THE COMPETITION · OUR PURPOSE
A recording begins with an idea.
A programme shaped by curiosity. An interpretation with something to say. A musical perspective worth sharing.
DV Young Sounds is the international recording competition created by Da Vinci Publishing for emerging soloists and chamber ensembles with a distinctive artistic project.
We look for musical quality, thoughtful programming and a clear sense of purpose: what brings these works together, what the performers hear in them, and what their recording can offer listeners.
On this page
01 / A distinctive competition. A complete publishing journey.
DV Young Sounds brings the competition directly into the life of an independent record label. The winning projects enter a professional publishing process, from recording and post-production to release, promotion and international distribution through Da Vinci Classics.
The opportunity extends beyond the recording sessions. Each selected project becomes part of a catalogue, with an editorial context and a route to listeners through the label’s established network.
This connection between artistic selection, recording production and the continuing work of a publisher defines the competition.
02 / The ethos behind the label
Da Vinci Publishing brings together recording production, music publishing and musical research. Its catalogue embraces established repertoire, overlooked works, new discoveries and individual approaches to familiar music.
At the heart of this work is a question: why should this project be recorded, and what does it contribute?
For DV Young Sounds, that means listening closely to the relationship between performers and repertoire. Technical accomplishment matters, alongside interpretative imagination, coherence and the ability to communicate a musical idea.
We value projects with a reason to exist—and artists prepared to develop them through a constructive dialogue with the publisher.
03 / Bringing the recording to listeners
Publication gives a project its place in the catalogue. Distribution and promotion help it find its audience.
Da Vinci’s network combines physical distribution in international territories with availability through digital music services and specialist listening platforms. Its press and communication work introduces recordings to relevant critics, journalists, radio producers and music media, according to the character of each project.
The same editorial attention that shapes a recording also informs how it is presented: its repertoire, its performers and the ideas that make it worth hearing.
04 / A history told through recordings
The competition’s archive brings together projects from 2021 onwards. Across successive editions, these programmes have explored different periods, instrumental combinations and musical traditions.
The recordings already published reveal the breadth of that work: rediscovered repertoire, distinctive chamber programmes and interpretations shaped by a clear artistic identity.
Now approaching its seventh edition in 2027, DV Young Sounds continues to build this history through the musicians it selects and the recordings it brings to listeners.
05 / Bring your project to DV Young Sounds
Whether you have already released recordings or are developing a new direction, we welcome a proposal that expresses your musical identity.
Explore the awards, read the rules and discover how to submit your project for the 2027 edition.