Participants - the muri competition

The Muri Competition 2026

Arrive and enjoy the oboe and bassoon with all your senses.

The Muri Competition will take place for the fifth time in 2026. It stands for musical excellence, genuine exchange and the active promotion of young talent. Young musicians from all over the world come here to showcase their skills, be inspired and make long-lasting contacts. A high-caliber jury, an open audience and many music lovers listen to the musicians in Muri. The prize is not the end, but the beginning: scholarships, concert appearances and new opportunities open the door to the international music world.

Renowned musicians Renato Bizzotto (oboe), Matthias Rácz (bassoon) and Martin Frutiger (cor anglais) founded the competition in 2013. Matthias Rácz and Martin Frutiger play as soloists in the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich. They firmly believe that music connects people and that young talents need a place to grow.

Taking part in The Muri Competition 2016 was a wonderful experience in many ways: not only was the preparation for an international competition motivating, but it was also great to meet bassoonists and oboists from all over the world in Muri and make new friends.

Theo Plath
Solo bassoonist of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra and professor of bassoon at the HfMDK in Frankfurt
3rd prize bassoon 2016

The Muri Competition was one of the most significant experiences on my musical path. Beyond the stage, it brought me the joy of meeting fellow musicians from all over the world, friends with whom I could share hard work, mutual encouragement and unforgettable moments surrounded by the beauty of nature in Muri.

Risa Soejima
Guest solo oboe, Ensemble Resonanz Hamburg
2nd prize oboe 2019

Looking back, The Muri Competition 2023 was a decisive step in my career: it gave me visibility in the music world and the confidence to develop both as an orchestral musician and as a soloist.

Meisler only
Guest solo bassoonist with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester Hamburg
2nd prize bassoon 2023

Winning 2nd prize at the first The Muri Competition gave me confidence, joy and financial security. It marked the beginning of my dedication to expanding beyond identification as a classical musician to remembering my soul as love in this world.

Rebekka Löw
Deputy solo oboist, WDR Funkhausorchester Cologne
Founder and co-owner of the Surf and Sound Hotel in Morocco
2nd prize oboe 2013

The competition mode

The competition is aimed at musicians born in 1996 or later.

Preliminary round: The application takes place online. Participants upload a video recording of the compulsory pieces in mp4 format as well as other documents. Which documents are required is described in the regulations. You will receive upload instructions after registration.

The preliminary jury listens to all entries anonymously. It will decide by the end of December 2025 who will be admitted to the competition. The preliminary jury admits a maximum of 50 participants per instrument.

The competition has four rounds:

1st and 2nd round: The participants play with piano accompaniment on the premises of Muri Abbey.

Semi-final: Six participants per instrument present one work from the classical repertoire with ensemble accompaniment and one contemporary solo piece. The semi-final is divided into two parts.

Finale - the final concert: The three finalists per instrument perform with orchestra in the ballroom of Muri Abbey. This is followed by the award ceremony.

The prices

The Muri Competition will once again award three prizes each for oboe and bassoon in 2026. Further prizes will flow into specific grants. This broadens the musical experience of the participants. The competition thus pursues a clear goal: it accompanies and supports young artists on their path.

Prices 1-3 per bassoon and oboe
Heinz Holliger Prize
English horn prize
Audience Award
Solo concert with accompaniment by the argovia philharmonic in Muri
Solo concert with Orchestra Domenico Cimarosa, 2026, Caserta, Italy
Invitation to the Davos Festival for Young Artists 2027
Marcus Bonna instrument case for the six finalists
Bucher external planer for the 1st prize oboe

The repertoire

The complete compulsory repertoire is available for download as a PDF:

Oboe (PDF)

Bassoon (PDF)

The 2026 expert jury

Oboe preliminary jury
Martin Frutiger, Chairman (Switzerland)
Emanuel Abbühl (Switzerland)
Matthias Arter (Switzerland)

Bassoon preliminary jury
Matthias Rácz, Chair (Germany/Switzerland)
Chiara Santi (Italy)
Henrik Rabien (Germany)

Jury Oboe
Martin Frutiger, Chairman (Switzerland)
Nora Cismondi (France)
Nick Deutsch (Australia)
Francesco Di Rosa (Italy)
Simon Fuchs (Switzerland)
Kyeong Ham (South Korea)
Jin Jingchun (China)

Bassoon Jury
Matthias Rácz, Chair (Germany / Switzerland)
Sergio Azzolini (Italy)
Whitney Crocket (USA)
Jaakko Luoma (Finland)
Rachel Gough (England)
Volker Tessmann (Germany)
Zhang Jin Min (Singapore)