EDITION 2022
Universal Marimba Solo Competition - Live
Universal Marimba Duo Competition - Online
Universal Marimba Chamber Music Competition - Online
Universal Marimba Composition Competition - Online
International Percussion Youth Competition - Online
Embark your career and take your chance at the world's leading Marimba Competition.
The Universal Marimba Competition, located in the heart of Europe, and acclaimed as the most prestigious in the World, gathers the marimba around the globe and foster cross cultural understanding. It has been dedicated with success to promote the popularization and development of the marimba art and culture, sparing no efforts in supporting leading artists and prize winners. Unique in the World, the competition offers aside Marimba Solo also the disciplines Marimba Duo, Chamber music and composition.
This event is set as a two yearly annual music celebration continuously inviting for the festival top acts and brilliant artistry. The competition received from 2011 the High Patronage of Her Majesty Queen Paola, a Royal honor for the first time presented to a marimba competition worldwide. The competition welcomed during past editions over 850 candidates from all continents presenting each edition as jury and performing festival artists a topflight of world leading artists. The Competitions' worldwide leading role is reflected by the offered prizes (with a value up to 70.000 Euro) and the established endorsed artist contracts resulted in further embarking careers of the passed laureates and their presence nowadays as leading marimbists of the new generation. It is with proud to witness their international artistic growth, recognition and presence. No doubt that this ground-breaking event keeps marking internationally a brand new milestone of the marimba, providing an inspirational stage for top performers and candidates and presenting all visitors a unique music experience.
As the Covid pandemic caused a long intermission since our last live edition in 2017, it is decided, in order to promote the art of marimba and percussion and to encourage young talent, to hold again in August 2022 a live edition of the 9th edition of the Universal Marimba Competition for Marimba Solo only. Notice, due to the current Covid Waves, the economic crises and the political situation, that the disciplines marimba duo - chamber music and the 4th edition of the international Percussion Youth Competition will be only added as an online edition. That way we can support all chamber music groups and young percussionists. The discipline Chamber Music welcomes formations from duo tll octet for marimba only or with all kind of instrumental combinations (percussion, strings, voice, piano, wind, accordeon, saxophone etc. ).We hope and take all efforts to add these disciplines, simultaneously with the closing festival, again live in 2024, aiming to discover, promote and support young talent and composers. In the meantime we hope you all will feel inspired to join and we will surely look forward to meet you all upcoming August 2022: live or online.
The Universal Marimba Competition focus to the individual taste, style, skill and musical artistry of the candidates.
Universal Marimba Competition Belgium 2022
Marimba Solo / Marimba Duo - Chamber Music / Composition
A discovery of musical highlights and surprises.
Follow up the results of all rounds from 18 till 23 August, 2022.
Support all candidates from around the world and watch the Final Round & proclamation streaming.
Wishing the best luck to all the candidates. Welcome to all visitors.