Prizes Awarded at Gustav Mahler Cello Competition

As the winner of the 2022 Gustav Mahler Cello Competition, German cellist Constantin Siepermann will receive the prize money of 30,000 CZK (approx. $1,400 USD). He is currently a student of Jean-Guihen Queyras at the Freiburg School of Music.

Based in Jihlava in the Czech Republic, where Mahler lived for fifteen years, the competition is organized by the Gustav Mahler Institute Prague. Cellists of any nationality were invited to apply, and there were eleven separate age categories, with all competitors aged 30 or younger.

This year, the competition ran online, with all applicants submitting pre-recorded entries. There were no repertoire requirements, but all players were required to perform from memory.

A range of other prizes was also awarded; you can view the full results here.

"The level of all the young cellists was extremely high, but only one can win, and we’re glad that there was a consensus in the jury," said jury chair Petr Nouzovský. "Thank you to my fantastic colleagues in the jury! I am looking forward to seeing you all in Jihlava in the future."

You can view Siepermann's winning recording below.