The Premier Concerto Competition with Full Orchestra
The International Young Artist Concerto Competition provides an unforgettable experience to perform as a soloist with a professional orchestra in the semifinal and final round.
The International Young Artist Concerto Competition 2024 is open for students 18 years of age or younger. Applicants are welcome to submit one movement of a concerto on any instrument. Any concerto may be selected, as long as the orchestra parts are available on IMSLP or nkoda. Applications are open to young artists internationally. At least one student under the age of 13 will be selected to move into the semifinal round. Students that move to the semifinals round will perform with a live professional orchestra in Chicago, IL.
Apply by December 10, 2023
1st round is a pre-recorded video round, submitted by December 23, 2023.
16 applicants who demonstrated significant musicality and capability to play with an orchestra, will be selected to participate in semifinal round on January 27, 2024.
4 finalists will be chosen to compete on January 28, 2024.
One winner will be announced Sunday on January 28, 2024.
FIRST ROUND
Competition registration opens August 1st through December 10th, 2023. Upload your video and other media by December 23, 2023.
Applicants must be no older than 18 years of age as of January 28, 2024.
First round audition submissions are video recording. Videos and score uploads must be uploaded with the following requirements:
REPERTOIRE
One movement of a concerto
The concerto you select must have it’s orchestral parts available on IMSLP or Nkoda.
VIDEO RECORD A PERFORMANCE OF THE CONCERTO MOVEMENT
1) The participant's body, hands, instrument (including pedals for piano) must be clearly shown throughout the video.
2) The recording must be done in one take with no editing.
3) The concerto must be performed with a live piano accompanist.
4) The applicant is encouraged to dress as if for any formal performance.
5) The piece must be memorized by the soloist.
6) The recording must be current and not recorded before October 2022.
SCAN THE SCORE WITH MEASURES NUMBERED
1) Scans must be clear and legible.
2) Scan the score that includes the piano reduction.
3) Number the measures of your score.
4) If you number the measures using pencil, make sure that this is picked up by the scan.
5) A PDF of the entire score is required (not separate pages).
6) Name the PDF the title and composer of the concerto.
BIOGRAPHY AND HEADSHOT
Please submit a short biography and headshot to be used if you progress to the semi-final and final round. Biography should be no longer than 150 words.
UPLOAD GUIDELINES
Video: (not to exceed 4 GB) per media file
If your files are larger in size, we suggest converting/compressing the file.
Images: (not to exceed 500 MB)
Documents: (not to exceed 250 MB)
Submit your video application through Acceptd.
Regular Application fee: $190
SEMI FINAL AND FINAL ROUND
The Semifinal and Final round will take place in Chicago, IL accompanied by a professional orchestra.
Applicants should be prepared that if they excel to the next round they should book arrangements for January 27-28 Rehearsals with orchestra will take place on Friday, January 26th.
At least one student under the age of 13 will be selected to move into the semifinal round.
16 applicants will be selected to participate in semifinal round on Saturday, January 27th.
4 finalists will be chosen to compete on Sunday, January 28th.
One winner will be announced Sunday, January 28th.
Further details will be provided to those who advance in the competition. The same repertoire will be kept for each round.
THE WINNERS PRIZE
Each semifinalist may request a professional video and audio recording of their performance with orchestra for their records and portfolio.
*Professional recording will be offered for $300. All fees for the recordings will go to the orchestra musicians and recording engineers for the event.
The winner will have a professional audio and visual recording for their portfolio free of charge.
The Winner will be featured on Radio Broadcast as a soloist streamed to thousands of listeners, and will be invited back to IYACC the following year to perform on the finals day with orchestra.
IYACC Conductor - Conner Gray Covington
Each competitor who makes it past the first round will have the opportunity to rehearse, compete, and perform under the direction of Mr. Covington.
Conner Gray Covington recently completed a four-year tenure with the Utah Symphony as Associate Conductor and as Principal Conductor of the Deer Valley® Music Festival. During his tenure in Utah, Covington conducted nearly 300 performances of classical subscription, education, film, pops, and family concerts as well as tours throughout the state. This season he returns to the Utah Symphony as a guest conductor on several occasions and debuts with the Amarillo Symphony, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, the Idaho State Civic Symphony and the North Carolina Symphony. Previously, he was a Conducting Fellow at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where he worked closely with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, with whom he made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2016, and the Curtis Opera Theater while also being mentored by Philadelphia Orchestra Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. He began his career as Assistant Conductor of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the Memphis Youth Symphony Program. A four-time recipient of a Career Assistance Award from the Solti Foundation U.S., Covington was a featured conductor in the 2016 Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview presented by the League of American Orchestras.
IYACC Judges
Christopher Harding, Head of Piano at University of Michigan School of Music
Rebecca Pennys, Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival and Professor of Piano at Eastman School of Music
Carlos Kalmar, Principal Conductor of the Grant Park Music Festival and Principal Conductor at Cleveland Institute of Music
Mikhail Kopelman, Professor Violin at Eastman School of Music
Dmitri Shteinberg, Winner of Citta de Senigallia International Piano Competition, Professor of Piano at University of North Carolina
Conner Gray Covington, Utah Symphony Conductor
Steven Osborne, Concert Pianist, Winner of the Royal Philharmonic Society’sInstrumentalist of the Year in 2013
Joshua Gersen, Assistant Conductor of the New York Philharmonic
Robert Mayerovitch, collegiate professor at Baldwin Wallace University
TJ Lymenstull, Professor of Piano at Interlochen Center for the Arts
David Taylor, Assistant Concermast of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Andres Lopera, Associate Conductor of the Columbus Symphony
Olga Kaler, Professor of Violin at Cleveland Institute of Music
Rosen Milanov, Music Director at Columbus Symphony Orchestra
Frank Babbit, Lyric Opera of Chicago
Caroline Hong, Head of Piano at Ohio State University
Bill Cernota, Lyric Opera of Chicago
Dwight Oltman, Music Director and Conductor of the Cleveland Ballet
Ilya Kaler, Gold Medalist at all three of the International Tchaikovsky Competitions, Professor of Violin at Cleveland Institute of Music
Rachel Barton Pine, Concert Violinist