Young Artists Competition 2024

The Symphony Guild of Charlotte, Inc. is pleased to announce its Young Artists Competition for 2023 - 2024.
This concerto competition for area secondary school musicians, ages 12 - 18, was created in 1955 in partnership with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and is The Guild's oldest project. Please direct any inquiries to YAC@symphonyguildcharlotte.org.

How does it work?

• The competition consists of two phases -- a preliminary round via YouTube video submissions, and a final round via live performance. Both components are adjudicated by the same panel of judges selected from the Carolinas region.
• Applicants submit an artistic statement of 500 - 750 words
• There are two Divisions -- Orchestral Instruments and Open (keyboards, guitar, voice, or any other non-orchestra instrument for which there is symphonic accompaniment available)

Who is eligible?

• Geography: permanent home address in Mecklenburg or contiguous counties (Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Union in North Carolina, and Lancaster and York in South Carolina)
• Age (as of June 1, 2023):
  • Advanced Level:  ages 12 - 18
  • Intermediate Level: ages 12 - 15
  • Only students who have not yet graduated from high school are eligible
• Former Grand Prize winners are not eligible to compete in the same level. Entrants may compete on only one instrument each year.

What is the cost?  $40 per application*

How to enter:
Please read all the information provided including Eligibility, Entry Instructions, and Awards, complete the application form, including the online links to the two required segments listed below and submit the $40 entry fee where indicated.

Entry Videos
All applicants are required to record a video performance segment which must be recorded in one take with no editing (though you may select the best of several takes). All videos must be recorded within three months of the application deadline. The solo piece can be any work, movement/section of a longer work from the approved repertoire list which will be a minimum of five, and no more than ten, minutes in duration. A work with piano accompaniment, where applicable, is strongly preferred. All music must be memorized.

Artistic Statement: Submit a written artistic statement with your application, uploaded as a PDF file with your application. The artistic statement should be between 500 and 750 words in length.

Please refer to our Video and Written Statement Guidelines for additional information and suggestions for both musical and written submissions.

What is the timeline? (dates will be updated when application opens)
June 15, 2022                     Website launch, includes repertoire listing, submittal overview, and how-to's
September 15, 2022         Repertoire, if other than listed, approval deadline
September 15, 2022         Application webpage opens
November 15, 2022          Online application and musical submission closes, judging begins
December 20, 2022          Judges complete selection of 6 finalists from each Level, representing both Divisions
January 10, 2023               All category finalists will be notified
February 18, 2023             Final round to select Award winners

Awards:  Finalists and award winners will be chosen at the sole discretion of the judges.

2023 Young Artists Competition Adjudicators - Learn more about our judges for the competition.

Advanced Level:

• Grand Prize winner (1): may be selected from both Divisions - $500 cash; solo performance with Charlotte Symphony venue TBD
• Honorable Mention winner (2): one may be selected from each Division - $250 cash; program acknowledgment at a venue TBD

Intermediate Level:

• Grand Prize winner (1): may be selected from both Divisions - $250 cash; program acknowledgment at a venue TBD
• Honorable Mention winner (1): may be selected from both Divisions - $125 cash; program acknowledgment at a venue TBD

Written Artistic Statement (2): 

• one selected from each Level - $100 cash

Repertoire: (Approved repertoire here)

• Update will be available on The Guild website on June 15, 2022
• Memorized for both phases; at least five, but no longer than ten, minutes in length unless pre-approved
• Accompanist required where applicable

*The Symphony Guild of Charlotte supports every young musician's participation in the Young Artists Competition. If there are barriers to anyone's participation, we ask for the opportunity to assist in removing those barriers, if possible. Please contact us at YAC@symphonyguildcharlotte.org; we are happy to help.