51st edition of the Swiss Youth Music Competition organized by new office

In 2025, the SJMW celebrated fifty years of its life with a brilliant anniversary concert at the Tonhalle Zurich: fifty years in which the competition has supported young musicians and made a decisive contribution to the training of future protagonists of the Swiss music scene. Building on half a century of tradition, the competition continues to offer a unique platform for young talent, combining artistic growth and creative exchange.

New team, new energy

The 51st edition is the first to be organized entirely by the new office, headed by Stefan P. Escher. This team had already successfully organized the 2025 final and has now launched a new phase of the competition. With enthusiasm and commitment, the new team set itself the goal of continuing and strengthening the long-standing mission of the SJMW: to offer young talents a real springboard platform - a space to grow, experiment and exchange ideas. Within a very short time, new partnerships with event organizers and thus performance opportunities for award winners were created. Details at https://sjmw.ch/ff/

From the entrada to the finale

The 51st edition of Classica Entrada took place from March 13 to 15, 2026 and brought seven Swiss cities in all language regions to life: Arbon, Geneva, Lugano, Neuchâtel, Sion, Unterägeri and Winterthur. Hundreds of young musicians presented the results of months of preparation and demonstrated their passion and talent.

The solo discipline followed the traditional range of even-numbered years and included the following instruments: violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, recorder, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, bassoon, harp, accordion, dulcimer, pan flute and percussion.

As every year, the categories Early Music before 1750 and Contemporary Music were offered in parallel to the solo discipline in order to explore different repertoires and forms of expression. The duo and chamber music discipline also allowed instruments not represented in the solo category to participate via chamber music repertoire.

At the end of the Entrada, the jury awarded a total of 94 certificates and 762 diplomas, divided into: 108 first prizes with distinction, 261 first prizes, 236 second prizes and 157 third prizes.

At the same time, the Entrada of the Composition and FreeSpace disciplines took place in January 2026, with 25 participants in Composition and 7 in FreeSpace. One certificate and 31 diplomas were awarded: 16 first prizes, 6 second prizes and 10 third prizes.

The top-ranked participants will qualify for the final, which will take place at the Zurich Music Conservatory from April 30 to May 2, 2026. The highlight of the event will be the traditional prizewinners' concert on Sunday, May 3 in the large Florhof MKZ hall, where the competition's most outstanding talents will be presented.

A look into the future

The SJMW is more than just a competition: it is a meeting place for children and young people, music schools, teachers and families who are united by their passion for music. Over the decades, the competition has accompanied the first artistic steps of thousands of young musicians, many of whom have gone on to pursue professional careers in a wide variety of musical fields.

The Entrada of the 51st edition showed once again how important it is to offer young people spaces in which they can express themselves, experiment and grow. In a constantly changing musical environment, the SJMW remains an indispensable support instrument: it supports emerging talents, stimulates artistic curiosity and preserves a living musical tradition that is constantly renewed thanks to each new generation.

The Foundation Board, the expert commission and the administrative office are working on a new concept in the field of popular music, which is to be implemented in 2027. The dates of the competitions are already known: Entradas: February 26-28, 2027, finals April 8-11, 2027 in Lucerne.

FinalApril 30 to May 2, 2026, MKZ Zurich

Prizewinners:inside ConcertMay 3, 2026, Florhof MKZ Zurich