Czech Pianist Wins the 2025 Leipzig Bach Competition

On March 21, 2025, the Leipzig Bach Competition concluded with a grand final and award ceremony at the Gewandhaus zu Leipzig. Since March 14, 24 outstanding pianists from 13 countries had gathered in Leipzig to compete for the prestigious Bach Prize. Three finalists advanced to the final round:

1st Prize: Jan Čmejla / 21 years old / Czech Republic

2nd Prize: Marek Kozák / 31 years old / Czech Republic

3rd Prize: Mariamna Sherling / 23 years old / Israel

The competition’s Artistic Director, Michael Maul, and Jury Chair, Vanessa Latarche, presented the awards to the winners after the final performances.

Prize:

1st Prize: €20,000

2nd Prize: €10,000

3rd Prize: €5,000

The Leipzig Bach Competition is one of the most prestigious music competitions in the world. It is a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC, Geneva) and is jointly organized by the Bach Archive Leipzig and the University of Music and Theatre “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy” Leipzig, with Sparkasse Leipzig as the main sponsor. The final round was presented in collaboration with the MDR Symphony Orchestra.

The 2026 Leipzig Bach Competition (Violin Category) will take place from March 13 to 21, where a new Bach Prize winner will be crowned.