Young Artist Competition Requirements

Age: This competition is open to any North Olympic Peninsula instrumental music student who will be younger than 22 years old on June 1st of the year in which the concert is held and who did not win first prize in the prior year's competition. For example, a competitor for the 2012 Young Artist Competition must have been younger than 22 years old on June 12, 2012 and must not have won the Young Artist Competition in 2011. If the student had won the Young Artist Competition in 2010 or before OR any prior Junior Young Artist Competition, s/he would be eligible to enter the 2012 Young Artist Competition.

Registration: The registration fee or the Young Artist Competition is $10, and the registration deadline is December 1st of the year before the competition. Applications for registration are posted on the web site for download in September of the year preceding the competition. You may also call the Symphony Office (360.457.5579) in September for registration applications.

Music Selections: Competitors must perform a music selection of concert quality. This selection need not be a concerto, and the performance should not exceed 10 minutes. Students must be present to compete. We cannot accept performances on video tapes or DVDs. Students must bring one copy of their music for each adjudicator. The Young Artist Competition Chair will notify the student how many copies to bring for the adjudicators.

Accompanists: The competitor may choose to have an accompanist. Please note there is only one piano available.

Adjudicators: The Young Artist Committee Chair chooses adjudicators who are professional musicians known for their ability work with young musicians, as well as their ability to evaluate a musical performance. We ask adjudicators to make a written record of each student's performance, and we forward each student's evaluation to him/her after the competition. Often the adjudicators verbally review these evaluations with the students immediately after their performance. Our goal is for this competition to be a valuable learning experience for the student.

Dates/Times: Competitions are usually held on the last Saturday in January. The location for the competitions is the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 301 Lopez Avenue, Port Angeles, just south of the Port Angeles Library. The competition typically begins around 9:30 AM, and we request that students arrive at least 10 minutes prior to their performance. There are warm-up rooms, with a piano in one room.

Prizes: The Port Angeles Symphony awards a first prize and, if appropriate, a second place prize to competitors. The size of the prizes depends on the availability of funds. Currently, first prize is $500. Second- and third-place prizes may be awarded if funds are available. Results are e-mailed to all competitors the afternoon of the competition.

Recording of performances: We do not permit either audio or video recordings of the performances.

Young Artists Competition Application

Junior Young Artists Competition Application