.00 (pre-tax)

CLASSIC CATEGORY “Chamber”

CHAMBER MUSIC GROUPS WITHOUT AGE LIMITS (max 12 members)
Chamber Music groups must consist of at least one accordion (with a main role) with other
instruments or all accordions. Free choice program with a maximum duration of 20
minutes.

1. 1st prize winner

o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 1.000,00 (pre-tax)
o The special prizes will be announced by May 30 so as to facilitate their programming in
anticipation of the artistic restart of the festivals and international partners.
2. 2nd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 500.00 (pre-tax)
3. 3rd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 250.00 (pre-tax)
 “VIRTUOSO ACCORDION” SECTION

VIRTUOSO “SENIOR” CATEGORY

SOLOISTS WITH NO AGE LIMITS – 2 TRIALS
First round
Free choice program for a total duration of 15 minutes including at least:

• One or more published or unpublished compositions of the original literature for

accordion relevant for character, style, aesthetics to the virtuosic category for accordion
(variètè).
• One or more published or unpublished arrangements or transcriptions of the jazz, pop,
world or classic repertoire, relevant for character, style, aesthetics to the virtuosic category
for accordion (variètè).

Second round
Competitors admitted to the second round must present a different program from the first
round and not exceeding 8 minutes.

1. 1st prize winner

o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 1000.00 (pre-tax)
o The special prizes will be announced by May 30 so as to facilitate their programming in
anticipation of the artistic restart of the festivals and international partners.
2. 2nd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 400.00 (pre-tax)
o The special prizes will be announced by May 30 so as to facilitate their programming in
anticipation of the artistic restart of the festivals and international partners.
3. 3rd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 150.00 (pre-tax)
o The special prizes will be announced by May 30 so as to facilitate their programming in
anticipation of the artistic restart of the festivals and international partners.

VIRTUOSO “JUNIOR” CATEGORY

SOLOISTS UP TO 18 YEARS (BORN FROM 2003 ONWARDS)
Free choice program with a maximum duration of 12 minutes (pieces from the varieté,
jazz, blues, pop, South American repertoire, in published or unpublished arrangements are
allowed).

1. 1st prize winner

o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 500.00 (pre-tax)
o The special prizes will be announced by May 30 so as to facilitate their programming in
anticipation of the artistic restart of the festivals and international partners.
2. 2nd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 250.00 (pre-tax)
3. 3rd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 100.00 (pre-tax)

VIRTUOSO “STUDENT” CATEGORY

SOLOISTS UP TO 15 YEARS (BORN 2006 ONWARDS)
Free choice program with a maximum duration of 9 minutes (pieces from the varieté, jazz,
blues, pop, South American repertoire, in published or unpublished arrangements are
allowed).

1. 1st prize winner

o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 200.00 (pre-tax)
2. 2nd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 150.00 (pre-tax)
3. 3rd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 100.00 (pre-tax)

“WORLD ACCORDION” SECTION

WORLD “SENIOR” CATEGORY

SOLOISTS WITH NO AGE LIMITS
Competitors who use an accordion, a diatonic accordion (of any model), a garmoshka, a
bandoneon, etc. are allowed.
Competitors must present a program of a maximum duration of 12 minutes including
compositions, arrangements or creative elaborations of pieces taken from the world music,
ethno jazz, ethnic, folk, traditional repertoire including at least ONE SONG FROM THEIR
OWN CULTURE / TRADITION.

1. 1st prize winner

o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 500.00 (pre-tax)
o The special prizes will be announced by May 30 so as to facilitate their programming in
anticipation of the artistic restart of the festivals and international partners.
2. 2nd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 250.00 (pre-tax)
3. 3rd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 150.00 (pre-tax)

WORLD “JUNIOR” CATEGORY

SOLOISTS UP TO 18 YEARS (BORN FROM 2003 ONWARDS)
Competitors who use an accordion, a diatonic accordion (of any model), a garmoshka, a
bandoneon are allowed. Competitors must present a program in the maximum duration of
9 minutes including compositions or arrangements and creative elaborations of pieces
 taken from the world music, ethno jazz, ethnic, folk, traditional repertoire including at
least ONE SONG FROM OUR CULTURE / TRADITION.

1. 1st prize winner

o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 300.00 (pre-tax)
o The special prizes will be announced by May 30 so as to facilitate their programming in
anticipation of the artistic restart of the festivals and international partners.
2. 2nd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 200.00 (pre-tax)
3. 3rd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 100.00 (pre-tax)

WORLD “STUDENT” CATEGORY

SOLOISTS UP TO 15 YEARS (BORN 2006 ONWARDS)
Competitors who use an accordion, a diatonic accordion (of any model), a garmoshka, a
bandoneon are allowed. Competitors must present a program of a maximum duration of 7
minutes including compositions or arrangements and creative elaborations of pieces taken
from the world music, ethno jazz, ethnic, folk, traditional repertoire including at least ONE
SONG FROM THEIR CULTURE / TRADITION.

1. 1st prize winner

o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 200.00 (pre-tax)
2. 2nd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 150.00 (pre-tax)
3. 3rd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 50.00 (pre-tax)

WORLD CATEGORY
WITHOUT AGE LIMITS
Groups (max 12 members) can participate, with at least one accordion or a diatonic
accordion (of any model), a garmoshka, a bandoneon or a digital accordion, with a main
role in the formation. Groups with more than one bellows instrument or with only bellows
instruments (of the type mentioned above) are admitted. At least one piece of the program
must refer to one’s own CULTURE / TRADITION. The organization suggests the use of
traditional clothes from their homeland.
Competitors must present a program of a maximum duration of 16 minutes including
compositions or arrangements and creative elaborations of pieces taken from the world
music, ethno jazz, ethnic, folk, traditional repertoire.

1. 1st prize winner

o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 1000.00 (pre-tax)
o The special prizes will be announced by May 30 so as to facilitate their programming in
anticipation of the artistic restart of the festivals and international partners.
2. 2nd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 500.00 (pre-tax)
3. 3rd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 250.00 (pre-tax)

“JAZZ ACCORDION” SECTION

“JAZZ” CATEGORY
ENSEMBLE WITHOUT AGE LIMITS
PROJECTS up to 12 members can participate, in which the accordion has a main role.
Formations with more than one bellows instrument or with only bellows instruments are
allowed. The use of the acoustic, electronic and diatonic accordion is allowed. The jury,
made up of industry experts, critics and jazz musicians, will evaluate the personal style,
improvisation, instrumental skills and the artistic project.
Single test with a maximum duration of 16 minutes – competitors must submit a free
choice program that includes at least one “standard” from the Real Book
The first 5 participants who request it will have a professional rhythm section available
(drums, bass, guitar). The contestant will have 45 minutes to rehearse with the band on the
same day as the auditions. We recommend making arrangements that facilitate “sight
reading”.

1. 1st prize winner

o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 800.00 (pre-tax)
o The special prizes will be announced by May 30 so as to facilitate their programming in
anticipation of the artistic restart of the festivals and international partners.
2. 2nd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 400.00 (pre-tax)
3. 3rd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 200.00 (pre-tax)

“ELECTRONIC ACCORDION” SECTION

ELECTRONIC “GERVASIO MARCOSIGNORI” CATEGORY

WITHOUT AGE LIMITS
The category is open to soloists with VIRTUAL accordions (without acoustic voices),
HYBRID (acoustic accordions with MIDI systems) or ELECTRIC (acoustic accordions
connected to digital multi-effects, looper, etc.). External modules or computers are
allowed, as well as added audio sequences. The jury will cast a vote taking into account the
performance and creativity of the proposal.
Candidates must submit a free choice program (all musical genres are allowed) not
exceeding 12 minutes. Competitors will have a maximum of 5 minutes to prepare their
equipment and are invited to simplify their set-up. The organization will provide an audio
amplification with 2 inputs (1 stereo) and a single monitor.
1. 1st prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 500.00 (pre-tax)
o The special prizes will be communicated by May 30th in order to facilitate their
programming in forecast of the artistic restart of festivals and international partners.
2. 2nd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 250.00 (pre-tax)
3. 3rd prize winner
o Artistic trophy
o Scholarship of € 150.00 (pre-tax)