Rules

International Violin and Bow Making Competition

of Mirecourt

 

General Administration

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1. Registration

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1.1. Registration is carried out exclusively online at the following address: www.lame-mirecourt.fr

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1.2. Registration is open from 1 March 2026 to 1 June 2026.

 

2. Registration Fees

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2.1. €150 for violins and violas.

2.2. €200 for cellos and double basses.

2.3. €150 for all bows (violin, viola, cello or double bass).

2.4. €400 for a quartet of instruments and a quartet of bows.

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2.5. Five per cent (5%) of the total registration fees collected for the competition will be donated to a French association selected by the organisers, working on issues related to the preservation, use and regulation of raw materials and materials used in instrument making.

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2.6. The choice of the beneficiary association designated by L.A.M.E. may not be contested.

 

3. Liability and Insurance

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3.1. For the duration of the event, the competition organisers have taken out an insurance policy covering the instruments and bows duly registered by participants. Transport to and from the competition venue remains the sole responsibility of the candidates.

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3.2. The organisers may not be held liable for damage sustained by instruments and bows beyond the scope of the insurance policy. By registering, candidates waive any right of recourse against the organisers and their insurers for any damage arising from participation that is excluded from or not covered by the insurance.

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3.3. The insurance cover takes effect upon receipt of the instruments and bows by a representative of the competition organisation or a person mandated by the organising committee, and ends when the items are returned to the candidates or their duly authorised representatives.

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3.4. If candidates choose to ship and/or retrieve their works via a professional carrier, they are responsible for arranging transport and packaging, and must ensure appropriate insurance coverage. Under no circumstances may the organisers be held liable for damage or theft occurring during transport. Where necessary, candidates must provide suitable packaging for the return shipment; failing this, the original packaging will be reused.

Shipping and return costs are entirely borne by the candidates. Should items be impossible to return, storage fees will apply.

The shipping label for the return of instruments and bows must be sent by e-mail to the organisers on lame.mirecourt@gmail.com by 28 June 2026 at the latest.

 

3.5. Upon receipt of shipped items or hand-delivered works, a condition report will be drawn up between the carrier, the candidate (or their representative), and a representative of the competition organisation.

An electronic acknowledgement of receipt will be sent to candidates.

3.6. A second condition report will be drawn up under the same conditions when the works are returned.

3.7. If the works were shipped, the condition reports, including photographic evidence, will be sent electronically to candidates to enable claims with carriers in the event of transport damage.

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General Competition Rules

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1. Objectives of the Competition

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1.1. To showcase instruments and bows which, while reflecting the great traditions of violin and bow making, express the research and personality of contemporary makers.

1.2. To assess technical mastery in coherence with the expressed style.

1.3. To evaluate the acoustic and playing qualities of the instruments and bows.

1.4. The awards aim to recognise the craftsmanship and artistic value of the submitted works and to highlight the makers responsible for them.

1.5. To exhibit all instruments and bows entered in the competition to the public, promoting contemporary and international violin and bow making.

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2. Conditions of Admission

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2.1. Instruments and bows may be made by one or more individuals. In cases of joint authorship, the identity of each contributor must be specified at registration.

2.2. Legal entities (Companies, businesses or Corporation) are not permitted to enter the competition.

2.3. Instruments and bows must not have previously received awards in any competition.

2.4. Each candidate may enter a maximum of four categories, submitting only one instrument or bow per category, with the exception of the quartet category.

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3. General Provisions

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3.1. The competition rules and assessment methods are designed to ensure fair and sincere results for all candidates, whether finalists or not.

3.2. Jury members shall judge independently and in good faith. Their integrity may not be questioned, including in cases where an awarded candidate has had a professional or personal relationship with a jury member.

3.3. Once the results are announced on Thursday, 2 July 2026, no appeals or complaints will be accepted.

3.4. After the competition, all instruments and bows will be exhibited to the public from 3 to 5 July 2026 in Mirecourt.

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4. Setup and Finish

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4.1. The varnish must be treated in accordance with Article 1.1. Instruments must be varnished without patina or artificial antiquing.

 

4.2. Instruments must be presented with a modern setup.

Viola body length must be between 40 cm and 42.5 cm.

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4.3. Bow frogs and buttons must be entirely handmade and mounted in ebony and silver.

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4.4. Instruments and bows must be ready to play. No adjustments or interventions should be required prior to jury evaluation.

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4.5. Should the jury deem a minor intervention necessary, the organising committee will arrange for it to be carried out.

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4.6. A new set of strings must be supplied with each instrument.

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4.7. Bows must be supplied rosined, preferably with a neutral rosin.

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5. Categories and Awards

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5.1. Ten categories will be included in the final results: Violin, Viola, Cello, Quartet and Double Bass (instruments and bows). Quartet categories must include at least five entrants to be judged as such.

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5.2. Instruments and bows entered in the quartet category will also be judged individually.

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5.3. If fewer than five candidates are entered in the quartet category, the instruments will be judged individually only.

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5.4. Candidates may submit only one instrument or bow per category (Article 2.4). Quartet candidates must specify which violin or violin bow they wish to be judged individually.

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5.5. Each instrument and bow category will receive a ranking for items selected for the final round.

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5.6. Each jury member (Violin Making, Bow Making, Musicians) may award a special prize per category.

5.7. The competition organisers and their partners may decide to award additional special prizes.

5.8. The nature and value of prizes will be determined at a later date.

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6. Receipt of Instruments and Bows

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6.1. Instruments and bows shipped by carrier must arrive between 22 and 27 June 2026 at:

L.A.M.E. Espace Flambeau

14, Avenue Duchêne, 88500 Mirecourt, France.

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6.2. Candidates wishing to deliver their works in person may do so exclusively on 26 and 27 June 2026 at the same address.

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7. Refund of Registration Fees

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7.1. Registrations are considered final upon receipt of payment.

7.2. In cases of duly justified force majeure, a refund request may be submitted; however, a €50 administrative fee will be retained.

7.3. No refund requests will be considered after 1st June 2026.

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8. Author Declarations

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8.1. Each instrument or bow must be accompanied by a declaration ( available on our website as soon as registration opens) clearly stating the name(s) of the individual maker(s) and its declared value for insurance purposes.
Candidates also undertake to have made the submitted instruments and bows entirely themselves, without using parts wholly or partially produced by third parties.

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9. Confidentiality / Anonymity

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9.1. No signatures, labels or brands may be visible during examination, either during condition reporting or jury assessment.

9.2. Any identifying marks inside the instrument body must be concealed.

9.3. Covers used to mask brands on bows must withstand friction and moisture. It is strongly recommended not to brand the bow (bows may be signed after the competition).

9.4. Failure to comply will result in disqualification, without appeal.

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10. Early Withdrawal

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10.1. No instrument or bow entered in the competition may be withdrawn before completion of jury deliberations.

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11. Exhibition

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11.1. Award-winning instruments and bows must be exhibited to the public from 3 to 5 July 2026 in Mirecourt.

11.2. Any awarded instrument or bow not exhibited will be automatically disqualified.

11.3. In the event of disqualification, registration fees will not be refunded.

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12. Organising Committee / Disputes

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12.1. The organising committee is primarily composed of members of the L.A.M.E. association.

12.2. Any disputes concerning the competition must be submitted in writing to:
L.A.M.E., c/o l’Atelier d’Arthur - 3, Rue Truffaut - 75017 Paris - France

12.3. French law shall be the sole applicable law.

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13. Image Rights

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13.1. Candidates authorise the organising committee to photograph submitted works for dissemination and archiving.

13.2. Candidates must sign a document authorising the use and distribution of images of their instruments and bows.

13.3. Photographs and audiovisual material produced by the competition may be deposited with the Mirecourt Museum of Violin and Bow Making for documentation purposes.

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14. Regulated Materials

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14.1. Instruments and bows must comply with international regulations concerning the protection of fauna and flora. Candidates bear sole responsibility for compliance.

14.2. In the event of sanctions arising during transport due to non-compliance, neither the organisers nor their insurers may be held liable.

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15. Juries

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15.1. Jury members are selected for their adherence to the spirit of the competition.

15.2. Juries comprise individuals recognised for their integrity within the worlds of instrument making and music.

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Jury Regulations

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Evaluation Criteria

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A) Bows

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1. Stick

2. Head

3. Frog

4. Button

5. Quality of workmanship and finish

6. Playing quality

7. Model

8. Overall impression

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B) Instruments

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1. Quality of workmanship and finish

2. Model

3. Belly

4. Back

5. Ribs

6. Scroll

7. Varnish

8. Setup

9. Overall impression

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C) Musicians’ Jury

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1. Each bow and instrument admitted to the final round will be tested by the musicians’ jury.

2. Each selected instrument and bow will be tested individually.

3. Selected instruments and bows will also be tested in chamber music performance conditions.

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Prize-Giving Ceremony

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At the conclusion of the competition, a prize-giving ceremony will be held in a venue provided by the City of Mirecourt. During the ceremony, certain award-winning instruments and bows will be played in public.
The choice of instruments and bows to be played will be made by the musicians from among the prize-winning entries.

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