Finding Your Voice in Belgrade

WFIMC: The Belgrade International Competition of Young Musicians offers a different category each year. What is the significance of the 2026 viola edition?
Jutta Puchhammer: There are simply not so many international viola competitions, which makes an event like this particularly important. For young violists, every serious opportunity to perform for an international jury and audience is valuable.

A competition can give you a goal, encourage you to work more intensively and help you understand where you stand. But it is also a way of gaining experience. You learn how you react under pressure, how you prepare a programme and how you present yourself on stage.

I think Belgrade is also an excellent place to begin entering competitions. It gives young artists a chance to experience the whole process, rather than having to arrive already completely established.

So in a way, you see the competition also as a kind of first step into the international competition world?
Yes, exactly. Of course, there may be participants who are already very advanced, but the competition is open to a broad range of young musicians. It is not only for those who were already considered prodigies at 15 or 18.

Some musicians develop later. They may need more time before they feel ready to put themselves forward, but that does not mean they have less to say. A musician can be very artistic, very expressive and very convincing without being a finished product at a young age. That is one of the things I like about the competition. It leaves room for people to find their place.

What makes the repertoire particularly suitable for such a broad range of musicians?
The repertoire is very thoughtfully chosen. There are works from the standard repertoire, but the different rounds present different kinds of challenges and levels of difficulty.

What I find especially attractive is that the programme does not favour only one type of musician. It can appeal to someone who is extremely virtuosic, but also to someone whose greatest strength is their musical sensitivity, their sound or their way of shaping a phrase.

How important is that quality—being able to move an audience or jury?
For me, it is the most important thing. Naturally, technique matters. You have to be able to play your instrument, and you have to be prepared. But if you go home after a concert feeling completely empty, then something is missing.

I would rather hear a performance that speaks to me than one that is simply perfect. A musician might make a few mistakes and still give an unforgettable performance because there is something real behind the playing.

Very often, a kind of perfection comes when someone gives themselves completely to the music. If the performer plays from the heart, the performance can be convincing even when everything is not technically flawless.

The programme includes Bach Cello and Violin solo works, standard viola repertoire such as Stamitz, Walton and Bartok, but also Hindemith as well as a Serbian work. What does this combination offer the participants?
It asks the musicians to show different sides of themselves. Bach requires a strong understanding of structure and musical line. Stamitz is also much more difficult than people sometimes think. It is extremely demanding, both technically and musically.

Then the Romantic repertoire gives the violist the opportunity to explore colour, warmth and expression. This is where the particular qualities of the instrument can really come forward.

The Serbian work is interesting for another reason: everyone plays the same piece. That creates a shared point of reference and gives the jury the chance to hear how different musicians approach identical material.

It is also a good way for participants to encounter music from the region. A competition should not exist in isolation from the culture in which it takes place.

The age limit extends to 30. Is that also an advantage?
I think so. Not everyone is ready at 16 or 18. Some people are late bloomers, and there is nothing wrong with that.

By the age of 30, a musician may already have developed a very individual artistic personality. They may not be entering as a beginner, but they may still be looking for an opportunity to test themselves internationally or to take the next step in their career.

I like the fact that the competition can include both younger participants and musicians who have had more time to mature.

Another unusual aspect is that there is no preliminary round, but only a first round that is held live rather than being based only on a recording. Why is that significant?
In most competitions today, there is a video submission to begin with. That can be convenient, but it also creates problems. A good recording can cost a lot of money, and not every young musician has access to professional equipment or a suitable recording space.

Some people are also simply not very comfortable with the technical side of things. They may be wonderful musicians but not particularly good at making videos.

A live first round feels more human. You meet the performer directly and hear them in the atmosphere for which the competition is intended. I think that can make the whole process less sterile and give more people a genuine chance.

Does this also make the competition more accessible financially?
Yes, I believe it can. Financial considerations are a real issue for young musicians. In some countries, students may have access to a pianist through their university. In others, they have to pay for every rehearsal and recording themselves.

The Belgrade programme also includes solo repertoire, which can help reduce some of those costs. Of course, participants still have to travel to the competition, but not having to produce an expensive professional recording at the outset can make a meaningful difference.

Talent should not disappear simply because someone cannot afford the most sophisticated recording.

What are you hoping to find when you sit on the jury?
I am looking for someone who has something to say. I do not have a particular career path in mind. The winner might become a soloist, a chamber musician, an orchestral player or a teacher. At this stage, it is impossible to know.

What matters is that there is an inner need to express something. Whether the musician is playing a concerto, a sonata or chamber music, the performance should have a point of view.

I am not looking for an impersonal kind of perfection. I want to hear a musician whose sound and musical thinking stay with me.

Can a competition really influence a musician’s career?
It can certainly help, although it cannot replace years of work. A young musician still has to continue developing and striving for the highest level.

But a competition gives you a reason to prepare seriously. It allows you to measure yourself against other strong players and to see what happens when you are under pressure. That experience is valuable, even if you do not win.

It can also lead to new contacts, invitations and friendships. And sometimes, simply being heard by the right person at the right moment can open a door.

For a young violist, the Belgrade competition can be an important stepping stone—not necessarily the final destination, but a meaningful part of the journey.

The competition has recently been reorganised and is now administered by the City of Belgrade. What does this new structure bring?
The City’s involvement gives the competition greater visibility and a stronger foundation. It raises its profile and creates the possibility of more opportunities for the participants.

An international competition needs more than a good artistic programme. It also needs reliable administration, professional communication and long-term support. Sometimes a new structure like in Belgrade can help the competition reach a wider international audience and grow further.

You will be visiting Belgrade for the first time in a more substantial way. What are you looking forward to?
I know Belgrade a little from passing through the region, but I have not really had the opportunity to get to know the city. I am very curious.

Belgrade has such a rich history and a very distinctive atmosphere. There is a fascinating mixture of architecture, different cultural influences and a lively musical scene. I am looking forward to seeing the city properly, meeting people and experiencing the atmosphere around the competition.

And, of course, I am looking forward to the food. Serbian cuisine is very appealing, and good meals are always important during a competition week. It is nice when participants have the chance to experience something of the local culture instead of seeing only the rehearsal room and the concert hall.

What would you say to a young violist who is unsure whether to apply?
I would say: apply and give it a try.

You do not have to wait until you feel completely ready. Preparing for the competition will already help you grow, and performing there will teach you something about yourself. You will meet other musicians, hear different approaches to the instrument and experience an international event in a beautiful and interesting city.

Perhaps you are a very technical player. Perhaps your greatest strength is your sound or your musical imagination. Perhaps you are still developing and do not yet know exactly where you belong. All of these musicians should feel welcome in Belgrade.

There are not enough opportunities for violists, so when one appears, it is worth taking seriously.

What, ultimately, would make the 2026 viola edition a success for you?
I hope we hear musicians with individuality and genuine musical curiosity. I hope the jury and audience encounter performers who are not simply trying to play correctly, but who want to communicate something.

And I hope the participants enjoy the experience. Competitions can be stressful, of course, but they can also be exciting and inspiring. You travel to another country, hear new music, meet colleagues and discover a city.

If the Belgrade edition helps young violists become more confident, more ambitious and more connected to the international viola community, then it will have achieved something very important. And perhaps we will discover a few remarkable artists whose voices we will continue to hear for many years.

Jutta Puchhammer-Sédillot is an internationally acclaimed violist and pedagogue. Born in Vienna, she studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna with Siegfried Führlinger before completing a Master of Music at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, where she worked with Heidi Castleman. Since moving to Canada in 1987, she has established herself as a distinguished soloist, chamber musician and teacher. Her solo engagements have included appearances with orchestras in Austria, Canada, Colombia, Portugal and Switzerland. In 2015, she gave the première and made the first recording of Tim Brady’s Viola Concerto, written for her and performed with the Nova Scotia Symphony. Chamber music has always been central to her work, and she has been a founding member of several ensembles, including the Wiener Nonett, Quatuor Claudel and Trio Kegelstatt. She has also collaborated with artists such as János Starker and Lorand Fenyves.

Puchhammer-Sédillot is Professor of Viola and Chamber Music at the Université de Montréal and regularly teaches at international masterclasses and summer programmes. A passionate advocate for overlooked and contemporary repertoire, she has premiered works by numerous composers and recorded extensively for Radio-Canada, CBC and several labels.

©WFIMC 2026/FR