Exhibition 2025

In the 11th edition of the Telekom Beethoven Competition, female composers are included in the competition repertoire for the first time—an important step toward greater visibility and diversity on the concert stages of tomorrow.

In the second round of the competition, participants will interpret works by Beethoven as well as compositions by Johannes Brahms, Franz Liszt, and Franz Schubert, but also by Fanny Hensel and Clara Schumann. In the second round of the competition, participants will interpret not only Beethoven, but also compositions by Johannes Brahms, Franz Liszt, and Franz Schubert, as well as Fanny Hensel and Clara Schumann.

To specifically honor this repertoire, for the first time, a prize will be awarded for the best interpretation of a work by a female composer – endowed with 1,000 euros. The Schumann Prize, which has been donated to the competition for a long time, will also explicitly include works by Clara Schumann this year, in addition to those by Robert.

Accompanying this, a cooperation with the Research Center for Music and Gender at the University of Music, Drama, and Media in Hanover will present an exhibition at the Telekom headquarters. Historical letters, first editions, and original sheet music offer insights into the lives and works of selected female composers. The exhibition is open to the public free of charge during the day and invites visitors not only to listen, but also to take a fresh look and learn something about Beethoven's female contemporaries.

In Cooperation with the Forschungszentrum Musik und Gender der Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover,