25th International Organ Competition
for the Wiesbaden Bach-Prize 2026

January 8th - 10th 2026

 

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In connection with the 26th Wiesbaden Bach Festival (Wiesbadener Bachwochen), an international organ competition will take place. The following prizes will be awarded:

EUR 6.000   1st Prize (Bach-Prize), includes a contract to play an organ concert  during the Wiesbaden Organ Summer in 2026. (Donated by: Landeshauptstadt Wiesbaden)
EUR 4.000   2nd Prize (Donated by: Land Hessen)
EUR 2.500   3rd Prize

Costs for travel and accommodation are to be covered by the participants. Participants, who reach the second round, will be refunded expenses of EUR 150,-.

 

CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION / ENTRY

Young organists of all nations can participate, who are not over 30 years of age by December 31st 2025 (i.e. were born after January 1st 1996).

Organists who study with any of the jurors are excluded from the organ competition. Semi-final and final competitions are public, and can be recorded. Participants will not receive payment in the case of a recording.

The jury is not obligated to award prices. Prices cannot be split but can be awarded twice, limited by the total available price money. The jury verdict cannot be appealed.

The competition is limited. After registration date, the Organizational Committee will choose 12 participants from the registered candidates.

 

Entry has to be effected until October 1st 2025 to

      Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Gesellschaft Wiesbaden
      Bernhard-Schwarz-Str. 25
      D-65201 Wiesbaden/Germany
      Fax 0611-9259858
      e-mail: info@bach-wiesbaden.de

 

Please enclose:

• completed registration form (download)
• photocopy of passport
• certificates concerning the musical education (as copies)
• musical resumé/cv
• artist's portait photo

Chosen participants pay a registration fee of EUR 100,-. This will be reimbursed on the first competition day.

 

REALIZATION AND ORDER OF EVENT

The organ competition will take place in 3 rounds on both organs of the Lutherkirche, Wiesbaden.

Registrants will not be provided; you can be accompanied by your own register assistant. However, it is customary for the participants to help one another.

 

In the Preparatory Round on Thursday, January 8th 2026, all participants must play following pieces:

a) Nikolaus Bruhns: Prelude (and Fugue) G major K

b) Johann Sebastian Bach: „Vater unser im Himmelreich“ BWV 682 K/W

c) Sigfrid Karg-Elert: „The Soul of the Lake” op. 96 No.1 from „7 Pastels from the Lake of Constance” W

 

The 6 best participants will play the following pieces in the Semi-finals on Friday, January 9th 2026 in the morning and afternoon:

a) Johann Ulrich Steigleder: 40. und letste Variation. Auff Toccata Manier from: „Tabulatur Buch Darinnen daß Vatter unser” K

b) Max Reger: A Invention (your choice) from „Schule des Triospiels“ K/W

c) Charles-Marie Widor: Symphony VIII, I. Allegro risoluto W

 

The Final round will take place on Saturday, January 10th 2026 as a public concert. The 3 best players of the
semi-finals will compete on ranking. The following pieces must be played:

a) Johann Sebastian Bach: Toccata and Fugue E major BWV 566 K

b) Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Preludium and Fugue e minor or f minor (your choice) from op. 35 in an transkription (your choice) K/W

c) Jean Guillou: Saga No. 6 W

 

N.B.  Works marked with "K" are to be played on the Klais organ. Works with "W" are to be played on the Walcker organ.

 

The order in which the participants play is to be determined every day by the drawing of lots. The participants will play anonymously. The Jury will not know the names nor the order of playing. Participants who arrive too late, cannot compete.

The Jury's decisions will be made in a closed sitting and are irreversible and final. The Jury has the right not to award a prize or to divide a prize. Members of the Organizational Committee will not be in the Jury.

Correspondence between the Organizational Committee and participants will be in English or German.

All participants accept the present regulation.

 

Jury:

1. Sebastian Küchler-Blessing (Essen)
2. Martin Sander (Munich)
3. Christoph Schönfelder (St. Gallen / CH)
4. Suzanne Z’Graggen (Luzern / CH)

 

Organizational Committee:

Niklas Sikner, Clemens Bosselmann, Martin Lutz, Johannes Schröder (Wiesbaden)

 

Disposition of the organs of the Lutherkirche Wiesbaden:

Klais organ (1978), Walcker organ (1911, restored by Klais 1987)

 

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Impression from the 24th International Organ Competition
for the Wiesbaden Bach-Prize 2024

January 11-13, 2024, Lutherkirche Wiesbaden

In the photo from left to right: Johannes Schröder and Niklas Sikner (both organizational committee), Ludger Lohmann, Martin Haselböck (both jury), Mitsune Uchida (3rd prize), David Kiefer (2nd prize) Julian Emanuel Becker (1st prize), Dr. Hendrik Schmehl (City representative), Anna-Victoria Baltrusch, Sebastian Küchler-Blessing (both jury) and Martin Lutz (organizational committee).

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2024 1. Prize:       Julian Emanuel Becker, Germany 2. Prize:       David Kiefer, Germany 3. Prize:       Mitsuke Uchida, Japan 2022 1. Prize:       Aleksanteri Wallius, Finland 2. Prize:       Ismaele Gatti, Italy 3. Prize        Alexander de Bie, Netherlands 2020 1. Prize:       Johannes Krahl, Germany 2. Prize:       Stephan Pollhammer, Austria 3. Prize:       Frederick James, Great Britain 2018 1. Prize:       Adriaan Hoek, Netherlands 2. Prize:       Marco Amherd, Switzerland 3. Prize:       Liubov Nosova, Russia 2016 1. Prize:       Michal Kocot, Poland 2. Prize:       Sul Bi Yi, South Korea 3. Prize:       Mona Rozdestvenskyte, Lithuania 2014 1. Prize:       Marius Mack, Germany 2. Prize:       Lisa Hummel, Germany 3. Prize:       Angela Metzger, Germany 2012 1. Prize:       not awarded 2. Prize:       Johannes Zeinler, Austria 3. Prize (split): Anna Pikulska, Poland 3. Prize (split): Martin Rabensteiner, Italy 2009 1. Prize:       Anna-Victoria Baltrusch, Berlin 2. Prize:       Balázs Szabó, Budapest/Würzburg 3. Prize:       Winfried Lichtscheidel, Friedrichshafen 2007 1. Prize:       Lukas Stollhof, Stuttgart 2. Prize:       Christian Barthen, Saarbrücken 3. Prize:       Verena Zahn, Bad Schwalbach 2005 1. Prize:       Andrew R. Dewar, London 2. Prize:       Linda Sitková, Prag 3. Prize:       Michael Schneider, Frankfurt 2003 suspended 2001 1. Prize:       Rudolf Müller, Würzburg 2. Prize:       Byong-Suk Moon, Detmold 3. Prize:       Jooyong Choi, Seoul 1999 1. Prize:       Christian Schmitt, Saarbrücken 2. Prize:       Winfried Kleindopf, Leipzig 3. Prize:       Hue-Am Park, Berlin

1997 1. Prize:       Gunther Rost, Würzburg 2. Prize:       Christoph Hamm, Bonn 3. Prize:       Markus Lehnert, Saarbrücken 1995 1. Prize:       Carsten Wiebusch, Essen 2. Prize:       Andreas König, Fürth 3. Prize:       Markus Eichenlaub, Herxheim 1993 1. Prize:       not awarded 2. Prize (split): Torsten Laux, Ingelheim 2. Prize (split): Reiner Oster, Saarbrücken 3. Prize:       Rie Hiroe, Hannover 1991 1. Prize (split): Tomasz Adam Nowak, Warschau 1. Prize (split): Willi Kronenberg, Köln 2. Prize:       not awarded 3. Prize:       Paul Theis 1989 1. Prize:       Jürgen Sonnentheil, Cuxhaven 2. Prize:       Natsujo Kaji, Hamburg 3. Prize:       Frank Volke, Düsseldorf 1987 1. Prize:       Kiyoshi Nakauchi, Düsseldorf 2. Prize:       Martin Seiwert, Völklingen 3. Prize:       Ulrich Schwarze, Freiburg 1985 1. Prize:       not awarded 2. Prize:       Jürgen Sonnentheil, Cuxhaven 3. Prize:       Helmut Freitag, Saarbrücken 1983 1. Prize:       Bernhard Haas, Siegburg 2. Prize:       Stefan Palm, Köln 3. Prize:       Gerhard Jentschke, Zweibrücken 1981 1. Prize:       Ronald Stolk, Voorburg 2. Prize:       not awarded 3. Prize:       Gerhard Jentschke, Zweibrücken 1979 1. Prize:       Annik Chevalier, Marseille 2. Prize:       Pascale Mélis, Marseille 3. Prize:       Viviane Loriaut, Marseille 1977 1. Prize:       Margareta Hürholz, Köln 2. Prize:       Martin Tiemann, Stuttgart 3. Prize:       Heiner Graßt, Essen