Concours National d’Exécution Musicale

Description

Competition open to the public - L’Abeille, Riddes
Thursday, October 22, 2026, from 9:00 AM: Eliminations (Flutes, clarinets, saxophones, and marimba)
Friday, October 23, from 9:00 AM: Finals | 5:00 PM: Results and concert of the winners accompanied on piano | Works by Emmanuel Séjourné, Carl Reinecke, Frank Martin, and Carl Nielsen
Free entry
Information: www.riddes.ch
Grand Finale - NODA, Sion
Sunday, October 25 at 5:00 PM: Final with the symphonic orchestra of the Haute École de Musique Vaud Valais Fribourg (HEMU). Information and reservation: www.noda.ch
Riddes Competition 2026
An essential milestone in the journey of young musicians in Switzerland
The Riddes Competition has established itself, over the editions, as an unmissable event in the Swiss musical training landscape. Its specificity lies in the unique place it occupies among existing competitions: it meets a real and clearly identified need in the journey of young performers. In Switzerland, the SJMW (Swiss Youth Music Competition) mainly targets students at the pre-professional level and constitutes an essential step before entering higher education. At the other end of the journey, international competitions are, for the most part, aimed at musicians who have reached a level equivalent to a master's degree or are engaged in a professional career. Between these two poles, the Riddes Competition fills a decisive gap. It primarily addresses students from Swiss music schools at the bachelor level, offering them a demanding, stimulating, and educational framework, perfectly suited to this pivotal phase of their artistic development. The competition thus serves as a transition platform, allowing young performers to confront the realities of the competitive world while remaining anchored in a pedagogical and constructive approach. The 2026 edition will highlight four instrumental disciplines: flute, clarinet, marimba, and saxophone. Through these choices, the Riddes Competition affirms its desire to represent the diversity of instrumental practices and to encourage artistic excellence in varied repertoires. The highlight of this edition, the 2026 final, will take place in the new concert hall NODA in Sion, an emblematic venue that embodies the dynamism and cultural ambition of Valais.