Terms — ICMC Europe

Intercontinental Music Competition for Youth – European Stage • Vienna (ICMC Europe)

Last updated: 20 August 2026

These Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) govern participation in the Intercontinental Music Competition for Youth – European Stage • Vienna (“ICMC Europe” or “the Competition”), organised by:

Art VIDI – Artistische Vereinigung zur Integration Diverser Identitäten
Registered association (Verein)
ZVR: 1842523698
Vienna, Austria

Email: info@icmceurope.com

By submitting an application, the participant or, in the case of a minor, their parent or legal guardian confirms that they have read, understood and accepted these Terms & Conditions and the applicable Competition Rules.

The Competition Rules published on the official ICMC Europe website form an integral part of the conditions governing participation in the Competition.

1. Eligibility and Competition Rules

Participation is open to applicants who meet the eligibility requirements of the respective Competition category and age group.

The applicable age groups, categories, repertoire requirements, performance duration, Competition rounds, deadlines, evaluation procedures and other artistic and technical requirements are set out in the official Competition Rules published on the ICMC Europe website.

Applicants are responsible for reviewing the Competition Rules applicable to their category before submitting an application.

Applicants are responsible for ensuring that all submitted information is complete, accurate and up to date and that their application complies with the requirements of the selected category.

Submission of an application does not automatically guarantee admission where eligibility requirements, payment requirements, confirmation procedures or other applicable conditions have not been fulfilled.

ICMC Europe may request additional information or evidence where reasonably necessary to verify eligibility or compliance with the Competition Rules.

2. Participants Under the Age of 18

Participants under the age of 18 may participate only with the required authorisation of a parent or legal guardian.

The application must be submitted or authorised by the participant's parent or legal guardian where required.

By providing such authorisation, the parent or legal guardian:

confirms that they have the legal authority to provide such authorisation;
approves the minor's participation in the Competition;
confirms acceptance of these Terms & Conditions and the applicable Competition Rules on behalf of the minor where legally permitted;
confirms that the information submitted concerning the minor is accurate and complete;
authorises the processing of the minor's personal data to the extent necessary for administration of the Competition in accordance with the Privacy Policy.

The parent or legal guardian remains responsible for the minor participant's travel, accommodation, insurance, personal arrangements, supervision and welfare except during specific activities where ICMC Europe has expressly agreed to assume responsibility for supervision.

ICMC Europe may rely on parental or legal guardian confirmations submitted through the Competition platform unless it has reasonable grounds to believe that such confirmation is inaccurate or unauthorised.

ICMC Europe may request reasonable evidence of identity, parental responsibility, guardianship or authority where necessary.

3. Application and Registration

Applications must be submitted within the published registration period and through the official application procedure provided by ICMC Europe.

Applicants are responsible for submitting all required information, documents, repertoire details, recordings, links, confirmations and other requested materials before the applicable deadline.

Incomplete, incorrect, inaccessible or late applications may be rejected or treated as incomplete.

ICMC Europe may request additional information or clarification where reasonably necessary to verify eligibility or complete an application.

The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the email address, telephone number, date of birth, Competition category, repertoire information, CP ID and other information submitted through the Competition platform are correct.

ICMC Europe is not responsible, to the extent permitted by applicable law, for consequences resulting from incorrect, incomplete, outdated or misleading information supplied by an applicant, participant, parent, legal guardian or ensemble representative.

4. Participant Accounts and CP IDs

Participants may be required to create a participant account and will receive or use a unique Competition Participant ID (“CP ID”).

Participants are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their account credentials.

Participants must not knowingly allow unauthorised persons to access their account or use their CP ID.

Actions performed through a participant account may be treated as having been performed by the account holder unless ICMC Europe has reasonable grounds to believe that the account has been compromised or used without authorisation.

Participants must notify ICMC Europe promptly if they become aware of suspected unauthorised access to their account.

5. Ensemble Applications and Email Verification

For all applicable Piano Duet, Piano Trio, Strings Duo and Strings Trio categories, the application is submitted by one primary applicant on behalf of the ensemble.

The primary applicant must provide the information required to identify the additional ensemble members.

All additional ensemble members must individually confirm their participation through the email verification or confirmation procedure provided by ICMC Europe.

Such confirmation constitutes the ensemble member's formal confirmation of participation and acceptance of the applicable Competition Rules and these Terms & Conditions.

Where an additional ensemble member is under the age of 18, the required parental or legal guardian authorisation must also be provided where applicable.

The ensemble application is considered complete only after all required confirmations have been received within the period specified in the Competition Rules.

If confirmation from one or more ensemble members is not received within the required period, the application may be considered incomplete and the ensemble will not be eligible for evaluation or advancement.

The primary applicant is responsible for providing accurate contact information for all additional ensemble members.

Each additional ensemble member is responsible for providing or confirming the correct CP ID and completing the required verification procedure.

Verification links may be time-limited.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, ICMC Europe is not responsible for failed or delayed confirmations caused by:

incorrect email addresses;
incorrect CP IDs;
expired verification links;
spam or email filtering;
email-provider restrictions;
failure of the recipient to complete verification within the applicable deadline;
other circumstances outside ICMC Europe's reasonable control.

6. Participation Fees

Participation in Round I and Round II is subject to separate participation fees.

Payment of the Round I participation fee applies only to Round I and does not cover participation in Round II or any applicable Final Gala Concert fees.

Participants who successfully qualify from Round I receive an invitation to participate in Round II.

To accept the invitation and participate in Round II, the participant must complete the required Round II registration procedure and pay the applicable Round II participation fee within the published deadline.

Qualification from Round I does not create an obligation to participate in Round II.

Where participation in a Final Gala Concert involves performance with orchestra, an additional Orchestral Fee applies.

The amount and payment deadline of the applicable Orchestral Fee will be communicated to eligible participants and/or published on the official ICMC Europe website.

All applicable fees must be paid within the stated deadlines.

Participants are responsible for transaction, banking, currency-conversion or other charges imposed by their own bank, card issuer or payment provider.

7. Payment Processing

Payments may be processed through Stripe or another payment provider identified during checkout.

Participants are responsible for providing accurate payment information and ensuring that payment is completed successfully before the applicable deadline.

A registration or performance opportunity requiring payment is not considered financially confirmed until the required payment has been successfully received or confirmed.

ICMC Europe does not control independent payment-processing systems.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, ICMC Europe is not responsible for payment delays, rejected transactions, payment-provider outages, banking restrictions, card limitations, currency-conversion costs or other circumstances attributable to the participant, their financial institution or an independent payment provider.

8. Withdrawal and Refunds

All participation, registration and applicable Orchestral Fees are non-refundable once paid, including in the event of:

voluntary withdrawal;
non-participation;
failure to submit required materials;
failure to complete required confirmations;
personal circumstances;
scheduling conflicts;
illness;
travel difficulties;
visa or immigration issues;
inability to attend a Final Gala Concert;
failure to qualify for a subsequent Competition stage.

Fees paid for one Competition round cannot be transferred to another participant, Competition category, Competition round or future edition of the Competition.

No refund is due solely because a participant does not qualify for Round II, does not receive an award or is not selected to perform at a Final Gala Concert.

The provisions of this section apply except where reimbursement is required by mandatory applicable law.

9. Video Submissions

Where a Competition round is conducted online, participants must submit recordings in accordance with the technical and artistic requirements stated in the Competition Rules.

Participants are responsible for ensuring that:

the correct video or link is submitted;
the recording complies with the Competition Rules;
the link remains accessible throughout the evaluation period;
any required privacy or visibility settings permit access by ICMC Europe and the jury;
they possess the rights and permissions necessary to submit the recording.

ICMC Europe is not responsible for inaccessible, deleted, private, geographically restricted, corrupted or technically defective third-party video links.

Participants are responsible for checking submitted links before the applicable deadline.

ICMC Europe is not obliged to request a replacement recording where a submitted link is inaccessible or non-compliant after the submission deadline.

10. User-Submitted Materials and Third-Party Rights

Participants are responsible for ensuring that they have all rights, licences, permissions and authorisations necessary to submit any recording, photograph, composition, score, accompaniment, document, link or other material supplied to ICMC Europe.

Where submitted material contains or involves another identifiable person, the submitting participant or representative is responsible for ensuring that the submission does not unlawfully infringe that person's rights.

Submission of material to ICMC Europe does not transfer responsibility for the legality of the original creation, recording, upload or third-party hosting of that material to ICMC Europe.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, ICMC Europe is not responsible for claims resulting from materials submitted without the necessary rights, permissions or authority.

11. Jury and Evaluation

Participants are evaluated by the appointed jury according to the evaluation system and criteria established by ICMC Europe.

Jury decisions are final with respect to artistic evaluation, scoring, ranking, qualification and awards and are not subject to appeal on artistic grounds.

ICMC Europe may correct administrative, clerical, technical or calculation errors where such errors are identified.

A jury member may be excluded from evaluating a participant where ICMC Europe determines that an actual or potential conflict of interest requires such exclusion.

Participation in the Competition does not guarantee any particular score, ranking, award, qualification, invitation or performance opportunity.

ICMC Europe is not liable merely because a participant disagrees with an artistic evaluation or does not receive an expected Competition result, provided that the applicable evaluation procedure has been followed.

12. Qualification and Advancement

The Competition consists of separate stages.

Advancement is determined in accordance with the scoring requirements and Competition Rules applicable to each stage.

Successful completion of Round I constitutes an invitation to participate in Round II, subject to completion of the Round II registration requirements and payment of the applicable Round II participation fee.

Participation in Round II does not automatically entitle a participant to perform at a Final Gala Concert.

Selection for the Final Gala Concert is based on Competition results, scores and applicable qualification criteria.

Only participants who meet the required criteria and receive an official invitation from ICMC Europe are entitled to participate in the applicable Final Gala Concert.

13. Final Gala Concerts and Live Events

Participants selected for a Final Gala Concert will receive an official invitation from ICMC Europe.

If an invited participant is unable or chooses not to attend the Final Gala Concert, their Competition result, ranking, title, diploma, certificate or other award remains unchanged.

The live performance opportunity may, however, be offered to the next eligible participant according to the Competition results, scores and applicable category.

Transfer of a performance opportunity does not alter the official Competition result or award already granted.

Where participation involves performance with orchestra, payment of the applicable Orchestral Fee within the specified deadline is required to confirm the performance opportunity.

Failure to confirm participation or pay the applicable Orchestral Fee within the specified deadline may result in the performance opportunity being offered to the next eligible participant.

Participants attending a Final Gala Concert or other live ICMC Europe event are responsible for arranging and covering their own:

travel;
accommodation;
visas and immigration formalities;
insurance;
meals;
local transportation;
personal expenses,

unless expressly stated otherwise by ICMC Europe.

Participants are responsible for ensuring that they possess all documents and permissions required to enter and remain in Austria.

ICMC Europe cannot guarantee the issuance of visas, travel authorisations or other governmental permissions.

14. Responsibility at Live Events

Participants attend live Competition events on their own responsibility or, in the case of minors, under the responsibility of their parent or legal guardian except during activities where ICMC Europe has expressly undertaken supervision.

Participants and their parents or legal guardians are responsible for determining whether the participant is able to participate safely in travel, rehearsals, performances and associated activities.

Participants are responsible for obtaining any insurance they consider necessary, including appropriate travel, accident, medical and personal-property insurance.

Participants remain responsible for their personal belongings.

ICMC Europe is not responsible for loss, theft or damage to personal property except where responsibility arises under mandatory applicable law.

Participants must comply with reasonable venue, safety, organisational and staff instructions during live Competition activities.

15. Awards and Performance Opportunities

Prizes, diplomas, certificates, composer's prizes, performance opportunities, invitations and other awards are granted in accordance with the Competition Rules and jury results.

A Competition award and a live performance opportunity are separate.

Inability to participate in a live performance does not invalidate an award already earned through the Competition.

Where an award includes a live performance, workshop or other opportunity, participation may be subject to additional organisational, artistic, scheduling, venue or third-party requirements.

ICMC Europe reserves the right to make reasonable changes to concert programming, performance order, scheduling, repertoire placement and other production-related matters.

16. Young Composer Category

Participants in the Young Composer category confirm that any work submitted as their own original composition is their own work and that they have the rights necessary to submit it.

The participant retains copyright in their original composition.

By submitting an original composition, the participant grants ICMC Europe the rights necessary to receive, store, technically reproduce and make the submitted score, recording and related materials available to the appointed jury for Competition administration and evaluation.

ICMC Europe may retain submitted materials for reasonable administrative, archival and Competition-record purposes subject to applicable data protection and copyright law.

Submission does not transfer copyright ownership to ICMC Europe.

Any public performance, publication, recording, broadcasting or promotional use beyond what is necessary for Competition administration and evaluation will be governed by the Competition Rules, Privacy Policy, applicable consent arrangements, licences or other agreement where required.

The participant is responsible for ensuring that submitted work does not unlawfully infringe copyright or other third-party rights.

17. Photography, Audio, Video and Media

ICMC Europe may photograph and make audio or video recordings of Competition events, including Final Gala Concerts, rehearsals, award ceremonies and related official activities.

The processing and use of photographs, audio recordings, video recordings, participants' names, performances and other identifiable personal data are governed by the ICMC Europe Privacy Policy and applicable law.

Where consent is required for promotional or marketing use, the applicable consent will be requested from the participant or, where required, their parent or legal guardian.

Withdrawal of optional promotional consent does not automatically affect the publication or retention of official Competition results or other information processed on a separate lawful basis.

Participants acknowledge that public Competition events may also be attended by audience members, press representatives or other independent third parties.

ICMC Europe is not responsible, to the extent permitted by applicable law, for independent recording or publication by third parties over whom ICMC Europe has no reasonable control.

18. Publication of Results

ICMC Europe may publish official Competition results through its website, official social media channels, press materials and other official Competition communications in accordance with applicable law.

Published information may include the participant's name, country, Competition category, age category or group, award, ranking or result and other information reasonably necessary to announce and document Competition results.

The processing of personal data for this purpose is further described in the ICMC Europe Privacy Policy.

19. Intellectual Property

Participants retain copyright and other intellectual property rights in their own performances, compositions and original works to the extent provided by applicable law.

By submitting materials to the Competition, participants grant ICMC Europe the rights reasonably necessary to receive, access, store, technically reproduce, review and evaluate those materials for Competition administration.

Any broader publication, promotional, broadcasting or other use will be subject to the Competition Rules, Privacy Policy, applicable consent arrangements, licences or other agreement where required.

Participants are responsible for ensuring that submitted materials do not unlawfully infringe third-party intellectual property, privacy, personality or other rights.

20. Disqualification

ICMC Europe reserves the right to reject or disqualify a participant where there is a material violation of these Terms & Conditions or the Competition Rules.

Grounds may include:

false or misleading information;
failure to satisfy eligibility requirements;
failure to comply with repertoire or recording requirements;
manipulated or otherwise prohibited Competition recordings;
failure to comply with deadlines or required procedures;
infringement of third-party rights;
inappropriate, abusive or disruptive conduct affecting participants, jury members, staff, partners or the Competition;
attempts to improperly contact or influence jury members;
attempts to manipulate the evaluation or registration process;
fraud or misuse of the Competition platform.

Where reasonably possible and appropriate, ICMC Europe may request clarification before making a final decision.

Disqualification resulting from a participant's breach of these Terms or the Competition Rules does not create an entitlement to a refund except where required by mandatory applicable law.

21. Third-Party Services

ICMC Europe may use or rely upon independent third-party services in connection with the Competition, including:

payment processors;
hosting providers;
email and communications providers;
video-hosting platforms;
internet and telecommunications services;
venues;
orchestras;
accompanists;
technical providers;
other organisational or production partners.

Third parties may operate under their own terms, policies and technical conditions.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, ICMC Europe is not responsible for independent acts, omissions, interruptions, restrictions, delays, technical failures or other circumstances attributable to third parties over which ICMC Europe has no reasonable control.

Nothing in this section excludes responsibility that cannot lawfully be excluded.

22. Platform Availability and Electronic Communications

ICMC Europe takes reasonable measures to maintain the operation of its Competition platform but does not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free availability of:

the website;
registration platform;
participant accounts;
email verification;
payment interfaces;
external video platforms;
other electronic services.

Participants are responsible for completing registrations, payments, confirmations and submissions sufficiently in advance of applicable deadlines.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, ICMC Europe is not responsible for missed deadlines, incomplete registrations, failed confirmations or inaccessible submissions resulting from circumstances outside its reasonable control, including:

internet or telecommunications failures;
participant device or software failures;
incorrect information supplied by users;
email delivery problems or spam filtering;
third-party platform outages;
payment-provider interruptions;
inaccessible third-party video links.

ICMC Europe may, but is not obliged to, extend a deadline or permit correction where a technical issue is demonstrated.

23. Changes to the Competition

ICMC Europe may make reasonable changes to dates, schedules, venues, jury composition, concert programmes, organisational procedures, performance order or other Competition arrangements where necessary for legitimate organisational or artistic reasons or due to circumstances outside its reasonable control.

Material changes affecting participants will be communicated through appropriate official channels and, where applicable, directly by email.

A reasonable organisational change that does not prevent the Competition from providing the essential service for which a participant registered does not automatically create an entitlement to a refund, subject to mandatory applicable law.

24. Cancellation, Postponement and Force Majeure

ICMC Europe shall not be responsible for failure, delay, cancellation, postponement, relocation or modification caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control.

Such circumstances may include, without limitation:

natural disasters;
fire or flooding;
governmental restrictions;
public health emergencies;
epidemic or pandemic conditions;
war;
terrorism or serious security threats;
civil disturbance;
strikes;
venue closures;
transportation disruption;
power or telecommunications failure;
significant technical failures;
illness or unavailability of essential artistic or organisational personnel;
other comparable circumstances beyond ICMC Europe's reasonable control.

Where a Competition event must be cancelled, postponed, relocated or materially modified, ICMC Europe will determine reasonable appropriate measures taking into account the circumstances, services already provided, costs already incurred and applicable mandatory legal obligations.

Nothing in this section removes any refund or other right that a participant has under mandatory applicable law.

25. Limitation of Liability and Allocation of Responsibility

Participants participate in the Competition and, where applicable, attend live Competition activities on their own responsibility or, in the case of minors, under the responsibility of their parent or legal guardian, subject to responsibilities that ICMC Europe expressly assumes or that arise under mandatory law.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, ICMC Europe shall not be liable for loss, damage, expense, delay or inability to participate resulting from:

circumstances outside its reasonable control;
inaccurate or incomplete information supplied by a participant or representative;
failure by a participant to comply with deadlines or procedures;
acts or omissions of independent third parties;
travel, accommodation, visa or personal arrangements;
independent payment-provider failures;
third-party video or communications platform failures;
loss or damage to personal property;
the participant's failure to obtain appropriate insurance or permissions.

ICMC Europe does not guarantee any particular Competition outcome, score, award, ranking, qualification, performance opportunity or professional benefit.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, ICMC Europe shall not be liable for indirect or consequential loss arising from circumstances outside its reasonable control.

Nothing in these Terms & Conditions excludes or limits liability for intentional misconduct, gross negligence, personal injury caused by fault where such liability cannot lawfully be excluded, or any other liability that cannot legally be excluded or limited under mandatory Austrian or European Union law.

Any exclusion or limitation contained in these Terms applies only to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.

26. Personal Data and Privacy

Personal data submitted in connection with the Competition is processed in accordance with the ICMC Europe Privacy Policy and applicable data protection law, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Austrian data protection law.

Participants and, where applicable, parents or legal guardians are responsible for reviewing the Privacy Policy before submitting an application.

27. Official Communications

Applicants are responsible for providing a valid and accessible email address and for regularly checking communications relating to their participation, including spam or junk folders.

Official Competition communications may be sent to the email address provided in the application or associated with the participant account.

For minor participants, communications may also be directed to the parent or legal guardian identified in connection with the application.

For ensemble applications, each additional ensemble member is responsible for completing the required participation confirmation.

ICMC Europe is entitled to rely on the contact information supplied through the Competition platform until it is updated by the participant or authorised representative.

28. Electronic Acceptance and Records

Acceptance of these Terms & Conditions may be recorded electronically through the Competition platform.

ICMC Europe may retain records reasonably necessary to document:

the version of the Terms accepted;
the version of the Privacy Policy acknowledged;
the date and time of acceptance;
the relevant participant, CP ID and/or application;
parental or legal guardian confirmation where applicable;
ensemble confirmations;
other required registration acknowledgements.

Such electronic records may be used to document the registration process and the confirmations provided in connection with participation.

29. Entire Agreement and Competition Rules

These Terms & Conditions, together with the applicable Competition Rules, Privacy Policy and any specific conditions expressly communicated for a particular Competition stage, award or performance opportunity, constitute the relevant framework governing participation in ICMC Europe.

In the event of an inconsistency concerning artistic or Competition-specific requirements, the applicable published Competition Rules govern those requirements.

Mandatory provisions of applicable law remain unaffected.

30. No Waiver

Failure by ICMC Europe to enforce a provision of these Terms in a particular case does not constitute a permanent waiver of that provision or prevent ICMC Europe from enforcing it in another appropriate case.

31. Applicable Law

These Terms & Conditions are governed by Austrian law, subject to mandatory consumer-protection and conflict-of-law provisions that may apply.

Nothing in these Terms deprives a consumer of mandatory protections granted by the law applicable to them where such protections cannot legally be excluded by agreement.

32. Jurisdiction

To the extent legally permissible, disputes relating to these Terms & Conditions or participation in the Competition shall be subject to the competent courts in Austria.

Where mandatory consumer-protection or jurisdiction rules grant a participant the right to bring or defend proceedings before another competent court, those mandatory rights remain unaffected.

33. Severability

If any provision of these Terms & Conditions is found to be invalid, unlawful or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain unaffected to the extent permitted by law.

The invalidity of an individual provision does not, to the extent legally permissible, invalidate the Terms & Conditions as a whole.

34. Amendments to These Terms

ICMC Europe may update these Terms & Conditions where reasonably necessary due to changes in law, Competition procedures, technical systems or organisational requirements.

The version applicable to an application will be the version presented or otherwise made applicable at the relevant time, subject to any changes required by mandatory law.

Material changes affecting an existing participant's rights or obligations will be communicated where required.

35. Contact

Organizer:
Art VIDI – Artistische Vereinigung zur Integration Diverser Identitäten
ZVR: 1842523698
Vienna, Austria

Competition:
Intercontinental Music Competition for Youth – European Stage • Vienna (ICMC Europe)

Email: info@icmceurope.com

For questions concerning participation, applications or these Terms & Conditions, please contact ICMC Europe using the contact details above.