Competition Structure

Preliminary Round: Virtual Submission

Registration Opens: September 1, 2025
Submission Deadline: November 1, 2025

• Complete the online registration form via SlideRoom
• Upload a video recording, uncut and unedited adhering to the repertoire guidelines below
• Clearly show the student, hand placement, and instrument at all times in the video

• For applicants wishing to reserve rehearsal time with a grand piano, please note that the chapel will be outfitted with two Steinway D grand pianos and will be available on a first-come, first-serve reservation basis (parental supervision is required for all rehearsals not during traditional school hours).
• Rehearsal slots are two hours each and available on the following dates: September 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 19, 20, 27, 28 and October 4, 5, 11, 12, 19, 25, 26.

A confirmation email will be sent once the application is complete.

Finals Round: Live Competition with Piano Accompanist

Finalists Announced: December 1, 2025
Live Performance Date: January 31, 2026

• Provide their own accompanist

• Submit five printed copies of the complete score, with any cuts clearly marked
• Perform the same repertoire as submitted in the preliminary round

Winners Concert: Live Performance with Orchestra (Non-competitive)

Winners Announced: February 1, 2026
Concert Date: May 24, 2026

Winners will perform their concerto selections live with a symphony orchestra in Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall at the
San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Repertoire Guidelines

All submissions must be drawn from the instrumental classical music repertoire. Works in other styles or genres, including jazz, pop, and rock, are not eligible for this competition.

Due to space and resource limitations, repertoire is limited to works written for chamber orchestra. Students may perform one movement of a concerto or a complete work selected from the following list of composers: CPE Bach, J.S. Bach, Beethoven, Boccherini, Bruch, Chopin, Dvorak, Grieg, Handel, Haydn, Lalo, Liszt, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Saint-Saens, Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, Telemann, Vivaldi, and Wieniawski.

If no concertos on the pre-approved list are available for the student’s primary instrument, the student may submit a concerto not on the list to the Concerto Advisory Committee for consideration. Students are responsible for any rental fees or licensing costs associated with works not in the public domain.

The total submission time for the preliminary round must be at least eight minutes and no more than fifteen minutes. Cuts (preferably in tutti sections) are permitted but must be clearly marked in the score.

Students must perform the same repertoire in all rounds.

Finalists must be prepared to perform the entire movement in the Winners Concert, even if it exceeds fifteen minutes.

Important Dates