FSMTA Pre-College Chamber Music Competition
Competition Rules
Age: All ensemble members must be pre-college students and residents in the state of Florida. A pre-college student is one who has not completed high school, taken the GED, or exceeded the age of 19 at the time of the application.
Eligibility: Ensembles may consist of any instrumental combination. Ensemble size should be two or more performers with no more than one player on each part, with a director only if the work is usually performed in this manner or if a director is needed because of the size or complexity of the work.
A vocal ensemble should be two or more vocalists without soloists or piano as an accompaniment.
A string ensemble should have a minimum of two and a maximum of eight players.
A piano may be used in groups no fewer than two. Ensembles with only piano and one other instrument and/or voice may be considered chamber music as long as the piano part is not an accompaniment, as opposed to pieces that use piano as an equally collaborative instrument. The chairman should approve any repertoire.
Application fee: Each ensemble must pay an application fee to enter competitive events. The application fee is $40 and should be paid by using the online PayPal button on the FSMTA Competitive Events page. Deadline for payment of Competition Fees is May 1st.
Teacher fee: FSMTA members who renewed their membership before November 30 pay no fee for their students to enter the competition. Non-member teachers, and members who renewed after November 30 are required to pay an $80 non-member teacher fee. This fee must be paid by using the online PayPal button on the FSMTA Competitive Events page. Deadline for payment of Competition Fees is May 1st. This is a separate fee from the student application fee!
Repertoire: Ensembles should perform original rather than transcribed works of generally recognized musical standards. No changes of repertoire may happen once the repertoire has been submitted. Length of performance should not exceed approximately 10-12 minutes.
A copy of the repertoire, unmarked except for measure numbers, shall be scanned and submitted as a single PDF file. All entrants must abide by the federal Copyright Law. 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, he must notify the competition chairman in writing in advance of the competition.
Age: All ensemble members must be pre-college students and residents in the state of Florida. A pre-college student is one who has not completed high school, taken the GED, or exceeded the age of 19 at the time of the application.
Eligibility: Ensembles may consist of any instrumental combination. Ensemble size should be two or more performers with no more than one player on each part, with a director only if the work is usually performed in this manner or if a director is needed because of the size or complexity of the work.
A vocal ensemble should be two or more vocalists without soloists or piano as an accompaniment.
A string ensemble should have a minimum of two and a maximum of eight players.
A piano may be used in groups no fewer than two. Ensembles with only piano and one other instrument and/or voice may be considered chamber music as long as the piano part is not an accompaniment, as opposed to pieces that use piano as an equally collaborative instrument. The chairman should approve any repertoire.
Application fee: Each ensemble must pay an application fee to enter competitive events. The application fee is $40 and should be paid by using the online PayPal button on the FSMTA Competitive Events page. Deadline for payment of Competition Fees is May 1st.
Teacher fee: FSMTA members who renewed their membership before November 30 pay no fee for their students to enter the competition. Non-member teachers, and members who renewed after November 30 are required to pay an $80 non-member teacher fee. This fee must be paid by using the online PayPal button on the FSMTA Competitive Events page. Deadline for payment of Competition Fees is May 1st. This is a separate fee from the student application fee!
Repertoire: Ensembles should perform original rather than transcribed works of generally recognized musical standards. No changes of repertoire may happen once the repertoire has been submitted. Length of performance should not exceed approximately 10-12 minutes.
A copy of the repertoire, unmarked except for measure numbers, shall be scanned and submitted as a single PDF file. All entrants must abide by the federal Copyright Law. 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, he must notify the competition chairman in writing in advance of the competition.
Application procedures:
- Submit a completed electronic application below, and application fee (and teacher’s fee, if applicable) found on the bottom of the page at this link by May 1st.
- When application and fee(s) are received, a confirmation email will be sent with instructions for uploading your video and scores.
- Upload your video and scores to be available for viewing no later than May 20th.
Video Requirements:
- Video audition must be recorded in one continuous unedited take. The camera angle must be fixed (no multiple angles, no zooming, no panning). No added effects, no text or speech are allowed. The video may not contain any clues as to identity of the performers.
- All members of the ensemble must be clearly visible.
- The recording must be recent, made no earlier than October 1, 2020.
- Recordings from public performances are allowed.
- Video formats admitted may be only the following: .WMV, .AVI, .MOV, MPG, .MP4.
- Video quality must be of 720P and 24FPS or higher.
- An audio of high fidelity is strongly recommended for collegiate applicants. You may record audio from a dedicated sound recording device or use a higher-grade camera with external microphones and dedicated sound capturing capability.
Other rules for the Pre-College Chamber Music Competition:
- The first-place winner in each age category receives a cash award from the Florida State Music Teachers Foundation.
- Three judges having no current connection with any student entered will audition students on performance. All videos are randomly numbered and made anonymous to the judges. All decisions of the judges are final and will not be subject to further review. Judges have the right to declare no winner.
- Incomplete applications or video submissions that are not in accordance with the rules may result in the participant’s disqualification without refund.
- The winners will be required to submit a short, 250 words or less, biography with a digital photo as an attachment via email to FSMTAcompetitions@gmail.com one week after winning.
Any questions should be emailed to FSMTAcompetitions@gmail.com prior to submitting an application.
Important: Deadline for submission of application materials is May 1st.
Deadline for uploading video is May 20th.
Important: Deadline for submission of application materials is May 1st.
Deadline for uploading video is May 20th.