Donatella Flick and HRH The Duke of Kent announce Nicolò Foron as winner of 17th Donatella Flick Conducting Competition in 2023 © Mark Allan
Young conductors invited to apply for the 18th Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition and the chance to win £15,000 Prize and LSO Assistant Conductor role
- Applications for 2025 Competition now open
- Sir Antonio Pappano chairs jury for first time, joined by Sir James MacMillan, Sian Edwards, Kirill Karabits, Sarah Quinn and Rachel Gough
- Final Round of Competition to be streamed worldwide by medici.tv
2-4 December 2025, LSO St Luke’s, London
Applications have opened for the 18th Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition, set to take place on 2-4 December 2025 at LSO St Luke’s, London. Young conductors are invited to apply from today, 11 December 2024 until 3 April 2025 via the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition website.
With a first prize of £15,000 and the opportunity to become Assistant Conductor with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) for a year, the internationally-renowned Competition provides a transformative career opportunity for talented conductors aged 30 or under from all over Europe.
Established in 1990 by Donatella Flick, the biennial competition bridges the gap between conservatoire training and professional careers for young conductors. Over 30 years, it has launched the careers of many esteemed winners, including Elim Chan (2014) who recently conducted the First Night of the BBC Proms, Clemens Schuldt (2010), Music Director of the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, and David Afkham (2008), Chief Conductor and Music Director of the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España.
In 2025, the Competition celebrates its 35th year and will see 20 conductors compete at LSO St Luke’s, London, with three finalists conducting the London Symphony Orchestra during the grand final, streamed live globally on medici.tv.
Sir Antonio Pappano, Chief Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, chairs the jury for the first time for the 2025 Competition. He is joined by an impressive roster of musicians including composer and conductor Sir James MacMillan, conductors Sian Edwards and Kirill Karabits, and LSO musicians Sarah Quinn (Sub-Principal Second Violin and Chair of the Board) and Rachel Gough (Principal Bassoon).
Sir Antonio said: “After being involved with the Competition for a few years now, it’s an honour to be chairing such an esteemed jury for 2025. I want to extend my thanks to Donatella Flick for bringing us together, and for her great vision and longstanding provision of such an invaluable opportunity for the next generation of conductors. To all conductors who are eligible to take part, I strongly encourage you to apply, and I look forward to hearing your work and possibly working with you next year.”
Donatella Flick, Founder of the Competition, said: “I’m delighted that we are underway for the 18th LSO Conducting Competition. After 35 years, I am constantly impressed by the talent, dedication and creativity of those who take part in the Competition and I’m sure this year will be no exception. I hope that young conductors will be inspired to apply to share their talent with us, and I look forward to meeting successful applicants in London next year.”
The Final Round of the Competition will also be streamed live on medici.tv, allowing viewers from around the globe to catch the excitement of the Competition and see the winner announced live. Further details on the broadcasting of the Competition will be announced in due course.
Full information on the Competition, how to apply and details of rules and repertoire are available on the DFCC website.