Harrisburg Symphony Website

Instrumental Division Winners:

Runner-up prizes in the amount of $200 will be awarded for the best performance in each instrument classification.

 

Competition Guidelines:

Eligibility:

1. Contestants must be enrolled in grades 9–12 and not be older than 19 years of age on the date of competition.
2. Entrants must reside in the U.S.
3. The competition is open to applicants playing any orchestral instrument, including piano and harp.

How to Enter:

1. Contestants must mail an audition recording (in compact
   disc form only) no later than November 23, 2009, to the
   competition chair, Richard Roberson, Messiah College, Department of Music, Box 3004, Grantham, PA 17027. Office phone: (717) 796 – 5045.
2. An entry fee of $25 (payable to Messiah College) must accompany the audition recording.
3. Absolutely NO recordings will be accepted after the
   November 23, 2009, deadline or without the entry fee of $25.
4. All entries must be accompanied by a completed concerto
   competition entry form, available on the website.
5. Entrants will receive notification by December 10, 2009, of
   their acceptance into the semifinal round of competition.

The Preliminary Competition

1. Contestants may choose any major concerto written for their
   instrument and orchestra, and must submit the first movement
   with cadenza in compact disc format.
2. Piano accompaniment is required.
3. No editing, splicing, or digital manipulation of the recording is
   permitted. This observance is a matter of personal honor and
   professional integrity.
4. No verbal announcements should occur on the recording. The
   name of the contestant, his/her address, and the name of the
   composition should appear on the CD itself, as well as on the
   box that contains the recording media.

The Semifinal Competition

1. Contestants selected to perform in the live semifinal round must play the same concerto submitted on their audition recording and must be prepared to play all movements.
2. Semifinals will occur on the campus of Messiah College in
   Grantham, Pa., on Friday, January 22, 2010, beginning at
   noon, and will be open to the public.
3. On-campus accommodations may be made for all semifinalists, if desired.
4. Each participant should plan to bring his or her accompanist if
   possible, but accompanists will be available if necessary.

The Final Competition

1. Immediately following the semifinal round, a maximum of eight
   finalists will be selected to perform in the final round.
2. Contestants selected to perform in the live final round must play the same concerto submitted on their original audition recording.
3. Finals will occur on the campus of Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, January 23, 2010 at noon and will be open to the public.
4. Winners will be announced immediately following the final
   round of competition.

Judging

1. Preliminary judging will be done by active professionals specializing in each individual instrument, without any information about the contestant’s identity. Judging will be based entirely on the performances contained on the audition recording. There is no limit as to the number of semifinalists who may be selected on a particular instrument.
2. The semifinal round will be judged by faculty members of Messiah College and will be chaired by Timothy Dixon, director of Orchestral Studies. The semifinal round will consist of four divisions: strings, keyboard, brass and percussion, and woodwinds.
3. The final round of competition will be adjudicated by five members of the Harrisburg Symphony and will be chaired by Maestro Stuart Malina, music director of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra. A maximum of two finalists from each of the four semifinal divisions will be chosen to compete in the final round. The decision of the judges is final.

Staff Accompanists

1. Contestants selected to perform in the semifinal round who need to hire an accompanist must request one no later than December 15, 2009. It may not be possible to accommodate requests made after this date.
2. A fee of $125 must be paid directly to the accompanist at the time of pianist assignments in December.
3. All contestants requesting an accompanist will receive a one-hour rehearsal prior to the semifinal round, on either the morning of the competition or the day prior.
   

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