FSMTA District Concerto Competition Rules

Competition Categories:
​Instrumental categories of contestants are as follows:  Piano, Organ, Voice, Brass, Woodwinds, Percussion, and Strings (including Harp).
 
Age Categories: Entrant’s competition category is determined by contestant’s age as of June 1 of competition year.​
  • Junior, 12 years and under
  • Elementary, 12 years and under this is a special entry level which takes place only at the District competition. This level exists to provide opportunities for adjudication of students not yet ready to compete in the Junior level. These winners do not proceed to the State competition.
  • Intermediate, 13–15 years
  • Senior, 16–19 years.  Senior entrants must not have graduated or taken the GED and must be enrolled in a high school program. Dual enrollment students are eligible. If questions arise, proof of age and enrollment may be necessary.
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Junior, Intermediate, and Senior District Concerto Competition winners are obligated to compete in the State Concerto Competition (rules and application can be found here.
 
Elementary District Concerto Competition Winners do not proceed to the State Level.
Application Procedure:
  1. Application form: Complete and submit online District Application form for your district here. Application deadline varies from district to district. For more information on selecting your district click here 
  2. Student Application Fee: Each application should be accompanied by an Application Fee. Application fee and payment method vary from district to district. Please consult your District Chairperson (for a list of District Chairs click here).
  3. Teacher Fees (if applicable): FSMTA members who renewed their membership before November 30 pay no fee. All other teachers are required to pay a $40 non-member teacher fee at the DISTRICT level and an additional $80 non-member teacher fee at the STATE level if the student(s) advances to the state concerto competition. This fee must be paid at the time of the application. The district fee is made payable to your LOCAL District MTA; This is a separate fee from the student application fee! The teacher listed on the application is the teacher of record during the competition year. 
Repertoire:
  1. Repertoire must be an original work for solo instrument and orchestra for the Junior, Intermediate, and Senior concerto levels (See suggested repertoire list on pages 20 and 21 of Handbook of Student Activities). This regulation does not apply to the Elementary level – appropriate piano repertoire suggestions for the Elementary level include Vandall, Rozin, Rowley, Boykin, Rollin, Olson, Asch, Mittler concertos, “Little Concerto” by Haydn etc.
  2. Vocal Concerto entrants refer to the separate FSMTA vocal requirements here. Senior Vocal Concerto entrants need orchestral accompaniment for one classical selection.
  3. Repertoire must be performed by memory. A 20-minute time limit will be imposed. In the event of a longer duration, the entrant must be prepared to perform any 20-minute portion chosen by the judges. The repertoire requirement for all levels is restricted to one movement only. If two movements are linked musically, the student will be permitted (but not required) to play both movements.
  4. No changes or adjustments in repertoire are allowed at the District or State level of the event. Changes or adjustments due to rule infractions must be made by the District Concerto Chairman prior to the District Concerto Competition event. Repertoire performed at the State Concerto Competition must be the same repertoire performed at the District Competition.
  5. For all live auditions, at least one copy of the repertoire, unmarked except for measure numbers, shall be presented to judges. All entrants must abide by the federal Copyright Law. Photocopies are strongly discouraged. Entrants using photocopies or PDFs downloaded from the Internet may be asked to complete the Music Release Form verifying that they have permission to use this music. Should a contestant have a bona fide reason for using a photocopy, the Concerto Competition Chairman must be notified, in writing, prior to the competition. No copies of the repertoire are required at the State Concerto Competition.
​Other Rules
  1. Teachers are permitted to accompany their students at both District and State Competitions. At live auditions, no accompaniment enhancement (MIDI, digital, taped, or any other type of musical accompaniment support) is allowed.
  2. Any instrumental tuning or preparation for the audition must be performed by someone other than a judge.
  3. If any District winner is unable to compete in the State Competition, the District and State Concerto Chairmen must be notified immediately.
  4. Audio or video recording and photography of the live competitions are strongly discouraged.