ZurichYouthClassical

Zurich Youth Classical stands for the support of young musicians who are shaping the sound of tomorrow. We accompany your musical journey to excellence with The Contest, individual mentoring (The Cadenza), and performance opportunities (The Crescendo).

Förderstiftung Musik Zürich is committed, through its Zurich Youth Classical (ZYC) program, to the sustainable support of young musical talent in the Canton of Zurich. Enthusiasm, openness, creativity, and artistic curiosity are prerequisites for fruitful participation. Classical music and its diversity are at the heart of the program. The foundation is committed to tradition and innovation – it seeks and offers excellence.

Musical talents from the Canton of Zurich, as well as young people who receive their music education in the Canton of Zurich, are specifically discovered and given lasting support. At Zurich Youth Classical, great importance is placed on ensuring that musical education goes hand in hand with personal development, and that an in-depth engagement with music is especially meaningful and character-building for young people in particular. This awareness is meant to become more firmly established in the wider public as well.

With Zurich Youth Classical, the foundation is creating a support program that can accompany young musicians from childhood through adolescence to professional training. It also aims, through an innovative program, to honor and strengthen the already high quality of Zurich as a location for musical education.

The foundation's support program consists of "The Contest", and for prize winners with distinction, additionally "The Cadenza" and "The Crescendo".

Zurich Youth Classical finds and supports young classical music talents in the Canton of Zurich with The Contest. The best of the best receive targeted career guidance through "The Cadenza" and the chance for professional concert experience with experienced artists through "The Crescendo".

ZYC is an offering from Förderstiftung Musik Zürich. It helps young musicians in the Canton of Zurich discover and develop their talent in classical music.

Function: Strategic-financial and artistic direction, structural framework provider.

Responsibility:

• Defining the strategic vision within the cultural context
• Budget responsibility as well as ensuring the legal and structural organization
• Cross-cutting decisions, particularly in cases of conflicting goals and interests
• Formulating the overarching mandate for artistic direction and execution

Function: Conceptual framework setting and jury guidance

Responsibility:

• Developing and establishing key artistic guidelines
• Assembling the jury and overseeing its work with a focus on fairness, transparency, and consistent evaluation criteria
• Ensuring quality in internal communication as well as ethical and artistic credibility
• Conveying the artistic and ethical stance toward the jury, participants, team, and the public, along with mindful process guidance rooted in integrity, openness, and mutual respect

Function: Operational implementation of artistic guidelines

Responsibility:

• Organization and execution in accordance with artistic guidelines
• Ensuring quality, direction, and credibility throughout operations
• Serving as the central point of contact externally (participants, media, the public) as well as the face and voice of The Contest day to day

ZYC wants to accompany young talents on their musical journey – from the very beginning to a possible professional career. This isn't just about playing an instrument well, but also about learning through music and growing as a person (for example, developing perseverance and passion). ZYC also wants to show how valuable music is for young people.

For children and young people who live in the Canton of Zurich or take music lessons here. What matters is that they genuinely enjoy engaging extensively with classical music. Enthusiasm, curiosity, and creativity are what count.

The Contest and the impulse programs The Cadenza & The Crescendo are the three parts of the Zurich Youth Classical (ZYC) support project run by the Förderstiftung Musik und Musikschule Zürich.

The Contest and the ZYC impulse programs The Cadenza & The Crescendo are not conceived as standardized programs, but as tailored development impulses that are geared to age, potential, and personality. The selection and content are developed in dialogue with those involved and in close consultation with the respective teachers and, where applicable, the parents.

The accompanying mentors are not chosen from a ready-made pool, but based on the individual personality of the young musicians.

The Contest

The Cadenza

The Crescendo

• 10.10.2026 - 31.10.2026

• 8.12.2026 Notification of preselection results

April 16–18, 2027, live at ZKO-Haus

May 14–16, 2027, live at ZKO-Haus

Note: The dates listed are subject to change by the organizer, as stated in Section 4 of the regulations.

• Schweizer Musikzeitung 6/7 2025
• Schweizer Musikzeitung 27/4 2026
• Schweizer Musikzeitung 27/8 2026