With strong partners, a top-class jury and attractive prizes, the chamber music competition has become an essential part of the Festival since 2017. Early music ensembles (2-7 members) whose repertoire is focused on Baroque music are eligible to apply. The age limit for individual members is 35, and the average age of the ensemble may not exceed 32. The competition will take place in Göttingen on May 18 and 19, 2026 (Prizewinners’ Concerts on May 20 and 21, 2026).
Jochen Schäfsmeier
Head of the Jury, Managing Director at Göttingen Int. Handel Festival
Theresa De Luca
Concert Planner at the Cologne Philharmonie
Christiane Irrgang
Music Editor NDR Kultur
Suzie LeBlanc, C.M.
Artistic & Executive Director at Early Music Vancouver
Dr. Marie Luise Maintz
Bärenreiter publishing house
Emilio Percan
Violin, Baroque violin
Michael Schäfer
Göttinger Tageblatt newspaper
Prize of the Göttinger Händel-Gesellschaft e. V., endowed with € 5,000 as well as a performance at the Prizewinners' Concert on May 21, 2026 as part of the Int. Händel-Festspiele Göttingen 2026 (including a radio broadcast)
Special prize “Music and Space”, endowed with € 2,000 as well as a performance at the Prizewinners' Concert “Music and Space” on May 20, 2026 as part of the Göttingen International Handel Festival 2026, and a performance at the Cologne Philhamornie
Bärenreiter Urtext Prize
Audience Award and a performance at a lunch concert as part of the Göttingen International Handel Festival 2026
Special prize: Guest performance at Early Music Vancouver in 2027
Deadline for applications is February 1, 2026.
