11th INTERNATIONAL XAVIER DARASSE ORGAN COMPETITION

I - REGULATIONS
The goals and spirit of the International Xavier Darasse Organ Competition for 2013:
a)

The Toulouse International Organ Competition was set up by Xavier Darasse in 1981, who ran

it until 1998 on the following specific themes:

1981: Jean-Sebastian Bach
1983: French baroque and symphonic music
1986: Contemporary music
1989: Csar Franck
1991: Dietrich Buxtehude
1996: French symphonic music
1998: Iberian music
b)

For the new millennium, Michel Bouvard and Willem Jansen developed a new type of competition,

giving it a specifically Toulouse flavour, based on the fact that the City of Toulouse has a very special
place in the world of organ music, particularly:
- more than ten historic or more recent instruments, of superb quality and in a variety of styles, in the
city centre;
- the International Toulouse Les Orgues Festival every year in October (around 35 concerts and other
events).
c)

The aspects that give this new competition its originality (2002 2005 2008 2013) are as

follows:
1 competitors are entirely free to choose the music they wish to perform;
2 the competition involves creating and performing an hour-long concert as part of the
International Toulouse les Orgues Festival. If they wish, contestants may also include other performers
in their chosen programme;
3 there are considerable possibilities for rehearsals;
4 the Grand Jury is made up of 22 members from 15 countries;
5 financial assistance is available to help contestants with travel and accommodation.

 Principles of the International Organ Competition:

The

competition involves freely creating (choice of instrument*, choice of repertoire, see below) a

programme for a public concert to last one hour. Each of the four finalists will perform their own
programme (the final test) as a part of the 18th Toulouse les Orgues Festival in October 2013.
The programme may include improvised sections** and/or accompaniment by other musicians or
performers***.
* See list of organs in Toulouse, below.
** For contestants wishing to include improvisations in their final concert: these must not exceed 20 minutes.
*** For contestants wishing to include other musicians or performers in their programme: their participation must not
exceed 20 minutes.
Performances

of extracts from the programme (20 to a maximum of 25 minutes) will be judged

during the preliminary rounds (on CD for short-listing in May 2013, live during the semi-finals in Toulouse
in October 2013), to enable contestants to defend their projects in the selection process for the finals.

For the CD recording (to be submitted by 15 April 2013, for the first round), contestants may choose

an organ from their own country or region.

They must, however, specify at the time of entry on which organ in Toulouse they choose to play for the
Jury if shortlisted. Each contestant must name a single organ in Toulouse, on which he/she will perform
for both the semi-finals and finals.

The musical programme chosen at the outset must remain the same throughout the competition:
- short-listing (based on recordings): programme extracts (20 to 25 minutes)
- semi-finals (Toulouse): programme extracts (not necessarily the same ones, 20 to 25 minutes)
- finals (Toulouse): entire programme (a maximum of 50 to 55 minutes of music, for a one-hour
concert).

The 12 contestants shortlisted for the semi-final will need to come to Toulouse in October 2013.
- Their travel and accommodation costs will be reimbursed to a maximum of 500, upon
presentation of receipts* (see below).
- As the organisers have decided to award 4 prizes (see 7), the 4 finalists will not be reimbursed
beyond the 500 mentioned above.
- For the finals, the expenses of any extra performers will be reimbursed, upon presentation of
receipts, to a maximum total of 500 per contestant.
* Receipts: Not exceeding an overall total of 500 per contestant, economy fare train or air tickets will be accepted
and reimbursed, hotel bills in Toulouse (with breakfast) for a maximum of 85 per night, and meal receipts up to
16 per meal. For contestants arriving from other continents, or with especially high travel costs, the organisers
are looking into the possibility of supplementary assistance and/or accommodation with friends of the festival.

In order for all the shortlisted contestants (the 12 semi-final contestants) to be brought to the

attention of the world of international organ music, a Grand Jury of 22 leading figures has been invited,

including international organists, several of whom are also Festival Directors. In particular, there will be
the Directors of the Festivals of the ECHO Association (European Cities of Historical Organs): Alkmaar,
Brussels, Freiberg, Fribourg, Innsbruck, Lisbon, Toulouse, Treviso and Trondheim. Any of these may
offer concerts to the contestants of their choice. In 2013, the Grand Jury will be joined by:
. Denis Milhau, former Curator of the Les Augustins Museum
. Johan Luymes, Director of the Orgel Park in Amsterdam.

II COMPETITION RULES

1)

Age limit:
Organists must have been born on 1 January 1979 or later.

2)

Pre-registration:
Each contestant must create and submit a concert programme of a maximum of one hour without

an interval (a full 50 to 55 minutes of music), that the contestant will perform if selected for the semifinals and finals. Contestants are allowed a wide degree of artistic freedom for their concert programme,
as well as the choice of one of the 11 organs in Toulouse.
Contestants are entirely free in their choice of works or composers and may, if necessary for the

project, include improvisations or other musicians, whether instrumentalists or vocalists, within the limits
detailed below*.
Examples: French baroque music alternating with plainsong, contemporary, romantic or other music,
requiring the addition of voices, other instruments, someone reading a text, etc.
But it may equally consist of a simple organ recital of work by one or more famous or less-well-known
composers, or based on a theme, or on any other principle that contestants may wish to defend.
* For contestants wishing to include improvisations (only in their final concert): these must not exceed 20 minutes.
Participation by other performers will also be limited to 20 minutes.

3)

Entry:
The

deadline is 15 April 2013 (postmark no later than 15 April 2013). Contestants must include:

- the enclosed entry form, duly completed, together with the requested documents;
- the programme of the final concert, in detail with timing (a maximum of 50 to 55 minutes of
music), specifying the choice of organ in Toulouse and, optionally, a one-page text presenting the
concept, in either French or English;
- a digital recording (on CD) including extracts from the programme, referenced by track if
possible (20 to a maximum of 25 minutes);

- a written signed document stating on the contestants honour that he/she has neither used a
copy of another recording nor modified the extracts artificially in any way;
- the non-refundable entry fee of 50;
The contestant is responsible for meeting deadlines. Incomplete entries will not be accepted. No

elements of the entry dossier will be returned to contestants.

4)

Short-listing in April-May 2013 (on CD, programme extracts):

A jury of 5 organists (Michel Bouvard, Jrgen Essl, Jan Willem Jansen, Yves Rechsteiner and

Pascale Rouet) will study the projects submitted and listen to the recordings received, with entries
presented anonymously by the organisers. The jury will create its shortlist on the basis of the quality of
the performance and the originality of the project.

The jury will shortlist 12 contestants for the semi-final, and all contestants will be informed of the

Jurys decision no later than June 2013.

5)

Semi-final in Toulouse (10 and 11 October 2013 and if necessary, the morning of 12 October):

The performances will take place in public; each contestant will play extracts from his/her project

(a maximum of 25 minutes of music) on his/her chosen organ, with or without other musicians.

The 12 contestants selected for the semi-finals must be present in Toulouse for rehearsals and

the semi-finals from 7 October (or 8 October, depending on their rehearsal times) to 12 October 2013.

Depending on the organs chosen and the number of contestants for each one, the competition

organisers will grant each contestant as many opportunities as possible for practice on 7, 8 and 9
October.
Console

assistants will be available to draw stops for the contestants.

The Grand Jury will select four contestants for the final; these four will be required to extend their

stay until 16 October inclusive. Depending on the organs chosen and the number of contestants for each
one, the competition organisers will grant each contestant as many opportunities as possible for practice
on 12, 13 and 14 October.

6)

Finals in Toulouse (15 and 16 October 2013):

In the finals, the chosen contestants will perform their programmes in full. This means that each

of the four finalists will give a public concert lasting one hour without an interval (a maximum of 55 min of
music).

These four concerts (the Finals) will take place on 15 and 16 October 2013 in the afternoon, as

part of the 18th International Toulouse les Orgues Festival.

7)

Prizes:

FIRST PRIZE:

6000

SECOND PRIZE: 4000

THIRD PRIZE:

2000

FOURTH PRIZE: 1000

8)

The jury:

Shortlist Jury:

Michel BOUVARD (France)

Professor at the regional Conservatoire (CRR) and at the Institut des

Arts in Toulouse and the Conservatoire National (CNSM) in Paris.
Artistic Director of the International Toulouse les Orgues Festival

Jrgen ESSL (Germany)

Professor at the Hochschule, Stuttgart

Jan Willem JANSEN (France)

Professor at the CRR and the Institut des Arts in Toulouse

Yves RECHSTEINER (Switzerland) Director of the Early Music Department at the CNSM in Lyon
Pascale ROUET (France)

Professor of organ music at the Conservatoire of Charleville-Mezires

Grand Jury:

Presidents: Michel BOUVARD and Jan Willem JANSEN (France), co-founders of the International
Toulouse les Orgues Festival
Roberto ANTONELLO (Italy)

Professor of organ music in Vicenza

Joint artistic director of the International Organ Festival in Treviso (a
member of the ECHO association)

Per BONSAKSEN (Norway)

Professor of organ music at the University of Trondheim (a member of

ECHO)

Michel BOUVARD (France)

Professor at the regional Conservatoire (CRR) and at the Institut des Arts
in Toulouse and the Conservatoire National (C.N.S.M.) in Paris, and also
Artistic Director of the International Toulouse les Orgues Festival

Maurizio CROCI (Switzerland)

Organist, artistic director of the Organ Academy in Fribourg

(a member of ECHO)

Hans-Ola ERICSSON (Sweden)

Professor of organ music at McGill University, Montreal (Canada)

Pieter VAN DIJK (Netherlands)

Professor of organ music at the Conservatoire of Amsterdam and the

Musik Hochschule in Hamburg, Artistic Director of the Festival of Alkmaar
(a member of ECHO)

Jos-Luis GONZALES-URIOL
(Spain)

Organist, Director of the Zaragoza Conservatory of Music,

Director of the Daroca Festival and Artistic Director of the Institucin
Fernando el Catlico

Jean FERRARD (Belgium)

Former Professor of organ music at the Conservatoire Royal in

Brussels (a member of ECHO)

Makiko HAYASHIMA (Japan)

Concert organist

David HIGGS (United States)

Professor of organ music, Eastman University, Rochester, USA

Jan Willem JANSEN (France)

Professor of organ music at the CRR and Institut des Arts in Toulouse
(a member of ECHO)

Reinhard JAUD (Austria)

Professor of organ music at the Konservatorium of Innsbruck (a member

of ECHO)

Theo JELLEMA (Netherlands)

Professor of organ music at the Conservatorium of Groningen

Albrecht KOCH (Germany)

Organist at the Cathedral of Freiberg (a member of ECHO)

Susan LANDALE (United Kingdom) Professor of organ music at the Royal Academy of Music, London
Johan LUYMES (Netherlands)

Director of the Orgel Park in Amsterdam

Denis MILHAU (France)

Former Curator of the Augustins Museum, Toulouse, founder of the

Concerts in the Museum events

Kristian OLESEN (Denmark)

Titular organist of the Cathedral of Roskilde

Louis ROBILLIARD (France)

Honorary Professor of organ music at the CRR in Lyon

Pascale ROUET (France)

Professor of organ music at the Conservatoire of Charleville-Mezires

Joo VAZ (Portugal)

Professor of organ music at the Lisbon School of Music and at the

University of Evora, artistic Director of the Organ Festival of Lisbon (a
member of ECHO)

Joris VERDIN (Belgium)

Professor of organ music at the Conservatoire of Antwerp

N.B.: The members of the Grand Jury have agreed to participate on a voluntary basis; as a result, the
organisers reserve the right to modify its composition if any members should be unable to attend.

9)

The organs

Church of Saint-Pierre des Chartreux

Robert Delaunay, 1683; Micot, 1783
Restoration by Grard Grenzing, 1983.
Classical French style (4 manual keyboards, one pedalboard, 51 stops)
Church-Museum Les Augustins
Jrgen Ahrend, 1981.
North German style (3 keyb., ped., 33 stops)
Chapel of Sainte-Anne
Anselmi and Luciano Tamburini of Crema, 1980.
Italian Lombard style (1 keyb., ped., 17 stops)
Church of Notre-Dame la Dalbade
Eugne Puget, 1888.
Restoration by Grard Bancells and Denis Lacorre
French symphonic style (3 keyb., ped., 50 stops)
Basilica Saint-Sernin
Aristide Cavaill-Coll 1889.
Restoration by Boisseau-Cattiaux-Bellet, 1996.
French symphonic style (3 keyb., ped., 54 stops)
Saint-tienne Cathedral
Antoine Lefebvre 1609. Aristide Cavaill-Coll 1849.
Reconstruction by Alfred Kern, 1976.
Variable style, based on French (4 keyb., ped., 46 stops)
Church of the Dominican Convent
Pierre Chron, 1950; Yves Svre, 1977; Jean-Pierre Conan, 2001
Variable style, based on neo-Baroque
(3 keyb., ped., 54 stops, electronic combinations)
Institut Catholique
Grard Bancells, 1994.
Variable style, based on German (2 keyb., ped., 27 stops)
Temple du Salin
Jean Daldosso, 2005.
French symphonic style (2 keyb., ped., 27 stops, electronic combinations)
Church of Lalande
Grard Bancells, 2006.
Southern German style (2 keyb., ped., 13 borrowed stops)
Church of Gesu
Aristide Cavaill-Coll, 1873
French romantic style (2 keyb., including Rcit or Swell without 1st octave, 20-note pedal, 24 stops)