(total prize money of 1.000 Euro / prize money will be divided)

All students (including youth class/contact or exchange students) at the HfM Trossingen are once again invited to capture their personal impressions of their studies and their university, the study location of Trossingen and its surroundings in photographs – either documentary or artistic. Use your archive or current projects and events to depict studying and life at and around the HfM Trossingen! You are welcome to submit up to four images.

Image rights
By submitting an image, you transfer to both Volksbank Trossingen and the State University of Music the unlimited right to publish the image in print and on the Internet, without restriction in terms of time or location.

Liability
Neither Volksbank nor the State University of Music Trossingen accept any liability for the loss of or possible damage to the images submitted.

Declaration
By registering, the participant confirms that they have taken the submitted photos themselves and agree to their publication. Persons depicted in the photos also agree to their publication.

Registration deadline
Thursday, November 2, 2025, 8:00 a.m.

Pre-selection for the D-bü–Wettbewerb 2026 (endowed 3.000 Euro / may be divided)

Category: interdisciplinary / innovative concert format
(solo or ensembles of up to 8 people)

This category is open to any form of unusual, preferably interdisciplinary music projects: examples of innovative music formats include cross-genre concerts and staged concerts, spatial concepts, improvisation concerts, IT interfaces/new media, etc. This competition is based on and in preparation for the D-bü competition of the RKM (Rectors' Conference of German Music Academies), which will be hosted by the HfM Würzburg from April 27 to May 2, 2026.

Application/deadlines
Entries should be approximately 15-20 minutes in length.

• When developing the concept, a long version should be considered with regard to the D-bü competition.
• The contact person for this competition and for D-bü is Prof. Sonja Lena Schmid, who will offer a preparatory seminar in the 2025/26 winter semester.
• Round 1: by December 10, 2025 Submission of a concept for the planned contribution From the submissions, the jury will select the participants for the second round.
• Round 2: January 19 (possibly also January 20), 2026 Independent implementation of the concept in front of the jury and the university public at the designated event venue (expected to be in the Kesselhaus; an alternative venue may be proposed if necessary).
• Setup rehearsals for the second round: expected January 16-18, 2026 / opportunities to visit the venue during the week of December 15-19, 2025.
• The second round also serves as the university's preliminary selection for the RKM's D-bü-Wettbewerb competition (see above).

Any technical requirements must be met by support staff from the university's media department.

Conditions of participation
Students from all departments of the Trossingen State University of Music are eligible to apply. The total proportion of alumni, students from other universities, and participants over the age limit in the ensembles should not exceed one third.

In all other respects, the application criteria for the D-bü-Wettbewerb 2026 competition apply (see the competition announcement for details)!

Registration

• The deadline for registration for the first round is December 10, 2025.
• Registration is only possible online.
• The second round will take place on January 19–20, 2026, at the Kesselhaus.

Requirements:

• An inspiring title for the planned contribution.
• A concept of no more than four pages.
• A short summary of the project (for a program booklet).
• Brief information about all participants (name, degree program, semester).

Special prize for composition
A special prize will be awarded in the same context for the best original student composition (analog, digital, or hybrid / solo or chamber music), endowed with 500 Euro for the composer.

Jury
Full-time lecturers from all five departments, including the Trossingen contact person for the D-bü-Wettbewerb (Prof. Sonja Schmid), chair: Rector Prof. Christian Fischer 

The call for entries for the Iris Marquardt Prize / Special Prize 2026 will be announced and advertised in good time.

The description for the DAAD scholarship 2026 will be announced and advertised in good time.