The 2026 edition of the Mahler Competition concluded without a first-prize winner after the international jury decided that none of the finalists met the standard required for the competition’s highest distinction.
Instead, Polish conductor Jakub Przybycień, 31, received the second prize, worth €20,000, while Italian conductor Sieva Borzak, 29, and French conductor Simon Clausse, 25, shared third prize, each receiving €10,000. Przybycień also won the Audience Prize following an international online vote.
The jury’s decision means that the Mahler Competition has declined to award its top prize for only the second time since the event was founded in 2004. The previous occasion came in 2007, underlining the competition’s reputation for maintaining exceptionally demanding artistic standards.
Speaking on behalf of the jury, Jakub Hrůša said Przybycień had impressed throughout the entire competition, not only in the final concert but also through his artistic development, musicality, potential and collaboration with the orchestra. According to Hrůša, these qualities made the second prize “the appropriate recognition of an outstanding overall performance.”
An additional Studio Recording Prize, which includes a professional recording with BR-KLASSIK and the Bamberg Symphony, was awarded to British conductor Oliver Cope.
Held from 23 June to 3 July in Bamberg, the eighth edition of the competition brought together 24 conductors from 13 countries. Competitors were tested across multiple rounds with repertoire ranging from Joseph Haydn and Gustav Mahler to Béla Bartók, Arnold Schoenberg and Thomas Adès, designed to assess stylistic versatility as well as rehearsal technique.
Founded by Marina Mahler, the granddaughter of Gustav Mahler, together with the Bamberg Symphony and the late Ernest Fleischmann, the competition has become one of the leading launching pads for young conductors. Previous first-prize winners include Gustavo Dudamel, Lahav Shani, Kahchun Wong, Finnegan Downie Dear and Giuseppe Mengoli.
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