TRAPA Grand Prix - 2025
Qualification competition in transposition and score reading
Conductors, choirmasters, composers, pianists and accompanists – attention!
Do you love to read music? Come and show your skills!
Take this fantastic opportunity to meet and
connect with other “scoreheads” like you.
Why?
The TRAPA Grand Prix offers a unique opportunity, the first of its kind, for every musician to challenge themselves and test their skills in score reading and transposing. You can’t lose: every participant will receive something to be proud of – a Level Certificate to attest to their demonstrated skills.
Eligibility
This is an international competition: anyone can apply regardless of age or nationality.
Free up to age 20, but registration is required. Registration fee: 1000 HUF
Participation fee for ages 20 and above: 4000 HUF = 10 EUR
The registration and participation fees are paid by bank transfer when filling out the short registration form.
Place and date
- Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music - Bartók Béla Secondary School of Music, Instrumen Making and Repair 1065 Budapest, Nagymező u. 1.
- Saturday, April 26, 2025 10:00 – 18:30
How will the TRAPA Grand Prix work?
The competition consists of several events; participants earn a level after each successful event. A participant can take part in both categories.
Preliminary Rounds (required for all)
Sight reading two short piano pieces (one from the Viennese Classical period and one from the 20th
century)
Score Reading
- Bronze Level Score reading of the Viennese Classical string quartet
- Bronze Level Score reading of the Viennese Classical string quartet
- Gold Level Reading an excerpt from a Romantic orchestral work
- Certificate of Excellence Reading an excerpt from a 20th-century orchestral work
Transposing
- Bronze Level Transposing an excerpt from a Bach chorale
- Silver Level Transposing an excerpt from a four-part Renaissance choral work
- Gold Level Transposing an excerpt from a Romantic song’s accompaniment
- Certificate of Excellence Transposing an excerpt from a 20th-century song’s accompaniment
After the preliminary rounds, participants will have 40 minutes to study the scores in a separate room with a piano. Participants of the TRAPA Grand Prix will have access to a shared lounge during the day to network and connect.
Certificates
Every participant who passes the preliminary rounds will receive a certificate of Bronze, Silver, or Gold Level, depending on their progress in the challenges. Top participants can undertake the challenge for the Certificate of Excellence, awarded in two categories: score reading and transposing. The Certificate of Excellence also comes with a valuable collection of sheet music from
the publications of Editio Musica Budapest.
Please note: There are no losers in this competition; everyone earns recognition that matches their current skill level. Those who want to undertake tougher challenges may do so, but you can decide at any point in the competition to stop, and the levels you have earned up to that point are yours. The competition is a wonderful addition to your CV and resume, and attests to high levels of skill in sight reading, transposition, and score reading. Those who stop competing after the lower levels can join the audience and enjoy the performances of the “black belts”.
Members of the jury
Maja Metelska
president of the jury,
faculty member at the Chopin University of Music and teacher at the Sibelius Academy, a renowned expert in the field and author of a book on the topic
Szabolcs Sándor
conductor, pianist, accompanist, head of the Master’s Program in Opera at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music
Ilona Dobszay-Meskó
Erkel Ferenc Award-winning composer, conductor, faculty member, and
founder of the TRAPA Grand Prix
Application
Application deadline April 18, 2025
If you enjoy reading music and want to test your skills, take this opportunity! Everyone is a
winner here!
“I believe that advanced skills in reading music are becoming increasingly rare these days. I want to spread the joy of reading and playing from scores among musicians. I created the TRAPA Grand Prix to acknowledge and celebrate this valuable skill.”
Ilona Dobszay-Meskó
Founder of the TRAPA Grand Prix
Looking forward to seeing you at the TRAPA Grand Prix in 2025!
Sponsors and collaborating partners
