The American Bach Society and the University of Notre Dame present the first

Ruth Monte Memorial Bach Competition

June 9–10, 2023

2023 Competition

The inaugural RUTH MONTE MEMORIAL BACH PIANO COMPETITION, sponsored by the American Bach Society, will take place June 9–10, 2023, on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. The competition is built around Johann Sebastian Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I and receives its funding through a generous grant from the Ruth and Noel Monte Fund. The donors described the purpose of this fund with the following words: “Ruth and Noel Monte were deeply devoted to Bach and his music, sensing its great impact on the human brain and culture throughout the world. To them, Bach represents a bright planet appearing in the sky only once, requiring centuries for the human mind to observe and fully comprehend. The Monte fund has the goal supporting and promoting this musical treasure for present and future generations.”

The competition features six high-school-age pianists from around the United States performing Preludes and Fugues from the Well-Tempered Clavier, along with other works of Bach and music by later composers. The following particular events are free and open to the public:

Friday, June 9
7:30 p.m.—Lecture on the Well-Tempered Clavier by Dr. Paul Walker, Musicologist, Organist, and Professor Emeritus of Music at the University of Notre Dame

Saturday, June 10
10:00 a.m.—Masterclass on keyboard works of Bach, led by Don Freund, Composer, Pianist, and Professor of Composition at the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University, Bloomington
5:00 p.m.—Final Recital, featuring all six contestants, followed by the Award Ceremony

All events will take place in the LaBar Recital Hall, O’Neill Hall, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana.

Call for participants

Pianists ages 12–18 living in North America (but of any nationality) are encouraged to participate in the first Ruth Monte Memorial Bach Competition, which is sponsored by the Ruth and Noel Monte Fund of the American Bach Society together with the University of Notre Dame.

See below for application details.

Repertoire

Preliminary Round (video recording)

  • One Prelude + Fugue from the Well-Tempered Clavier Book I
  • A solo work by another composer of the contestant’s choice (not to exceed 5 minutes)

Finalist Round (6 finalists performing in person)

  • One Prelude + Fugue from the Well-Tempered Clavier Book I
  • Three movements from a Suite or Partita by J. S. Bach OR the complete Italian Concerto (BWV 971)
  • A solo work or works by another composer of the contestant’s choice (5-10 minutes)

Prizes for the Six Finalists

1st prize: $4,000
2nd prize: $2,000
Four runners-up: $1,000 each

Application Process and Dates

March 1, 2023

Applications and first-round video recordings due. Videos should be uploaded as unlisted links to YouTube. You can find instructions about how to upload a video to YouTube at this link.

After uploading your video, please fill out the application form.

April 1, 2023

Participants are notified of the jury’s first-round decisions; six finalists are identified and plans are made for them to travel (with a parent or guardian) to the University of Notre Dame in June.

June 9–10, 2023

Six finalists travel to the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN to take part in the final round of the competition. Travel and lodging expenses for each finalist and a parent or guardian will be covered by the American Bach Society and the University of Notre Dame.

Final Round Location

All events take place in O’Neill Hall on the University of Notre Dame campus in South Bend, IN.

Final Round Schedule

Friday, June 9, 2023

  • All six finalists perform their complete programs: three in the morning, three in the afternoon
  • Scholarly presentation on Bach’s keyboard music by Prof. Paul Walker

Saturday, June 10, 2023

  • Masterclass by Prof. Don Freund
  • Award ceremony
  • Closing concert (at which all participants perform one selection)
  • Banquet

Jury

Don Freund (Composition Faculty, Indiana University)
Daniel Schlosberg (Piano Faculty, University of Notre Dame)
Paul Walker (Musicology/Organ Faculty Emeritus, University of Notre Dame)

Inquiries

Should you have questions please contact the American Bach Society’s representative for the competition, Andrew Talle (Musicology Faculty, Northwestern University): andrew.talle@northwestern.edu.

Ruth and Noel Monte were deeply devoted to Bach and his music, sensing its great impact on the human brain and culture throughout the world. To them, Bach represents a bright planet appearing in the sky only once, requiring centuries for the human mind to observe and fully comprehend. The Monte Fund has the goal of supporting and promoting this living musical treasure for present and future generations.