The Young Artist Competition Rules

[The following rules for the 2009 Young Artist Competition are subject to change. The final rules will be posted before November 1, 2009.]

The 2009 auditions will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2009 in the First Parish Unitarian-Universalist Church which is in the center of Arlington, MA at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Pleasant Street (Rte. 60). It is reachable by MBTA bus.

If you decide to compete, you must submit an application. The application form is available here, however it must be printed out and mailed to the address below. When your application is accepted, you will be given an appointment for your audition, which will be approximately fifteen minutes in length. We will try to schedule your audition according to any requests noted on your application. You will be asked to perform, with an accompanist of your choice, works or portions of works you have prepared as indicated on your application. These works must be solos for your instrument or voice with orchestral and/or choral accompaniment.

The framework for this year's competition:

The competition is open to individual musicians who will be 29 years of age or under at the time of the audition, i.e., those born after April 25, 1979.
Each entrant must provide the contest committee with biographical information as requested on the application form. The application form is available here or by request to the address below; please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
A non-refundable application fee of $40 must accompany each application form. (Make check payable to Philharmonic Society of Arlington.)
Applications are due on or before April 2, 2007. When all audition time blocks have been filled, no more applications will be accepted. Send applications to:

Young Artist Competition
c/o Ms. Chris Kergaravat
94 William St
Stoneham, MA 02180

Contestants are expected to perform works as indicated in advance on their applications. At the time of the audition the contestant---not the judges---will select which works to perform.
All contestants must provide their own accompanists. A list of known local accompanists is available upon request.
All contestants will be judged upon musicianship and quality of performance---not on age.
One First Prize winner will be selected in each of two categories:

The Young Artist Performance Award winner will receive a prize of $1000 upon performing with a Philharmonic Society performing organization during its 2009-2010 season. A $650 Second prize and a $350 Third prize will also be awarded in the principal competition.
The Leonard D. Wood Award winner, a young contestant 18 years of age or younger, will receive a prize of $500 and, at the discretion of the Society's musical directors, may be asked to perform with the orchestra or chorus. A $350 Second prize and a $150 Third Prize will be awarded in the Wood Award category.

The limited number of audition periods will be assigned in order of receipt of applications.
The competition committee will return application fees if the audition schedule is filled, or if, in its judgment, the applicant has not had sufficient experience to be auditioned.
Contestants will NOT have access to the audition site prior to the day of the auditions.
Contestants will be notified of the judges' decisions not later than one week after the auditions.

The application form is available here.