Round One of the Competition takes place from Wednesday 27 to Friday 29 April. Three venues will be running simultaneously in Mayfield School. Each competitor will play for 20 minutes, and members of the audience are free to move between the venues.

The programme covering the Competition and the Festival costs £5 and allows entry to the three days of Round One. It can be bought on the door, on the day. Students in full-time education may apply for free tickets for Round One of the Competition.

About the Tunbridge Wells International Music Competition

This international competition for outstanding young concert artists is recognised around the world as a unique event. It started in 1979, and became part of the Mayfield Festival in 2016, hosted by Mayfield School.

The Competition has played an important role in the careers of many internationally celebrated musicians. Past winners include: piano virtuoso Paul Lewis; opera stars Anne Sofie von Otter and Patricia Rozario; great Spanish clarinettist Joan Enric Lluna; Russian pianist Yuri Didenko, and flautist Michael Cox, currently principal flute of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Competitors, aged between 16 and 27, will perform in one of three sections: piano, strings or wind (including brass); they must be of concert performance standard and be ready for a professional career. At least two works, or two parts of different works, must be performed in each round. They will be judged on displaying an understanding of a range of different musical languages, periods and styles and must present a varied and balanced programme in all three rounds.