1.1. These Regulations govern the procedure and rules of the Moscow International Composers Competition in 2026 (hereinafter — the Competition).
1.2. The theme of the Competition is the 85th anniversary of the Soviet counteroffensive against Nazi forces in the Battle of Moscow. The theme may also be interpreted more broadly, with the competition work dedicated to the strength of the human spirit.
1.3. The Competition is organized by the Moscow Department of Culture.
1.4. The Competition operator is the State Budget Cultural Institution of the City of Moscow "Moscow State Academic Chamber Choir."
1.5. Information on the schedule, terms, rules, and venue of the Competition is published on the official website at https://micc.moscow/ and on the operator's official website at https://choir.ru/. Official Competition email: music@micc.moscow.
1.6. The Competition is open to composers from Russia and abroad. There are no age restrictions.
1.7. Participation is free of charge. No entry fee is collected.

2.1. The Competition was established to promote and develop Russia's academic choral culture as a foundation of national musical heritage, a means of fostering genuine patriotism and love for one's homeland, and an integral part of personal development.
2.2. The objectives of the Competition are:

• to encourage the creation of new choral works of high artistic quality that respond to contemporary challenges and serve a broad audience;
• to draw attention to choral art and its development in modern society;
• to facilitate the exchange of creative achievements among participants;
• to strengthen international ties and cooperation through shared creativity;
• to preserve, develop, and unite national cultures;
• to support the growth of creative abilities and the harmonious development of the individual.

3.1. An Organizing Committee is established by the Competition organizer to carry out activities related to the Competition's objectives. The Organizing Committee coordinates the Competition, develops and approves the Competition program, may amend the order and conditions of the Competition to improve its quality, and may modify the composition of the Jury and Selection Committee.
3.2. The Competition Operator handles organizational matters, ensures the planning and execution of Competition events, provides informational support, engages partners and organizations for organizational, financial, and technical purposes, makes prize payments, and conducts awards ceremonies in accordance with Jury decisions.
3.3. A Selection Committee is established by the Competition Operator to process and evaluate submitted applications. The Selection Committee consists of representatives of relevant professional communities and organizations, as well as prominent Russian composers, conductors, choir directors, musicologists, and performers. The Selection Committee must have no fewer than 3 members. The committee's responsibilities include reviewing submitted works for compliance with Competition requirements before passing them to the Jury.
3.4. A Jury is formed to determine the Competition winners. The Jury ensures equal rights for all participants and exercises other powers provided for by these Regulations. The Jury includes leaders of Russian educational music institutions, concert organizations, music theaters, and choral ensembles, as well as prominent Russian composers, conductors, choir directors, musicologists, performers, and writers. The Jury must have no fewer than 5 members.
Jury members are responsible for:

• evaluating finalists' works on a 10-point scale;
• determining the Competition laureates;
• keeping Jury deliberations confidential until the winners are published on the official website.

Scoring sheets and Jury comments are confidential and will not be displayed or distributed.
3.5. Decisions of the Selection Committee and the Jury are final and not subject to appeal.

4.1. Applications must be submitted through the official website no later than June 20, 2026. Applications must be completed in Russian or English using the form provided on the official website. Applicants must also provide consent to the processing of personal data and the use of the photograph submitted with the application.
4.2. Applicants must be individuals — citizens of the Russian Federation or foreign nationals — who meet the following requirements:
4.2.1. The applicant must not appear on the list of organizations and individuals identified as being connected to extremist activities or terrorism as of the date of application.
4.2.2. The applicant must not hold the status of a foreign agent under Federal Law No. 255-FZ of July 14, 2022 "On Control over the Activities of Persons under Foreign Influence" as of the date of application.
4.2.3. The applicant must not appear on lists of organizations and individuals connected to terrorist organizations, terrorists, or the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, as compiled under Chapter VII of the UN Charter by the UN Security Council or bodies established by UN Security Council resolutions.
4.3. Members of the Selection Committee and the Jury may not participate in the Competition.
4.4. The following documents must be submitted with the application:

• copy of the applicant's identity document (Russian passport for Russian citizens; foreign passport or other document recognized under Russian law or international treaty for foreign nationals);
• applicant biography (up to 1,000 characters);
• 2 color digital photographs at a resolution of at least 300 dpi, including a close-up portrait suitable for publication;
• applicant's bank details (for prize transfers);
• score of the work (as a single PDF file) and a recording (audio files in .mp3 or .wav format, a demo recording, or a video file) sent to the Competition email. For works with orchestra, the score, orchestral parts, and piano reduction must also be included. A brief program note may optionally be included.

4.5. An applicant may submit up to two applications, one per category, each featuring a single musical work. Requirements for works are set out in Section 5. Works must correspond to the theme, goals, and objectives of the Competition as defined in Section 2.
4.6. Each application package is assigned a Motto by the applicant. The Motto will be accessible to the Organizing Committee's executive secretary and Jury members. The Competition is conducted on an anonymous basis.

5.1. Each applicant may submit one work in one of the following categories:
Large Form: a work for a large academic choir (65–95 performers) and symphony orchestra. Use of soloists is at the composer's discretion. Duration: 35–45 minutes.
Small Form: a work for a mixed academic choir a cappella (40–44 performers). Use of solos is at the composer's discretion. An instrumental ensemble of up to 6 performers is permitted. Duration: 30–35 minutes.
The symphony orchestra should be based on a classical double or triple woodwind configuration (additional instruments are permitted).
All competition works must include a text in Russian. If the work contains text, titles, or captions in any foreign language, a Russian subtitle or transliteration in Latin script must be provided.
5.2. Works are eligible for the Competition if they meet the following conditions:

• not commercially published or released on mass-produced media;
• consistent with the theme, goals, and objectives of the Competition;
• of the required duration as specified in clause 5.1;
• compliant with Part 6 of Article 10 of Federal Law No. 149-FZ of July 27, 2006 "On Information, Information Technologies and Information Protection"; Part 2 of Article 5 of Federal Law No. 436-FZ of December 29, 2010 "On Protection of Children from Information Harmful to Their Health and Development"; and Presidential Decree No. 809 of November 9, 2022 "On Approving the Foundations of State Policy for the Preservation and Strengthening of Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values."

5.3. Works that do not meet the requirements of this section, or applications submitted in violation of the conditions of Section 4, will not be accepted.
5.4. The Competition is held in two rounds.
Round I — Preliminary
Held from July 14, 2025 to October 20, 2026, and consists of:
July 14, 2025 – June 20, 2026 (inclusive): application period and submission of competition works.
August 5 – October 20, 2026 (inclusive): Selection Committee review.

The Organizing Committee's executive secretary submits the applicants' works (identified only by their Motto, anonymously) to the Selection Committee for expert evaluation — including scores, orchestral parts (Large Form), typeset in a notation editor, and audio recordings (computer-rendered audio in audio format is acceptable).
The Selection Committee evaluates competition works for compliance with Competition requirements and identifies candidates in each category.
Applicants who pass Round I are invited by the Competition Operator to participate in Round II — the Final.
No more than 4 applicants per category may advance to Round II.
Round II — Final
Held from October 27 to December 5, 2026, and consists of:

• October 27 – November 28, 2026: rehearsal period;
• November 29, 2026: Small Form competitive auditions;
• November 30, 2026: Small Form competitive auditions;
• December 1, 2026: Large Form competitive auditions;
• December 2, 2026: Large Form competitive auditions;
• December 5, 2026: Jury deliberations, awards ceremony, gala concert.

For Round II, the Competition Operator provides choirs, soloists, a conductor, and a symphony orchestra.

6.1. Applicants invited to participate in Round II will have their meals and accommodation covered from the date specified in the invitation through the end of the Competition. Airport/railway station transfers to and from the hotel are provided by the Competition Operator.
The Competition Operator will purchase:

Economy-class air or rail tickets for the applicant from their place of residence to the Competition venue.
Economy-class air or rail tickets for the applicant from the Competition venue back to their place of residence.

Any costs related to ticket exchanges are the responsibility of the applicant.
6.2. Applicants invited to Round II who are citizens of countries with a visa requirement for the Russian Federation must independently apply for a Russian visa at the relevant consulate. The Competition Operator will provide assistance in obtaining a visa, including all necessary invitation letters, and will cover the associated visa fees, but assumes no responsibility for whether the visa is granted.
For participants under the age of 18 as of the Competition date, the Competition Operator may additionally cover travel and accommodation costs for one legal representative (parent, adoptive parent, or guardian) or another authorized escort; meals for the accompanying person are self-funded.

7.1. The Competition's prize fund is distributed as follows:
Large Form:

1st Place Laureate — 3,000,000 rubles and a 1st Degree Laureate Diploma
2nd Place Laureate — 2,000,000 rubles and a 2nd Degree Laureate Diploma
3rd Place Laureate — 1,000,000 rubles and a 3rd Degree Laureate Diploma

Small Form:

1st Place Laureate — 2,000,000 rubles and a 1st Degree Laureate Diploma
2nd Place Laureate — 1,500,000 rubles and a 2nd Degree Laureate Diploma
3rd Place Laureate — 1,000,000 rubles and a 3rd Degree Laureate Diploma

7.2. Prizes are paid in accordance with the requirements of Russian law. Prize amounts are stated inclusive of all applicable taxes and levies, including personal income tax.
7.3. Depending on the results achieved, the Jury reserves the right not to award all prizes within the established number.
7.4. Prizes are awarded by the Jury in accordance with the judging procedure approved by the Competition Operator.
7.5. To receive a prize, the laureate must provide the Competition Operator with current personal bank account details and a signed prize receipt form approved by the Competition Operator in accordance with Article 9 of Federal Law No. 402-FZ of December 6, 2011 "On Accounting." For laureates under the age of 18 who do not have a personal bank account, prizes are transferred to the bank account of their legal representative.

8.1. All applicants who advance to Round II are considered finalists of the Competition. Prizes are awarded to finalists based on the Jury's decision as set out in Section 7.
8.2. Round I, Round II, and the Gala Concert may be broadcast live by the Competition Operator on television and recorded for subsequent broadcasts and releases on audio and video media. The Competition may be partially or fully available for viewing on the internet.
8.3. Applicants irrevocably and fully transfer to the Competition Operator the exclusive right to use the performance of the work (as referenced in clause 8.2) in accordance with Articles 1233, 1234, and 1307 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation.
8.4. Finalists enter into a royalty-free license agreement with the Competition Operator granting the Operator the right to use competition works under a simple (non-exclusive) license worldwide for a period of 3 (three) years, in all ways provided for by Clause 2 of Article 1270 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation.
8.5. The Competition Operator does not provide applicants or their accompanying persons with any form of insurance, stage costumes, makeup, footwear, or other necessary props.
8.6. The Competition Operator reserves the right to sell tickets to the public and conduct an invitation campaign for Round II events and the Gala Concert.

No age restrictions.

Large Form — 35–45 minutes, Small Form — 30–35 minutes. Minor deviations of a few minutes are acceptable.

Any musical genre or style is acceptable.

Yes, provided the work does not infringe the copyright of third parties.

Copyright to the competition work remains fully with the composer. The Minin Choir may perform the work with mandatory attribution of the author.

No.

Yes.