The Concept

Faced with a huge range of competitions and a large number of award a given, Jean-Marie Fournier decided to create a competition based on different criteria with only one winner.

High-level competition
The Monte-Carlo Music Masters competition offers talented artists, all previously finalists in an international competition, the chance to compete against each other. Founded in 1989 by Jean-Marie Fournier, who also owns the Salle Gaveau in Paris, the Monte-Carlo Music Masters draws its inspiration from sporting events in which the world’s best players compete for the first place.

Strict selection criteria
Competitors enter in one of the three categories – piano, voice or violin – and are selected according to extremely strict criteria. In addition to be a finalists in another international competition, they must also  have an extensive, varied repertoire (between four and five hours of music) and the determination needed to compete in a rapid succession of highly-competitive rounds.

A single prize
To avoid any confusion between the winner and the other competitors, a single prize is given at the end of the competition: the Prince Rainier III Prize, worth €30,000. The winner is also offered the chance to tour in France and around the world. Only one artist can win, however, all competitors who fail to win are eligible to enter the competition again.

A multi-disciplinary jury
Rather than being composed simply of soloists or teachers, who tend to favor their own students, the jury’s members include concert performers, festival directors, critics and even a non-professional, who represent the public, whose vote carries the same weight as the other members.

Giving competitors the time to reveal their talent
To ensure that competitors have the time to demonstrate every facet of their abilities, the first round is similar to a real recital.