MA Competition

In 2026, the next edi­tion of MA Competition for Harpsichord takes place.
Applications closed. The first round will be streamed online on 15, 16 and 17 May 2026.
Watch the first round?
Stream the first round of the competition here:
Video MA competition
If you have any ques­tions, do not hes­i­tate to con­tact us on 

competition@​mafestival.​be.

About MA Competition

The MA Competition, founded in 1964, has grown into an unrivalled talent pool and a prestigious international music competition. Each year, talented young musicians from around the world get the chance to connect with leading professionals in early music and refine their artistic performance.

Over the past decades, the MA Competition has launched the international careers of renowned musicians such as Christophe Rousset (°1961), Kristian Bezuidenhout (°1979), Dmitry Sinkovsky (°1980), Jean Rondeau (°1991) and Justin Taylor (°1992)

MA Competition is a unique platform for the training and professional integration of young artists. Its mission: discover new talent and spark meaningful artistic encounters. This distinct position is strengthened by its close connection to the MA Festival.

The first round takes place digitally, ahead of the festival. Candidates are introduced to both the jury and the public via an online streaming platform. These online pre-selections in May have become an important moment for participants to present themselves to a wider audience.

The winner receives a cash prize, a series of concert invitations in Belgium and abroad, a place in the next edition of MA Festival, and the opportunity to record a CD with the internationally renowned Ricercar label.

In 2027 the MA Competition will be for Pianoforte.

Jury MA Competition 2026

During MA Competition 2026, the jury will be:

Korneel Bernolet (president)
Jean Rondeau
Béatrice Martin
Richard Egarr
Mitzi Meyerson

Applications

Find the timeline of MA Competition 2026 here.

rules & regulations
Applications open
23.02.2026, 00:01 — 08.03.2026, 23:59
First round
15 — 17.05.2026
Online
Rehearsals semi-final
03.08.2026
in Bruges
Semi-final
04.08.2026
in Bruges
Rehearsals final
05.08.2026
in Bruges
Final
06.08.2026
in Bruges

Hall of fame

Ontdek de winnaars van MA Competition door de jaren heen.
2006 | Baroque ensembles
Laureates
Xacona
First prize
Wooden Voices
Second prize
inVento
Laureate
Xaconna
Audience Award
Members of the jury
Jan De Winne
Johan Huys
President of the jury
Linda Nicholson
Agata Sapiecha
Barbara Schlick
2006 | Organ
Laureates
Wolfgang Kogert
First prize
Wouter Koelewijn
Second prize
Paul Goussot
Third prize
Bart Jacobs
Fourth prize
Krzysztof Pawlisz
Fifth prize
Bart Jacobs
Audience Award
Saki Aoki
Laureate
J-Youn Han
Laureate
Pavel Kohout
Laureate
Jean-Philoippe Merckaert
Laureate
Maria Mokhova
Laureate
Mareile Schmidt
Laureate
Johannes Trümpler
Laureate
Ben Van Nespen
Laureate
Members of the jury
Michel Bouvard
Jean Ferrard
Johannes Geffert
Lorenzo Ghielmi
Johan Huys
President of the jury
David Yearsley
2005 | Vocal & instrumental soloists
Laureates
Miki Takahashi (violin)
First prize
Tomokazu Ujigawa (recorder)
Second prize
Swantje Hoffmann (violin)
Third prize
Reiko Tsuiki (traverso)
Third prize
Naoco Kaketa (soprano)
Fourth prize
Claire Gratton (cello)
Fifth prize
Benoît Toïgo (recorder)
Laureate
Julien Leonard (gamba)
Laureate
Miki Takahashi (violin)
Audience Award
Ingrid Alexandre (mezzo-soprano)
Laureate
Maria Altadill Briansó (mezzo-soprano)
Laureate
Amaryllis Dieltiens (soprano)
Laureate
Martin Erhardt (recorder)
Laureate
Benjamin Gaspon (traverso)
Laureate
Manuel Granatiereo (traverso)
Laureate
Jörg Ulrich Krah (cello)
Laureate
Ayako Matsunaga (violin)
Laureate
Valeria Mignaco (soprano)
Laureate
Alexandra Barbara Opsahl (recorder)
Laureate
Marine Sablonnière (recorder)
Laureate
Leil Schayegh (violin)
Laureate
Takeshi Sudo (viola da gamba)
Laureate
Wim Vandenbossche (traverso)
Laureate
Members of the jury
Kees Boeke
Patrizia Bovi
Jan De Winne
Bruce Dickey
Jill Feldman
Johan Huys
President of the jury
Paul O'Dette
Hélène Schmitt
Michael Schneider
Marius van Altena
2004 | Pianoforte
Laureates
Keiko Shichijo
Second prize
Maria Uspenskaa
Third prize
Irina Zahharenkova
Third prize
Nicoleta Ion
Fourth prize
Nicoleta Ion
Audience Award
Peter Aidu
Laureate
Olga Andryuschenko
Laureate
Zsolt Balog
Laureate
Mariko Koide
Laureate
Alexei Chevtechenko
Laureate
Petra Matejova
Laureate
Eveliina Kytömäki
Laureate
Mai Shigeoka
Laureate
Members of the jury
Wolfgang Auler
Johan Huys
President of the jury
Linda Nicholson
Alexei Lubimov
Ludger Rémy
Bart van Oort
2004 | Harpsichord
Laureates
Benjamin Alard
First prize
Maria Uspenskaya
Second prize
Adam Pearl
Third prize
Mikhail Yarzhembovskiy
Third prize
Benjamin Alard
Audience Award
Medea Bindewald
Laureate
Oksana Butsenko
Laureate
Su-Kyung Chung
Laureate
Matthieu Delaforge
Laureate
Matthieu Depouy
Laureate
Joseph Gasho
Laureate
Tamar Halperin
Laureate
Frédéric Hernandez
Laureate
Mami Kurumanda
Laureate
Tomoko Matsuoa
Laureate
Tomoko Nozawa
Laureate
Marie Portal
Laureate
Robert Schröter
Laureate
Ben Van Nespen
Laureate
Takashi Watanabe
Laureate
Members of the jury
Blandine Rannou
Ketil Haugsand
Johan Huys
President of the jury
Gustav Leonhardt
Davitt Moronay
Ludger Rémy

Partners

MA Festival Brugge can count on the sup­port of these artis­tic part­ners for the organ­i­sa­tion of MA Competition:

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