Rules and regulations

Age Categories

Young Musicians Category: 4 – 10 years old.

​Junior Category: 11 – 14 years old.

Senior Category: 15+ years old.

Application Deadline

Early Bird Registration Deadline: December 15th, 2023

• Solo Applicants: $175
• Chamber Ensemble Applicants: $275 (per ensemble)

Live in Person Application Deadline: January 15th, 2024

Live on Zoom Application Deadline: February 1st, 2024

• Solo Applicants: $195
• Chamber Ensemble Applicants: $295 (per ensemble)

Application Fees cover both the application processing fee and the selection for in-person or Zoom performance, and are not refundable.

In the application – Please select your preference:

1. Perform live (please be advised that the opportunity to perform live will be exclusively extended to the top 60 applicants). All others will be added to Live on Zoom round.
2. Perform on Zoom (choose zoom if you are outside of NY/NJ area). 

Only the top 60 applicants will be extended the opportunity to perform live at the Symphony Space Thalia Theater on February 4th, 2024, while others will participate in virtual performances through Zoom in February 2024. Zoom competition will have a separate set of winners.

Guest Fee: In the event that participants receive invitations to attend the live performance at Symphony Space Thalia Theater, family and friends are welcome to join as guests. There will be an admission fee of $30 per person, which can be paid in cash or by check at the door. 

Repertoire Requirements

Please select a piece from the musical repertoire of your choice and perform it from memory. Your video recording can be up to 10 minutes in duration, though shorter pieces are also acceptable. We kindly request that you adhere to the dress code by wearing appropriate performance attire. For all piano students, it is crucial to record your performance on an acoustic piano, not a keyboard.

In order to meet the repertoire requirements, it is essential that the chosen pieces fall within the realm of classical music, encompassing eras such as the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th century periods. It is imperative that the selected pieces are in their original, unaltered form and not derived from revised or abridged versions commonly found in technique or method books.

YouTube Submissions must include the piece name, composer name, and any other details (opus number, etc.), in the description.

Live Performance Requirements

Performances should be no longer than 5 minutes (Young and Junior Musicians Category), and no longer than 7 minutes (Senior Category).

Live on Zoom Settings

For a video guide showing step by step instructions on Zoom audio settings, click here.

Once Zoom has been successfully installed on your computer, there are a number of audio settings that should be configured in order to improve the sound quality.

To adjust Zoom audio settings on a computer, we need to go to the Preferences window in Zoom. You can get to that window on a Mac by selecting “Zoom” in the top left corner of your screen and then finding “Preferences” in the dropdown.

The following settings may need to be adjusted:

1. Check that your microphone and output devices are correct.

2. Disable (uncheck) “Automatically adjust microphone volume”.

3. Ensure that “Enable Stereo” is checked.

4. In the Advanced tab, enable (check) “Enable Original Sound from microphone”.

5. In the Advanced tab, set both noise reduction settings to DISABLED.

For more information, visit this page.

Reservations of Rights

We reserve the right to utilize, reproduce, and distribute the following materials submitted to the competition:

1.) Audio or video recordings.

How to Apply

To apply for the Competition, participants must submit the following information at our competition registration page:

• A completed online Application Form.
• YouTube link to the video recording.
• Application fee.

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Competition Rules​​

– Only unedited video can be accepted for the audition (Videos composed of connected parts or clips will not be accepted).

– The video recording should provide a fair representation of the participant’s abilities, without requiring professional quality. Ensure that the applicant’s name and the precise title of the recording are both included in the YouTube video description.

– Judges’ comments will not be disclosed. Judges’ decisions are final, ultimate and not subject to appeal.

– Contestants advancing to the LIVE ROUND will be exclusively selected based on the submitted video recordings.

– Contestants may choose to perform a different piece at a LIVE ROUND.

– Several winners may be selected in each category.

– Grand Prize can be awarded for an outstanding performance.

– Selected Contestants by the PRELIMINARY JURY will be invited to perform at the LIVE ROUND.

Option 1: In Person (Jury selects top 60 contestants)
Date: February 4th, 2024
Location: Symphony Space Thalia Theater

Option 2: On Zoom (All others are invited to compete Live on Zoom)
Dates: February 17th and February 18th, 2024

Winner’s Recital (Additional fee will apply)
Date: March 10, 2024
Location: Symphony Space Thalia Theater
– Award winners from the Live Round must perform at the Winner’s Recital.