Version February 5, 2026 

1. General Conditions  

1.1. The 2026 edition of the TROMP International Percussion Competition Eindhoven (“the Competition”) will take place at several locations in Eindhoven from 19 September 2026 to 27 September 2026 under the responsibility of Stichting Tromp Muziek Biënnale and the Board of the Tromp Biennial Music Festival Foundation (‘the TROMP Board’).

1.2. The official language of the Competition is English.

1.3. The Competition is open to professional percussionists of all nationalities who:  

(a) Are between 18 and 35 years old at the start of the Competition (19 September 2026); and,  

(b) Have completed their professional education (BA 1) or are currently in the final phase.  

(c) Not eligible to participate are percussionists who have won a previous TROMP International Percussion Competition Eindhoven (1st, 2nd or 3rd Prize). 

1.4. All decisions by the international Competition jury (“the Competition Jury”) will be final, and no correspondence will be entered into regarding its decisions.  

 2. Applications  

2.1. Applications will be accepted until 1 March 2026, 23:59 hrs CET.

2.2. Applications may only be submitted digitally via the TROMP profile on the Muvac website (muvac.com) and must fully comply with all submission requirements as published on Muvac, including but not limited to the items listed below. 

(a) A completely filled-in digital application form  

(b) A copy of the applicant’s passport  

(c) A brief resume in English describing training, main teachers, experience and achievements together with a 100-word summary   

(d) A recent, high-quality color portrait photograph with at least 2000 pixels on the longest side, a minimum size of 2MB, good focus and lightning in jpg format. Licensed for promotion of the Applicant and the 2026 Competition, including promotion done for theApplicant by third parties.  

(e) A recent video recording recorded on or after 19 January 2025: 

(i) One video recording of a work from the curated list of Round 2 

(ii) One video recording of a freely chosen work of maximum 10 minutes 

• Each video must be recorded in one single take, use one camera only, contain no editing, cuts, or stitched recordings, have clear image and sound, show the performer clearly (fixed camera position, horizontal format). Professional recording quality isnot required, but clear audio is essential. 

• All videos must be submitted as online links. File uploads are not accepted. Accepted platforms: YouTube (preferred) and Vimeo. Videos may be set to Unlisted but must not be set to Private. Links submitted via other platforms (such as Dropbox,WeTransfer, Google Drive or similar services) will not be accepted. Incorrect, expired, or inaccessible links will not be reviewed. 

• The TROMP Board reserves the right to disqualify candidates who have submitted studio enhanced or modified recordings. 

(f) An optional artistic justification of the selected works. If provided, this will be considered by the jury. The artistic justification is not mandatory. The proposal may be submitted as a written document of maximum 3 pages or a video presentation of maximum 7minutes. 

(g) A complete listing of the works intended to be performed during each round of the Competition following the repertoire requirements set out in Article 3. The list should specify composer, title or working title, instrumentation, and performance duration of eachchosen work. At the time of application, scores for the fixed-score work and the roadmap score of the Final Round are not required.  

(h) A form or structure of the program of Round 1. If parts of the program are open-form, improvised, or concept-based, the artistic idea and structure should be described in words. The description should give the jury a clear and concrete understanding of the program.  

(i) An indication how the repertoire of Round 3 relates to the commissioned work and the participant’s artistic focus. A more detailed artistic concept and dramaturgical description should be provided in the uploaded artistic material.  

Brief explanation: participants are required to explain in a few sentences how their Round 3 program connects artistically to the commissioned work. This connection should be based on the nature of the commissioned composition and the composer’s artistic profile, as published on the TROMP website. 

(j) Participants must provide an outline of the overall structure and artistic flow of the proposed Final Round recital, including an indication of the type of additional solo or chamber repertoire, and where applicable the composer(s), instrumentation, and approximate duration. Participants must also explain how they take the limited rehearsal time of the Final Round into account. 

This submission is intended to give the jury insight into the participant’s artistic ideas and the feasibility of the proposed Final Round program. Selected participants may revise and submit the final version of their Final Round program no later than 1 July 2026. 

2.3. The members of the Competition Jury will individually review the applications, program proposals and submitted recordings. The preliminary selection will be based on a review of the recordings and accompanying materials, assessed without reference to the applicant’s name or personal details, to the extent possible. The selection of Candidates will be announced before 1 June 2026 via www.tromppercussion.nl, TROMP social media channels and MUVAC. 

2.4. Given the nature of video recordings, full anonymity cannot be guaranteed. The Jury commits to evaluating all candidates solely on the basis of artistic, technical and conceptual merit. 

2.5. 10 (ten) percussionists will be invited to participate in the Competition in Eindhoven. Another 5 (five) percussionists will be granted a back-up position, i.e., they will be admitted in case a previously selected participant does not, or not timely before 1 July 2026, accept the invitation to participate, does not timely pay the entry fee referred to in Article 2.6, or withdraws before September 1st 2026. Candidates ranked 11–30 will receive free tickets  to the TROMP Academy. Travel costs and catering will only be provided for the selected Candidates 1-10. 

2.6. Applicants are required to pay the Competition’s obligatory € 50 entry to submit their application, via MUVAC. The entry fee is not refundable. Applicants who accept the invitation to participate in the Competition, are required to pay the Competition’s obligatory € 225 entry fee by 1 July 2026 at the latest, via MUVAC. The entry fee is not refundable.  

2.7. Applicants invited to participate who have duly paid their entry fee, shall qualify and shall generally be referred to as Participants.   

2.8. All Participants shall provide the TROMP project organization with clear and detailed instrument & set-up descriptions before 1 July 2026.

3. Schedule & Repertoire  

3.1. Venue of the Competition will be CKE (Centrum voor de Kunsten Eindhoven) (Round 1), Muziekgebouw Eindhoven (Round 2 and Final Round) and Dynamo Eindhoven (Round 3) in the Netherlands. All rounds of the Competition will be open to the general public and may be broadcasted live or recorded for future purposes. The performing schedule has been set as follows:  

(a) Round 1, Sunday 20 September 2026 

(b) Round 2, Tuesday 22 September 2026 

(c) Round 3, Wednesday 23 September 2026  

(d) Final Round, Sunday 27 of September 2026.  

Round 1, Round 2 and Round 3 are to be considered as further qualifying rounds and must all be performed by all selected participants  

3.2. As noted, applicants must clearly state their complete program for each round on their entry forms, specifying composer, title or working title, instrumentation, and performance duration of each chosen work. Among the works listed should be compositions selected in accordance with Article 3.4 through 3.7, which are illustrative of the level expected from Competition applicants.    

3.3. In principle the works listed will be considered a final choice. In exceptional cases, a chosen work can be substituted or altered only with the approval of the Competition Jury represented by its Chairman. Changes in the proposed program per round must be submitted for approval no later than 1 July 2026. 

3.4. Round 1  

(i) A personal artistic portrait in a Black Box setting with complete artistic freedom in repertoire, instrumentation, form, and presentation. 

• Performing time: 30 minutes 

• Performances may include multimedia, electronics, improvisation, or interdisciplinary elements.  

3.5. Round 2 

(i) Two works from the curated list of approximately 14 minutes in total 

• Only one of the two works will be performed, selected by the TROMP artistic team, communicated two weeks prior 

• For works longer than 10 minutes (*), participants may select a maximum of 10 minutes of music. It is the participant’s own responsibility to obtain permission from the composer or publisher for any such selection.  

• Curated list: 

  • Aperghis, Georges - Le corps à corps 

  • Akiho, Andy - Cartograph 

  • Cuong, Viet - Well Groomed 

  • Dessner, Bryce - Tromp Miniature 

  • Druckman, Jacob - Reflections on the nature of water * 

  • Fujikura, Dai - Chirping Birds 

  • Henderickx, Wim - 1001 Nights 

  • Huber, Nicolaus A. - Clash Music 

  • Kishino, Malika - Fragrant Wood 

  • Lang, David - The Anvil Chorus 

  • Lang, David - Miracle Ear 

  • Lim, Liza - Love Letter 

  • Lobowitz, René - Trois Caprices 

  • Manoury, Philippe - Le Livre des Claviers, IV 

  • Marinissen, Arnold - Totem 

  • Maresz, Yan - Étude d’impacts 

  • Matalon, Martin - Trace XVII 

  • Matalon, Martin - Short Stories 

  • Mérigaux, Théo - Tambour de Pan * 

  • Neuwirth, Olga - Coronation I: Io son ferito ahime 

  • Omelchuck, Oxana - Staahaadler Aff‘ 

  • Saariaho, Kaija - Six Japanese Gardens * 

  • Saunders, Rebecca - Dust * 

  • Sartorius, Julian - RLLRLRRLL (Solo Version) 

  • Seo, Juri - V 

  • Stockhausen, Karlheinz - Vibra-Elufa 

  • Wallin, Rolf - Realismos Mágicos *

3.6. Round 3 

(i) A compulsory work for solo percussion by Yannis Kyriakides, commissioned by TROMP for this Competition (score to be distributed by the TROMP office 1 March 2026, duration about 6 minutes)  

(ii) A curated solo program built around that work 

• Performing time: 20 minutes 

• Performances may include acoustic works only 

(iii) A pre-recorded video pitch for the jury only, presenting a vision for how the theme could develop into a full-length concert or installation. This video will only be used by the jury during the selection process. The video will not be screened at the Competition.  

• Maximum length: 10 minutes 

• The format is fully open (e.g.: a direct-to-camera spoken pitch, a narrated visual presentation, a creative video production, a concept film with projected imagery and sound) 

• Judged on conceptual clarity and artistic strength, not production quality 

• May be spoken in the candidate’s native language but must be include English subtitles. 

• The pre-recorded video pitch only needs to be uploaded by the selected participants via MUVAC. The deadline is on 1 September 2026.

3.7. Final Round 

(i) A compulsory fixed-score work by Malika Kishino, commissioned by TROMP for this Competition (score to be distributed by the TROMP office 15 August 2026, duration about 6 minutes.  

(ii) A compulsory roadmap score by Genevieve Murphy in collaboration with the ensemble and the participant (developed during the rehearsal period) 

(iii) Additional solo or chamber works (optional) 

• Performing time: 35 minutes 

• Rehearsals take place Thursday 24 September 2026 until Saturday 26 September 2026. 

• Any ensemble parts should be feasible to rehearse and perform within a short time frame. The ensemble will only be informed of the three finalists one day before the first rehearsal. The jury will consider the feasibility of your proposed program as part of their evaluation in earlier rounds. 

3.8. During the Competition Participants may perform each work only once (excluding the preliminary round).  

4. Conduct of the Competition  

4.1. The order of performance will be decided by a draw of lots.   

4.2. Participants shall not communicate with Competition Jury members during the Competition, nor shall any other person communicate with these jury members on behalf of any Participant. The TROMP Board reserves the right to disqualify Participants who breach this rule or on whose behalf this rule has been violated.  

4.3. Participants who are not admitted to the Final Round of the Competition will be provided the opportunity to discuss their performance with members of the Competition Jury, time permitting.  

4.4. Should a Participant be or have been a regular student of one of the members of the Competition Jury, the latter will abstain from the jury deliberations in his or her respect.  

4.5. Participants must ensure that the maximum performing time duration for each Round (art. 3.4 through 3.7) is not exceeded. The Competition Jury may, in its absolute discretion, stop Participants that run overtime.  

4.6. All selected participants shall perform in Round 1, Round 2, and Round 3. No more than 3 (three) Participants will proceed to the Final Round. 

4.7. The Competition Jury has the right not to grant a prize or have two Participants share a prize (with exception of the First Prize), as have other possible juries installed by the TROMP Management.   

4.8. In the event that a Participant withdraws from the Competition due to illness, injury, visa issues, force majeure, or other exceptional circumstances, the TROMP Board reserves the right to admit a substitute Participant from the reserve list. 

4.9. The TROMP Board further reserves the right to modify the Competition schedule, repertoire requirements, or organizational aspects of the Competition in case of unforeseen circumstances. Such decisions shall be final and binding. 

4.10. The Competition Jury evaluates Participants on the basis of artistic quality, technical proficiency, originality, conceptual clarity, and the feasibility of the proposed programs, taking into account the specific requirements of each round. 

5. Prizes  

5.1. There are four prizes that can be won in the Competition. Only the Competition Finalists qualify for the three ranking prizes (art. 5.2), and the Friends of TROMP Audience Award (art. 5.3).   

5.2. The three ranking prizes will be awarded by decision of the Competition Jury subject to Article 4.7 and will be publicly announced immediately after the Competition Final Round on Sunday 27 September 2026.  

(a) First Prize  

• A sum of 15,000 Euro, of which 8,000 Euro is reserved for the development of a personal artistic project in collaboration with the TROMP Team, to be presented at a future edition of the TROMP Festival. 

• Options for concert engagements and master classes within two years after the Competition.  

(b) Second Prize  

• A sum of 10,000 Euro, of which 6,000 Euro is reserved for the development of a personal artistic project in collaboration with the TROMP Team, to be presented at a future edition of the TROMP Festival. 

• Options for concert engagements and master classes within two years after the Competition.  

(c) Third Prize  

• A sum of 5,000 Euro of which 3,000 Euro is reserved for the development of a personal artistic project in collaboration with the TROMP Team, to be presented at a future edition of the TROMP Festival. 

• Options for concert engagements and master classes within two years after the Competition.  

5.3. The Friends of TROMP Audience Award will be decided upon by ballot by the audience attending the Final Round on the basis of the performances of the Competition Finalists during the Final Round. The winner will be publicly announced immediately after the Competition Final Round on Sunday 27 September 2026. The prize is an Honorable Mention. 

6. Communication and Facilitation  

6.1. The TROMP Board has established a TROMP Project Office for operational matters. Unless otherwise specified, all notices and communications regarding the Competition will be issued by and should be addressed to:  

TROMP Percussion Eindhoven  
Muziekgebouw Eindhoven  
Jan van Lieshoutstraat 3  

5611 EE  Eindhoven  
The Netherlands  

E-mail: info@tromppercussion.com 

6.2. In addition to the travel, board and lodging arrangements set out in Article 7, the TROMP Board will endeavo r to arrange the availability of all percussion instruments required and timely requested by the Participants. No guarantees are given as to theavailability of instruments of a specific make. Participants remain responsible for their own instruments and equipment at all times.

6.3. In order to allow sufficient time for the selection of instruments and consultation as to set-up requirements, participants are expected to arrive in Eindhoven three days in advance of the Competition, i.e. on Thursday 17 September 2026. Rehearsal rooms and instruments will have to be shared and stage rehearsal time will be limited.   

7. Travel, Board and Lodging  

7.1. All Participants will be entitled to the following travel, board and lodging arrangements:  

(a) Reimbursement of pre-agreed reasonable travel expenses to and from the Netherlands up to a maximum of 800 Euro. Proposed travel arrangements should be informed to and discussed with the TROMP Office timely in advance, meaning before 1 July 2026. 

(b) If applicable: local transportation to Muziekgebouw Eindhoven from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, or Eindhoven Airport to Eindhoven Central Station by train, 2nd class.

(c) Accommodation in private family homes, max. two participants per room, in the Eindhoven area. Participants who prefer a hotel accommodation should make the arrangements and cover the costs themselves and inform the TROMP Office kindly about the fact that they will not stay in family homes, because of the arrangements that are made for this stay. More information about the accommodation in private family homes is anticipated August 2026. 

(d) TROMP will kindly provide a selection of meals between Friday 18 September and Sunday 27 September 2026. More detailed information about catering will be shared closer to the event (anticipated August 2026).

7.2. Obtaining appropriate travel documents, including valid documents necessary to pass international borders and to enter the venues, and insurance is the sole responsibility of each Participant for her- or himself. The Tromp Biennial Music Festival Foundation and the TROMP Board accept no liability of any kind whatsoever for any personal illness or injury sustained by Participants, nor for loss or damage to a Participant’s belongings, including instruments, during transit or while at the Competition.  

8. Legal  

8.1. By submitting the digital application form, applicants state their agreement:  

(a) With all articles in these Rules and Regulations;  

(b) That the Competition, under responsibility by the TROMP Board and executed by TROMP Office, can contact them about their application and may contact them after the Competition to inform about following Competition editions;  

(c) That the Competition stores first and last name, year of birth, Competition ranking, prizes, contact information and resume as submitted via MUVAC, plus recordings as mentioned at 8g.  

(d) That the Competition can use their name, year of birth, photograph and resume for any promotional purpose and social media expressions considering the Competition;  

(e) With all ensuing engagements as part of any prize. This includes the winners concert engagements in the concert seasons of 2026 to 2028;  

(f) That all concert and recording engagements obtained by the Competition or its designates as part of the first, second and third prize will not be subject to any fee and or compensation payable to the prize-winner’s current or future artist management;  

(g) That the Competition is authorized to record, videotape, film, broadcast, stream or photograph any Competition concerts or events for any purpose, without payment of any fee or compensation. All rights, including copyright in such media shall vest in and be owned by the Competition in perpetuity; 

(h) That the Competition is entitled to change its Rules and Regulations at any given time, and or. in case of unforeseen circumstances;  

(i) That if any clauses in these Rules and Regulations are deemed unlawful by a judge, all remaining clauses will still be applicable;  

(j) That these Rules and Regulations are subject to Dutch law.  

(k) That personal data will be processed in accordance with the Competition’s privacy policy, available via the TROMP website.