Final – Müpa Budapest
The final will be held in the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall at Müpa Budapest on 9 October 2026, where the competitors will conduct the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra. The four competitors who reach the final must each conduct two works, with the assignments determined once again at random. The repertoire for this round includes works by Verdi, Mussorgsky, Dukas and Johann Strauss, as well as pieces by four Hungarian composers: Liszt, Dohnányi, Kodály, and Bartók.
The four finalists will see how they measure up before an international jury chaired by Pinchas Steinberg.
Conducting Task:
J. Strauss: Die Fledermaus – overture AND Liszt: Les Préludes, S. 97
Verdi: La forza del destino – overture AND Bartók: Dance Suite, Sz. 77, BB 86
Mussorgsky: Night on Bald Mountain AND Dohnányi: Symphonic Minutes, Op. 36
Dukas: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – symphonic scherzo AND Kodály: Dances of Galánta
Gala Concert – Müpa Budapest
The exceptionally intense ten days of the Conducting Competition will conclude with a gala concert led by the conductors who made it to the final round, where, in addition to the announcement of the results, the finalists will each delight the audience with a work they have already conducted in the final. Then the audience will finally find out who, according to the decision of the international professional jury led by Pinchas Steinberg, has been declared the most outstanding conductor in this competition named after one of the greatest maestros of the 20th century.
During the evening, in addition to the overall winner, we will also learn who won the audience prize and the special awards granted by various professional organisations.
