Concerto/Composition Contest Guidelines and Application
Concerto/Composition Contest Guidelines and Application
KJSO Concerto and Composition Competition Guidelines
Participants must be members in good standing with the KJSO.
Participants involved in other musical activities that they do not exercise in the KJSO (e.g. singing, playing other instruments, composing) may compete in those fields; in such cases, a single member may enter the competition twice in two different fields if they wish.
a. Composers should submit three copies of their full score and a high-quality midi (or live musician if available) rendering of their work, which will be played in real-time in the hall for the judges.
Works should use an orchestration that employs at least a substantial portion of the orchestra, but does not exceed that of the KJSO roster this season.
If your piece is multi-movement, only one movement may be entered.
a. If the selected movement exceeds 10 minutes, it is recommended to make cuts to ensure that your entry is approximately 10 minutes in length. The edited version should represent the work in the most complete form possible, as opposed to simply stopping at the 10-minute mark. If you win the contest, your piece will be performed in this shortened version with the orchestra.
b. In the case of unusually short movements (e.g. less than 5 minutes), entering two movements is permitted, so long as the total of both movements does not exceed approximately 10 minutes.
Participants must bring three copies of their music to the competition for use by judges. These will not be returned. (If desired, free self-serve copies can be made at the KJSO office by appointment; contact info@kjso.org to make arrangements.)
Each participant will be assigned an audition time. Please plan to arrive at the auditions at least 15 minutes early in order to warm up.
Performers will need to provide their own accompanist. Please make sure you inquire about your accompanist’s availability before confirming your audition appointment.
The Concerto and Composition Competition is an open audition; parents, friends, and audience members are welcome to attend.
The judges will choose one winner to perform with (or whose composition will be performed by) the KJSO. They may also name one or more honorable mentions.
a. In years where both exceptional performances and compositions have been submitted, they may, at their discretion, name both one concerto winner and one composition winner. In this event, the composition winner will be awarded either a concert performance or a reading session of their work by the KJSO, to be determined by the judges in consultation with KJSOs staff members including the Music Director.
A past winner of the KJSO Concerto and Composition Competition may not re-apply until the second year following their win.