Young Artist Competition

Young Artist Competition for 2023-2024 is now closed to applications

Thank you for your interest in the Competition, which will return in the fall of 2024.  It will feature the expansion started this year to include two divisions:

  • A Senior (or Open) Competition for performers from 14 through 26 years of age, and

  • A Junior Competition for performers from 13 through 18 years of age.

The Senior competition winner will be awarded a solo performance with our Orchestra and a $1,000 cash prize.  The Junior competition winner will be awarded a solo performance with our Orchestra and a $500 cash prize.  The deadline for applications is TBD, but will be in mid-January 2025. Auditions will be in-person in February 2025. Winners will perform with the Orchestra at a concert during the 2024-2025 season.

Since 1986, the Pasadena Community Orchestra has offered solo performance opportunities for young instrumental artists each year through our Young Artist Competition

The Competition provides a great learning opportunity for talented young musicians to demonstrate their skill and artistry, and the audition process itself is a growing experience for players seeking to perform in public. For the winner, performing a major work with a fine community orchestra is a transformative experience, bringing recognition and new paths for musical development. And for our audience, there is the joy of witnessing and being part of the creative experience of a young artist early in their musical journey.

If you seek performance experience with an orchestra, please apply to the Competition. Even though your goal is the chance to perform a concerto live with us, the experience of the audition process will be a step in growing as a performer. We are so proud of the growing list of talented young performers who have come through our competition process. Our applicant pool comes from a very wide area, so we encourage you to share your love of music with us. You can be a part of bringing beautiful music to our local community.

For our classical music fans, be sure to attend the special concert each season where the Young Artist Competition winner performs a major work for instrumental solo and orchestra. It’s a thrilling and satisfying experience to witness the artistry of our Competition winner and to be a part of the community that made this possible.

All the information you need to apply to compete is on this web page. Please read the Competition rules carefully before applying.

YOUNG ARTIST COMPETITION RULES

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PLEASE READ RULES CAREFULLY

  1. Junior Division Competitor Age: Must be at least 13 years of age and no older that 18 years of age at the time of Final Round Audition
  2. Senior Division Competitor Age: Must be at least 14 years of age and no older that 26 years of age at the time of Final Round Audition
  3. Instrument: Competitor must perform on piano or a standard orchestral instrument. Vocalists are not included in this competition
  4. Composition and Performance: The Senior Division Competitor must be prepared to perform a complete concerto or solo work with orchestra accompaniment. The Junior Competitor must be prepared to perform a single movement excerpt from an entire concerto or solo work with orchestra accompaniment.
  5. Competition Performance: The competitor must be prepared to perform their entry as described in the “Composition and Performance” paragraph except with an accompanist (see “Accompanist” paragraph) in lieu of with an orchestra.
    1. Senior Classification: The competition will be a live performance, performed from memory, and with an accompanist provided by the competitor.
    2. Junior Classification: The competition will be divided into two rounds:
      1. First / Qualifying Round; The competitor must submit a video performance featuring themself, performed from memory, and with an accompanist provided by the competitor. Video shall be framed to allow judges to see the performer and the accompanist including their hands as each use their respective instruments. Judges will review the collective of videos by all competitors to identify those which qualify for the Final Audition Round. Please refer to the Decision process described below.
      2. Final Audition Round: The final round of competition will be a live performance, performed from memory, and with an accompanist provided by the competitor.  For both the Senior and Junior competitions, the judges will determine which portions of the presented work will be performed at the live final round audition.
  6. Accompanist: Competitors must perform with accompaniment performed by their own provided accompanist and provide one (PDF) copy of the score for the judges at the time of the live audition performance.
  7. Judges: The judges shall be selected by the the Music Director, the Concertmaster, and the Young Artist Competition Chair.
  8. Decision: The decision of the judges is final and irrevocable. Judging is based on performance standard and suitability for playing with the Orchestra. The age of a competitor is not a consideration. If, in the opinion of the judges, no competitor attains an adequate standard of excellence for the award or advancement to the next round, the judges shall have the right to promote no one.
  9. Winner Performance: The winners will receive a cash prize of $1,000 and $500 for the Senior and Junior Competitions respectively and will perform with the Orchestra at a concert during the current season. The performance date will be set in consultation with the Music Director of the Pasadena Community Orchestra and will be announced on the Pasadena Community Orchestra website. The music to be performed in the concert will normally be the competition work, subject to approval of the Music Director.
  10. Application: The application is to be completed online (along with an online application fee payment-see rule 11).
  11. Application Deadline: The closing date for receipt of entries is published on our website. It is the responsibility of the competitor to be sure that the application is submitted on time. Late applications will not be considered. Due to limited audition times, only the first twelve applications will be accepted for the Senior Competition. The Junior Competition will limit the Final Audition Round participation to a maximum of 18 competitors who advance from the Qualifying Round.  There is no limit for the number of competitors for the First Round of the Junior Division competition.
  12. Application Fee: An application fee of $75 (an additional $2.02 PayPal fee* is not included) must accompany the online entry form. Once the application has been received and accepted, no refund will be made.
  13. Additional Information: Call (213) 291-5319 or email yac@pcomusic.org.

 

*PayPal fee indicated is reflective of its amount at time of the writing of these Rules. Actual fee may differ.

PRIOR YOUNG ARTIST COMPETITION WINNERS

2008 Kristina Jacinth, piano
2007 Vijay Venkatesh, piano
2006 Jennifer Chang, cello
2005 Alaina Bercilla, flute
2004 Michele Danielle Lee, piano
2003 Grace Cho, piano
2002 Michelle Lee, piano
2001 Shelly Ren, violin
2000 Kamil Musaev, cello
1999 Amy Bowers, trombone
1998 Julia Cser, violin
1997 Fang Fang Xu, violin
1996 Amy Sue Barston, cello
1995 Marek Szpakiewicz, cello
1994 Yang Li, violin
1993 Andreas Hartmann, piano
1992 Susan Boettger, piano
1991 Mark Frankel, flute
1990 Evangeline Estrad, marimbaphone
1989 Laraine Stivers, piano
1988 Michelle Wynton. violin
1987 Kathleen Noel Beld, piccolo
1986 Laura Frautschi, violin

Frieda Keck Young Artist Award Fund

Frieda was a long-time member of the Pasadena Community Orchestra in the second violin section, and served on the board of directors. She loved children and taught violin in her home for many years. After she passed away in 2007, we were surprised and honored to discover she had left us a very generous monetary gift.

In the spirit of her legacy of supporting young musicians, PCO is pleased to apply her generosity towards sponsorship of our annual Young Artist Competition.