ImproTone 2026: The Little Prince

First year of the international competition is inspired by the book that enchants children and adults alike

Society for Improvisation in Classical Music announces the first edition of the ImproTone International Classical Improvisation Competition on 22nd of April 2026. This year's theme, the book The Little Prince by the French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, was chosen by SICM members based on three criteria.

 First, they consider it a diverse, poetic work that encourages the creation of a variety of musical improvisations. And secondly, it is a material of interest to both children and adult musicians and is therefore suitable for all ages.

Competition rules

The ImproTone competition is open to musicians from all over the world from 7 to 27 years old. It is conducted by correspondence, so competitors must make a video recording of their performance and then send it electronically to the competition organizers. Contestants can be inspired by the entire book The Little Prince or choose to focus on a particular chapter or character, relationship, idea or anything else they find interesting. The maximum length of the improvisation depends on the category the contestant falls into. www.improtone.com

CategoryAge of contestantsMaximum length of improvisation
I.7 to 9 years1 minute and 30 seconds
II.10 to 12 years1 minute and 30 seconds
III.13 to 15 years2 minutes and 15 seconds
IV.16 to 18 years2 minutes and 15 seconds
V.19 to 21 years3 minutes
VI.22 to 27 years3 minutes

How to participate

www.improtone.com  

If you have ever created your own music in the moment - whether making up a song as you sing it, or inventing a melody on your instrument - you have stepped into the world of musical improvisation!

Through the ImproTone competition, we invite you to share your spontaneous creativity and connect with a community of improvising musicians around the world. Musicians ages 7-27 can submit videos between April 22 and August 23 on any instrument or voice. All styles of music are welcome.

All contestants will receive helpful and encouraging feedback from professional improvisers, and finalists will receive a special invitation to learn and perform at events in Prague.

We look forward to your submissions and encourage you to continue your adventures in improvised music!