RULES

What you need to know:

1. Contestants must be a minimum age of 14 and a maximum age of 19.
2. Contestants must be full-time middle school or high school students (or homeschool equivalent), active in a school music program, and take lessons with a private instructor. Each application must be signed by the student, parent, and private instructor of the student.
3. Applications are limited to the first 35 students who submit a fully completed application and paid registration fee. Partial applications will not be accepted.
4. Each contestant shall perform one movement of any standard concerto or concert piece that has orchestral accompaniment. Vocalists may use standard operatic literature with orchestral accompaniment.
5. Contestants shall provide the adjudication panel with 1 hard copy of the music score.
6. Audition performance is not required to be memorized, however, medalists will be encouraged to perform from memory in the concert performance with TCSO.
7. Contestants are expected and required to provide their own accompaniment for the auditions. Pianists are to perform with a second piano (orchestral) accompaniment.
8. Contestants will have a maximum time slot of 10 minutes during their audition. Judges may stop/start the contestant during any portion of the prepared musical selection and ask to hear various sections of the prepared musical selection.
9. No previous medalist(s) may compete.
10. The medalists(s) of the TCSO Young Artists Concerto Competition may be invited to perform with the TCSO, conditional upon the availability of the music, the ability of the orchestra, and the suitability of the selection. TCSO has a maximum budget of $200 for the rental or purchase of the orchestration. As a volunteer community orchestra, we must also consider program space and orchestra morale, thus we cannot reasonably perform the same pieces every season. Certain popular selections recently performed or already programmed, like Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole, might be excluded. This will have no impact on scoring, or monetary awards.
11. Evaluation forms/comments will be emailed to all participants within 2 weeks of the audition.

The competition winners will be notified as quickly as possible after all auditions are complete. Winners will be required to email a high-resolution digital photo and a soloist biography to info@tcsomo.org. Winners must be available to rehearse at the convenience of the TCSO Music Director. All rehearsals with the TCSO are Thursday evenings from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at Principia School (see address above). Dress rehearsal before the final concert will be on the Saturday before the concert, also at Principia School, from 1:00-3:00 p.m.

Completed application forms with signatures and registration fees should be mailed to the following address:

TCSO c/o David Ackerman
925 Wilmington Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63111

Alternately, applications can be emailed to

info@tcsomo.org

Fees can be submitted via Rising Talents Contribution