Saturday, March 4, 2023 | All Day | Location: MCC Performing Arts Center

SOLO & DUET – COMPETITION GUIDELINES

REQUIREMENT FOR TEACHERS:
To enter students in the EVMTA Piano Competition, each teacher needs to participate with his/her studio in at least one of the following EVMTA events: Music Showcase (October), Fall Recital (November), Composers Celebration Concert (December), or Piano Ensemble (January/February). Participating students do not have to be the same students who will be enrolled at the competition. Please check the EVMTA yearbook for the information and application deadlines for those events.

COMPETITION DATE: Saturday, March 4, 2023 (individual times TBA following receipt of all applications)
WINNERS’ RECITAL AND AWARDS CEREMONY: Sunday, March 5, 2023 at 2:30
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Wednesday, February 1, 2023, at 11:59 PM
LOCATION: MCC Performing Arts Center
ADDRESS: 1520 S Longmore, Mesa, AZ 85202

PRELIMINARY ROUND:
If the number of applicants requires preliminary auditions, it will be held via video recordings. We encourage applicants to prepare their videos before the application deadline in case preliminary auditions are necessary. See the Guidelines for Video and Score Submissions.
The video/score submission deadline is Sunday, February 12, 2023, at 11:59 PM.

REQUIRED REPERTOIRE: Two pieces, performed from memory, one from each category:
1. Baroque or Classical
2. Romantic or Impressionistic or Contemporary
REQUIRED REPERTOIRE FOR PIANO DUET: Compositions for ONE piano, 2 performers. Only students are allowed to participate. The repertoire level must be appropriate for Category D or higher.

APPLICATION FEES:
Categories A & B $30.00
Categories C & D $35.00
Categories E & F $40.00
Piano Duets $30.00 per couple

AWARDS FOR SOLO AND DUET PIANO COMPETITION:
Gold medal – one winner only
Silver Medal – up to two winners
Bronze Medal – up to three winners
Honorable Mention – awarded at the discretion of the judges
Winners of each category will receive a medal and cash awards. Honorable mentions will not receive cash awards.

Special Award: One participant from the solo division will be selected to receive a special jury award.
Please Note: Students who compete in the solo division or in both solo and duet divisions cannot participate in the
Jason Sipe Prize Performance competiton. Students who are competing ONLY in the duet division will be allowed to
participate in a solo category in the Jason Sipe Prize Performance competition.

REQUIRED AGE AND TIME ALLOTMENT FOR EACH CATEGORY (ages are as of 3/4/2023)

Category A — Ages 7 & under — 6 minutes
Category B — Ages 8 & 9 — 8 minutes
Category C — Ages 10 & 11 — 10 minutes
Category D — Ages 12 & 13 — 12 minutes
Category E — Ages 14 & 15 — 15 minutes
Category F — Ages 16 & 18 — 20 minutes
Piano Duet — Ages 12-18 — 8 minutes

TIME ALLOTMENT- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

  • Entrants may not exceed the prescribed time limit. Performances exceeding the specified time limits may be stopped at the judges’ discretion, and exceeding the time limit may result in disqualification. 
  • Students may choose to compete in a higher category than their appropriate age. 
  • First place winners from the previous competition are ineligible to compete in the same age category again, but they may compete in higher-age categories.

REGISTRATION GUIDELINES

  • Registration MUST be done Online 
  • Registration MUST be completed by teachers only. 
  • Each piece should be labeled with the complete title in the designated area. For example: Sonata in c sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2, III. Presto agitato. 

REPERTOIRE REQUIREMENTS

  • SOLO DIVISION: Two memorized pieces are to be presented. One work must be from the Baroque or Classical period, and the other from the Romantic through Contemporary periods. 
  • PIANO DUET DIVISION: The repertoire must be ONE piece by composers of renown and/or established pedagogical composers from one of the standard time periods of music. Pieces may or may not be performed from memory.
  • Multiple movements of a work may be entered as one selection. 
  • No cut is permitted in longer works, such as variations at the performer’s discretion.
  • Original compositions by composers of renown are preferred. Transcriptions by acclaimed composers (such as Liszt or Rachmaninoff) may be allowed, but they need prior approval by the chair to secure the artistic level of the program. 
  • Pieces from method books are not allowed unless they are written by renowned composers. 
  • Students with PDF scores downloaded from the Internet need to have permission to use this music (please contact the chairperson). Also, they must complete the MTNA Music Release Form. No photocopies from published books are allowed.
  • All scores must be checked by the competition monitor prior to the entrant’s performance. Measures must be numbered at the beginning of each line. 
  • No changes in repertoire are allowed after the application deadline.
  • All questions concerning appropriateness of the chosen repertoire may be directed to the chairperson at ntahbaz@asu.edu.

PRELIMINARY AUDITION:
If the number of applicants requires preliminary auditions, it will be held via video recordings. We encourage applicants to prepare their videos before the application deadline in case preliminary auditions are necessary. Teachers will be notified by Friday, February 3, 2023, whether or not their students are required to participate in a preliminary round. The video/score submission deadline is Sunday, February 12, 2023, at 11:59 PM. The results of the preliminary round will be announced one week prior to the competition’s date, and the comments will be emailed to teachers after the competition.

GUIDELINES FOR VIDEO AND SCORE SUBMISSION:

  • The video must be recorded in ONE take and must NOT involve any audio or visual editing. The two pieces should be performed back-to-back.
  • Recordings made with a professional camcorder and microphones are highly recommended. The use of iPhones or similar quality devices that reproduce good quality sound is also acceptable.
  • Submissions must NOT be publicized before the competition results are announced.
  • Only recordings made on acoustic pianos (upright or grand) are accepted. The competitor’s face, hands, and feet must be clearly visible in the video at all times.
  • Include composers and full titles of the pieces (opus, catalog numbers, etc.) in the description of the video on YouTube. Do NOT include the name of the performer or teacher.
  • No speaking and warmup are allowed in the video.
  • To ensure the quality and consistency of the videos among entrants, set up the camera from the audience’s perspective, limit background noise, and make sure the performance space is well lit.
  • Record the video first, then upload it to YouTube under “unlisted” option. Recording within the YouTube app may cause compression of the file and reduced sound quality.
  • The YouTube channel must NOT reveal the applicant’s identity and/or their teacher’s name. Send the YouTube link with the complete information of the performer, teacher, and a digital copy of the scores in a single email to ntahbaz@asu.edu by Sunday, February 12, 2023 at 11:59 PM.
  • The score for pieces must be compiled in one pdf file and in the same order of performance.
  • Further information regarding updating the title of the videos and getting them ready for the preliminary adjudication will be emailed to the teachers after the submission deadline.

COMPETITION
Entrants will perform for a panel of three judges. It is left to the discretion of the judges to make decisions on the awards. Decisions of the judges are final and may not be challenged. Chairperson(s) of the competition may enter students, but judges of the competition may NOT enter students.

TEACHERS’ AND STUDENTS’ RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Each student entered must have studied with the current teacher entering him/her for at least six months prior to the competition.
  • Each teacher must abide by all requirements and deadlines. Non-compliance will result in disqualification.
  • All questions/inquiries should come from the teachers only.
  • Participating teachers, students, and their parents should respect the judges and organizers of the competition and allow the competition to run smoothly. If there are any complaints, they can be delivered in a written form.
  • Gold Medal winners will perform one piece selected by the judges at the Winners’ Recital. No change is allowed by teachers.
  • Participating teachers are expected to volunteer their time to the competition or furnish a substitute volunteer if they are not available. They will receive a sign-up form for volunteering from the chair prior to the competition.

Teachers must not identify themselves, nor their students, to the judges at any time. Doing so will result in disqualification for that student. Names of the teacher and/or the student must not be found on the music. All such identifying marks must be completely covered. Each student entered must have studied with the current teacher entering him/her for at least six months prior to the competition.

No video or audio recording is allowed at the competition. Winners’ recital may be recorded.

For any questions or more information, please send an email to ntahbaz@asu.edu

REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT IS NOW CLOSED
Online registration is available from 1/18/2023 – 2/1/2023

Click Here for the EVMTA Event Cancellation Policy

MCC Performing Arts Center
1520 S Longmore
Mesa, AZ 85202