The Walter W. Naumburg Foundation sponsors competitions and provides awards for young
classical musicians in North America. Founded in 1925, it operates the prestigious Naumburg Competition.
Foundation and concerts
It was founded in 1925 by Walter Wehle Naumburg, a wealthy amateur
cellist and son of noted New York City music patron and philanthropist
Elkan Naumburg. Elkan Naumburg, owner of the eminent Wall Street bank E. Naumburg & Co., founded the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts in 1905. The concerts were originally performed at the bandstand on the concert ground of New York's
Central Park, and starting in 1923 were performed in the
Naumburg Bandshell at the same location.
Naumburg Competition
The Naumburg Competition is one of the oldest and most prestigious music competitions in the world. The website San Francisco Classical Voice writes that "the Naumburg Competition has one of the best track records of selecting young musicians who, in short order, build significant careers".[1] The first competition was held in 1926. In an open audition format,
pianists,
violinists, and
cellists were all eligible to compete. In 1928 it was expanded to include
vocalists. The prize included cash awards and the opportunity to play concerts in New York's
Town Hall, which virtually insured reviews by New York's most influential music critics. In 1946,
Aaron Copland and
William Schuman joined the Naumburg Foundation board of directors, and shortly afterwards the Foundation began awarding
composers with recording projects. In 1961, the format of the competition was changed into a professional competition with a single winner, for one particular discipline. In 1965, the competition was expanded to include
chamber music ensembles.
Since the early 1970s, the Naumburg Competition has generally rotated three different categories – piano, strings, and voice – on a triennial basis (although there have also been competitions for
flute,
clarinet, and
classical guitar). Winners receive a cash prize and two recital appearances in
Alice Tully Hall. Other opportunities include a recording project, a commission (to be premiered in one of the Alice Tully Hall recitals) and many performance opportunities throughout the United States.