Competitions
The Piano Concerto Competition is open to middle school and high school pianists. Banyan Bowl, Pinecrest Gardens (11000 Red Rd, Pinecrest, FL 33156)
Saturday, January 6, 2024 1PM to 3PM
The Symphony and Concert Orchestra or Band Competition is open to GMYS instrumentalists. Banyan Bowl, Pinecrest Gardens (11000 Red Rd, Pinecrest, FL 33156)
Saturday, January 6, 2024 9AM to 12PM
2023-2024 Concerto Competition Guidelines
Please read all guidelines carefully.
ALL COMPETITORS
● Only one movement of a concerto from the standard repertoire will be performed.
● The performance time will be assigned.
● Competitors must perform their selection from memory.
● Competitors must audition with an accompanist. Competitors must make arrangements for their own piano accompanist. GMYS does not provide a piano accompanist.
● Concerto competitions will take place in Banyan Bowl, Pinecrest Gardens (11000 Red Rd, Pinecrest, FL 33156)
● GMYS cordially invites the general public to attend all competition sessions.
● Each winner and runner-up will receive an appearance in the Concerto Competition Concert on Saturday, March 9, 2024 at 2:30 PM in Gusman Hall at the University of Miami 1314 Miller Drive Coral Gables, FL 33146, with the GMYS Symphony Orchestra and Concert Orchestra or Band.
● The Piano Concerto and Symphony Concerto competition winners will receive a $250 prize. The Piano Concerto and Symphony Concerto runner-ups and Concert Orchestra winner will receive a $100 prize.
● All questions must be directed to the Concerto Competition Committee at:
auditions@gmys.org. Please do not call the GMYS office staff with questions or performance time requests.
ELEGIBILITY
● There will be three Competitions this season.
o The Piano Concerto Competition is open to middle school and high school pianists ages 12-18, living in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin or Monroe counties.
o The Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition for all orchestral instruments, excluding piano, is open to all current GMYS Symphony Orchestra students only.
o The Concert Orchestra or Band Concerto Competition for all orchestral instruments, excluding piano, is open to all current GMYS Concert Orchestra and Band students only.
● Members of the Symphony Orchestra, Concert Orchestra, and Concert Band must be in good standing to be eligible to audition.
● Previous winners of the Concerto Competitions must wait one year before being eligible to compete again .
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
Piano Applicants Only
● Piano applicants must choose a movement of a concerto from the following composers: Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Gershwin, Grieg, Liszt, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Saint-Saens, Schumann, Shostakovich or Tchaikovsky.
● The applications for this competition can be found at: www.GMYS.org. A
non-refundable application fee of $35 for GMYS students and $50 for non-GMYS applicants will be collected. All applications must include payment of the application fee.
● To complete the application for the piano competition, all piano applicants must upload a link (YouTube, Dropbox, etc.) to a four minute digital pre screening video recording of their concerto movement with the application. The video recording may be an excerpt or segment, provided it is approximately four minutes in length, and must be from the same movement played in the live competition. The applicant’s video recording must have occurred no earlier than six months before the filing of the application. The pre screening video does not require accompaniment. A professional video is not required, but the audio quality must be clear. Video recordings must not be edited in any way.
● Audio only recordings are not acceptable and will be disqualified with no refund of application fee.
● The GMYS Music Director and Concerto Competition Committee will review all video submissions.
● Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications can be submitted until
11:59PM, December 31, 2023. NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS DATE. Application fees are not refundable.
● Up to eight piano finalists from the preliminary application and digital video submissions will be chosen for the final round and notified via email by January 3, 2023. Please make sure your email contact information is correct on your application.
GMYS Students Only
● GMYS students must have their chosen piece approved by the conductor of the Symphony Orchestra, and Concert Orchestra or Band individually who shall be the sole judge of whether or not the work is available and can be performed successfully by the Symphony Orchestra and Concert Orchestra or Band respectively.
● GMYS students are not required to submit a digital pre screening video recording.
● The applications for this competition can be found at: www.GMYS.org
● A non-refundable application fee of $35 for GMYS students will be collected with the application. All applications must include payment of the application fee.
● Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications can be submitted until 11:59PM December 31, 2023. NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS DATE. Application fees are not refundable.
● All GMYS students with complete applications in good standing, will be scheduled to compete.
COMPETITION DAY: ALL COMPETITORS
● Competitors who arrive after their assigned time may not be allowed to perform. Please plan to arrive early. Warm-up space is on a first come, first serve basis and is limited. Plan to arrive warmed-up and ready to compete.
● Competitors may not exchange times with other contestants.
● Competitors must bring two copies of their music for the judges.
● Before performing, the competitor should announce the name of the work to be performed.
● The competitor may be asked to stop if their concerto movement is longer than 10 minutes. Judges have the right to stop any performance at any time.
● Please dress appropriately. This is a competition. No jeans or sneakers.
● All decisions of the judging panel are final.
● There are no refunds given for applicants who do not attend the competition or wish to withdraw.
● Winners will be notified by email following the competition. Please make sure your email contact information is correct on your application.
WINNERS
● The selected winners and runner-ups will perform during the Concerto Competition Concert on Saturday, March 9, 2024, 2:30PM in Gusman Hall at the University of Miami 1314 Miller Drive Coral Gables, FL 33146.
● The Piano Concerto Competition and Symphony Concerto Competition winners and runners-up will play with the Symphony Orchestra.
● The Concert Orchestra or Band Concerto Competition winner will play with the Concert Orchestra, or Concert Band.
● The Piano Concerto Competition winner and runner-up must be available to work with the conductor and rehearse with the Symphony Orchestra at the following rehearsals prior to the concert:
o Sunday, February 11, 2024
o Sunday, February 25, 2024
o Sunday, March 3, 2024
o Saturday, March 9, 2024 at the dress rehearsal preceding the concert.
● The Symphony Orchestra rehearses in Nancy Greene Hall at the University of Miami
(5501 San Amaro Drive Coral Gables, FL 33146) on Sunday afternoons from
2:30-5:30PM. If there is a conflict, an earlier Sunday may be possible. Requests for alternate rehearsal times must be arranged as soon as possible.
● The Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition winner and runner-up will rehearse with the Symphony Orchestra during their regular Sunday rehearsal.
● The Concert Orchestra or Band Concerto Competition winner will rehearse with the Concert Orchestra or Band during their regular Sunday rehearsal.
● Competitors’ parent/guardian shall agree to allow GMYS to use information about the competitors including names, personal biographies, photographs, and a recording of the concerto performance in promotional and publicity materials, Playbill, web pages, Facebook posts, as well as on grant and other applications in support of GMYS and its activities.