MUSTRA – Klasszik Street

Zeneszüret Festival and Music Competition

Competition Rules

1. Organizer of the Competition

The organizer of the MUSTRA – Klasszik Street – Zeneszüret Festival and Music Competition is:

Company name: Filharmónia Magyarország Koncert és Fesztiválszervező Nonprofit Korlátolt Felelősségű Társaság
Short name: Filharmónia Magyarország Nonprofit Kft.
Registered office: 52 Felsővámház Street, 7626 Pécs, Hungary
Company registration number: 02-09-081011
Court of registration: Company Court of the Pécs Regional Court
Tax number: 18160903-2-02
Managing Director: Szabolcs Szamosi
Contact person: Mária Mészáros, Production Manager
Contact email: maria.meszaros@filharmonia.hu

Hereinafter referred to as the Organizer.

The official name of the competition governed by these Rules is: MUSTRA – Klasszik Street – Zeneszüret Festival and Music Competition.

Hereinafter referred to as the Competition.

The purpose of the Competition is to provide classical music performers, emerging and professional ensembles, chamber musicians and individual musicians with an opportunity to present themselves in the iconic public squares of downtown Pécs. The Competition also aims to bring high-quality classical music into direct contact with the urban environment and the audience in a street-music format that is live, accessible and memorable.

2. Persons Eligible to Participate in the Competition

The Competition is open to emerging and professional ensembles, chamber musicians, individual musicians and other classical music performers who are willing to adapt their performances to the venue, passers-by and the particular circumstances of the moment.

Applicants may enter the Competition using any instrument of their choice.

There is no age limit for participation. Applicants under the age of 18 may participate only with the written consent of their legal representative.

Application to the Competition is free of charge.

Participation in the Competition is voluntary. By submitting an application and/or participating in the Competition, applicants and selected performers accept the provisions of these Competition Rules and declare that they participate in the Competition at their own risk.

Employees and contributors of the Organizer, members of the jury, and their close relatives may not participate in the Competition where such participation could give rise to an actual or apparent conflict of interest.

3. Duration and Key Dates of the Competition

The on-site programme of the Competition will take place on:

18–19 September 2026

Key dates:

• Application deadline: 15 August 2026
• Notification of selected performers: no later than 22 August 2026
• On-site Competition programme: 18–19 September 2026, 18:00–22:00
• Announcement of results: at a time and venue determined by the Organizer.

The Organizer reserves the right to modify the above dates and times where justified.

The Organizer further reserves the right not to hold the Competition if the number of valid applications received or their professional standard does not allow the Competition to be conducted in a manner consistent with its objectives.

The Organizer also reserves the right to cancel the Competition no later than the day preceding its scheduled first day in the event of adverse weather conditions, including in particular prolonged or heavy rainfall, strong winds, thunderstorms or any other weather conditions that may endanger the safety of participants or members of the audience.

In any of the above circumstances, the Organizer shall notify the selected performers without delay using the contact details available to it.

4. Competition Venues

The Competition will take place in:

Downtown Pécs

Selected performers will be scheduled to perform at the following venues:

1. Jókai Square
2. Széchenyi Square
3. Színház Square

Following the close of the application period and the preliminary selection process, the Organizer shall schedule the selected performers at each of the above venues.

When allocating venues and performance times, the Organizer shall seek to ensure equal opportunities for all participants. To this end, performances at the different venues will take place at varying times so that the jury can visit all venues and evaluate performers under conditions that are as comparable as possible.

The Organizer reserves the right to modify the venue allocation, time slots or order of performances due to weather conditions, technical issues, official measures, organizational requirements or other justified circumstances.

5. Application

Applications for the Competition may be submitted by completing the online application form published by the Organizer.

Applicants must provide the following information during the application process:

• name of the performer or ensemble;
• name of the contact person;
• email address;
• telephone number;
• short introduction or biography;
• social media or website link, if available;
• video link, for example YouTube, Vimeo or another online platform;
• audio recording link, for example Spotify, SoundCloud or another online platform, if available;
• preliminary technical rider or technical requirements, if available;
• any other comments, questions or important information;
• information on where the applicant learned about the call for applications;
• declaration confirming that the applicant has read and accepted the Privacy Notice.

Submission of an application does not automatically guarantee admission to the Competition programme. Applications received shall be evaluated by a professional preliminary selection committee appointed by the Organizer.

The Organizer may, at its sole discretion, decide whether to accept applications received after the application deadline. Any late application accepted by the Organizer shall be considered a valid application and shall be subject to the same professional evaluation process as applications submitted within the deadline.

6. Preliminary Selection

Admission to the Competition shall be determined through a preliminary selection process.

The purpose of the preliminary selection is to enable the Organizer to select from among the applicants those performers who may participate in the on-site Competition programme.

The selection criteria shall include, in particular:

• quality of artistic performance;
• musical proficiency;
• instrumental or vocal skills;
• rhythmic and instrumental proficiency;
• originality of musical style;
• creativity of the performance;
• feasibility of presenting the performance at the Competition venues;
• maintenance of a high standard of classical music performance;
• suitability of the performance for presentation in a street-music and urban public-space environment.

The Organizer shall notify the selected performers no later than 22 August 2026.

7. Description of the Competition

The purpose of the Competition is to present classical music in the public spaces of downtown Pécs in a street-music format that is direct, engaging and accessible to the audience.

Selected performers are required to present a live musical performance at the venue and time designated by the Organizer.

The Competition welcomes creative approaches, including in particular:

• unconventional instrumentation;
• performances that make creative use of the surrounding space;
• the use of costumes;
• performance-art elements;
• direct interaction with the audience.

The performance must at all times maintain the artistic standard associated with classical music, while it may also be lively, direct, playful and memorable.

For the purposes of the Competition, classical music performances include:

• works by classical composers;
• works belonging to the classical music tradition, including contemporary classical music, film music or classical arrangements, provided that the nature of the performance, its instrumentation and its artistic context are fundamentally classical;
• performances demonstrating a high standard of sound, instrumentation and interpretation.

The following shall not in themselves qualify as classical music:

• performances of pop, rock, jazz or folk music merely because a classical instrument is used;
• pop, rock, jazz or other genre-based arrangements or adaptations of classical music.

8. Technical Conditions and Support

The Organizer shall provide selected performers with basic technical support.

Under the announced conditions, the Organizer shall provide participants with dormitory accommodation, one hot meal per day and basic technical facilities.

The following technical equipment will be available:

• electrical power connections, extension cables and power strips;
• a covered raised stage measuring 4 × 4 metres and 20 cm in height;
• Yamaha StagePas 600BT, 680 W PA system with a 10-channel mixer (4 mono microphone/line inputs and 6 mono or 3 stereo line inputs);
• Shure SM58 and/or SM57 microphones with microphone stands.

Performers shall provide their own instruments, accessories, sheet music and any special equipment required for their performance, unless otherwise agreed in writing in advance with the Organizer.

The Organizer accepts no liability for instruments, equipment or valuables brought to the Competition by Contestants, including their loss, damage or destruction.

Performers are required to notify the Organizer of their basic technical requirements during the application process or by the deadline specified by the Organizer.

The Organizer does not guarantee that individual or special technical requirements can be accommodated but shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that the basic conditions necessary for the performances are available.

9. On-Site Participation

Selected performers are required to appear at the designated venue at the time assigned to them.

Performers must arrive at the venue at least 30 minutes before the scheduled start of their performance and report to the on-site coordinator.

The duration of each performance shall be a minimum of 20 minutes and a maximum of 25 minutes.

Performers must appear at their scheduled performance time in a fit and sober condition and in a physical and health condition that does not endanger their own safety or the safety of others and allows them to participate in the Competition in accordance with these Rules.

The Organizer shall be entitled to disqualify any performer who:

• fails to appear at the designated time;
• arrives significantly late;
• appears in a condition unsuitable for performing;
• behaves in a manner that jeopardizes the proper conduct of the Competition;
• disrupts the work or activities of other performers, members of the audience or the Organizer.

10. The Jury

The professional evaluation of the Competition shall be carried out by a professional jury appointed by the Organizer.

The composition of the jury shall remain confidential during the Competition. The Organizer is not required to disclose the identities of the jury members in advance.

The jury members shall move between the Competition venues and observe and evaluate the performers without prior notice.

During the Competition, the jury shall visit the venues at Jókai Square, Széchenyi Square and Színház Square in order to evaluate the Contestants’ performances according to professional criteria that are as consistent and comparable as reasonably possible.

The jury’s evaluation and voting shall be confidential. The jury’s decisions on professional matters shall be final.

Contestants may not approach jury members for the purpose of influencing their evaluation. Any violation of this provision may result in disqualification from the Competition.

If a jury member is a close relative of a Contestant, that jury member shall not participate in the evaluation of that Contestant.

11. Evaluation Criteria

The jury shall evaluate the performers according to professional criteria.

The principal evaluation criteria are:

• quality of artistic performance;
• rhythmic and instrumental proficiency;
• vocal ability, where singing forms part of the performance;
• musical proficiency and preparation;
• originality of musical style;
• maintenance of a high standard of classical music performance;
• creativity;
• adaptability to the venue and to passers-by;
• interaction with the audience;
• communication;
• overall impression.

The jury shall evaluate the performers by awarding points based on their on-site performances. The scoring scale shall be 1–10 points.

Professional prizes shall be awarded on the basis of the jury’s evaluation.

12. Audience Voting

During the Competition, members of the audience may also participate in the evaluation.

The Organizer shall inform the participants and the audience of the exact method of audience voting prior to the Competition or at the Competition venue.

Based on the results of the audience vote, the Organizer may award an Audience Prize or other audience recognition, provided that such an award is included in the official communications of the Competition.

The technical details of the audience voting procedure shall be determined by the Organizer.

13. Prizes

The Organizer announces the following prizes in the Competition:

Grand Prize: HUF 1,000,000

The Grand Prize shall be awarded to the performer or ensemble deemed the most outstanding on the basis of the professional evaluation. The cash prize shall be paid by bank transfer to the beneficiary designated by the winner, following the submission of the required tax and financial documentation.

Second Prize: an opportunity to perform in one of Filharmónia Hungary’s summer concert series.

Third Prize: gift package.

Additional Prizes:

The Organizer reserves the right to award additional special prizes, professional recognitions or prizes in kind in addition to the prizes announced above.

Prizes may not be exchanged for cash or transferred to another person unless otherwise determined by the Organizer.

The Organizer shall be entitled to refuse to award a prize or to reclaim a prize if it is subsequently established that the Contestant participated in the Competition without being eligible to do so or seriously violated these Rules.

14. Determination and Notification of Winners

The winners shall be determined by the Organizer on the basis of the professional jury’s evaluation and, in the case of an Audience Prize, the results of the audience vote.

Winners may be notified by email, telephone, through the Organizer’s official communication channels, or during the announcement of the results.

By participating in the Competition, the performer consents, in the event that they become a winner, to the Organizer publishing their name, stage name, the name of their ensemble, their photograph, as well as photographs, audio recordings and video recordings made during the Competition, in communications relating to the Competition, without limitation in time, in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Notice.

The Contestant consents to the Organizer using excerpts from their performance in promotional videos, on social media, on television and for other promotional purposes.

15. Withdrawal of Participation

Applicants may withdraw their application during the application period by submitting a written declaration to the Organizer.

The withdrawal notice shall be sent to:

maria.meszaros@filharmonia.hu

A withdrawn application shall no longer be considered in the evaluation process.

16. Disqualification

The Organizer shall be entitled to disqualify any Applicant or Contestant who:

• violates the provisions of these Competition Rules;
• provides false, incomplete or misleading information;
• applies on behalf of another person or using another person’s details;
• fails to appear at the designated performance time;
• violates the prescribed technical or conduct requirements;
• attempts to improperly influence, harass or mislead the jury, the Organizer, other performers or members of the audience;
• presents unlawful, hateful, discriminatory content or content that infringes the rights of others;
• engages in conduct that damages the reputation of the Competition, the Organizer, other performers or members of the audience.

At the Competition venues, any content or conduct shall be prohibited if it:

• constitutes political or party-political campaigning;
• contains religious, ideological or political expression in a manner incompatible with the purpose of the Competition;
• is racist, exclusionary or discriminatory;
• violates the human dignity of others;
• is unjustifiably obscene or vulgar;
• contains pornographic elements;
• constitutes or encourages an administrative offence or criminal offence;
• infringes copyright or related rights;
• damages the reputation of any person, community, Contestant or the Organizer.

The Organizer shall decide on any disqualification. A disqualified Contestant shall not be eligible to receive any prize.

17. Copyright and Related Rights

The performer may present only performances that do not infringe the copyright, related rights, personality rights, data protection rights or any other rights of third parties.

The Contestant warrants that they are entitled to publicly perform the works, arrangements, musical materials, lyrics and other content included in their performance, and that their use is lawful.

If the performance contains works subject to royalty payments, the Contestant shall, at the Organizer’s request, provide all information required for the administration of the relevant rights.

If a third party asserts a claim in connection with a performance presented by the Contestant on the grounds of copyright infringement or infringement of any other rights, the Contestant shall bear responsibility for such infringement. The Contestant shall indemnify and hold the Organizer harmless from any damage, cost or other disadvantage arising from such unlawful use.

18. Photographs, Audio and Video Recordings

The Competition takes place in public venues accessible to members of the public, where photographs, audio recordings and video recordings may be made.

By participating in the Competition, the Contestant consents to recordings being made of them in connection with the Competition and to the Organizer using such recordings for the purposes of documenting, promoting and communicating the Competition, in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Notice.

19. Taxation and Costs

All tax and contribution obligations relating to prizes shall be governed by the legislation in force at the relevant time.

Any costs associated with receiving a prize, travelling to the Competition, or otherwise participating in the Competition shall be borne by the Contestant unless otherwise determined by the Organizer.

In accordance with the announced conditions, the Organizer shall provide dormitory accommodation and one hot meal per day for selected participants.

20. Data Processing

The Organizer’s Privacy Notice shall apply to the processing of personal data in connection with the Competition.

Our detailed Privacy Notice is available HERE.

Applicants are required to provide their own true and accurate personal data. The Organizer accepts no liability for any damage, delay or unsuccessful notification resulting from incorrectly, incompletely or falsely provided data.

The Applicant acknowledges that they cannot participate in the Competition without providing the information necessary for the administration and organization of the Competition.

21. Liability and Force Majeure

The Organizer shall not be liable for any damage or delay arising from inaccuracies in the data provided by the Contestant, technical failures, weather conditions, measures taken by public authorities, transportation disruptions, or any other circumstances beyond the Organizer’s reasonable control.

A force majeure event shall mean any unforeseeable and unavoidable circumstance that prevents the Competition from being held, prevents its safe organization, or prevents it from being conducted under the originally planned conditions.

In the event of force majeure, the Organizer shall be entitled to modify the Competition programme, venue, date, time or organizational arrangements, or to postpone or cancel the Competition.

22. Complaints and Objections

Any questions or comments concerning the Competition may be submitted to the Organizer in writing at the following email address:

maria.meszaros@filharmonia.hu

The professional decisions of the jury are final and are not subject to substantive review. Individual scores shall not be disclosed and may not be subject to dispute.

The Organizer shall review complaints and comments received after the conclusion of the Competition within a reasonable period of time.

23. Miscellaneous Provisions

The Organizer reserves the right to amend or supplement these Competition Rules. Any amended version of the Rules shall be published through the Organizer’s own communication channels.

By participating in the Competition, the Applicant and/or Contestant automatically accepts these Competition Rules.

These Competition Rules have been drawn up in Hungarian. In the event of any dispute concerning the interpretation of these Competition Rules, the Hungarian-language version shall prevail.

These Competition Rules and participation in the Competition shall be governed by the laws of Hungary. Any legal dispute arising out of or in connection with these Competition Rules or the Competition shall fall within the jurisdiction of the competent Hungarian courts.

If any provision of these Competition Rules is found to be invalid, unlawful or unenforceable, this shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining provisions.

Dated: Pécs, 9 July 2026

Filharmónia Magyarország Nonprofit Kft.
MUSTRA – Klasszik Street – Zeneszüret Festival and Music Competition