MARCH 6-8, 2025
The internationally recognized YTA music competition is open to classical artists, ages 18-30 (20-32 for Voice division), who are Texas residents or are enrolled in Texas music schools.
- Those enrolled in a Texas college, university, or music school, or
- Permanent residents of Texas enrolled in any college, university, or music school, or
- Current Texas residents. (“Texas residents” are persons holding a Texas driver’s license, ID card, or Texas voter registration card. Previous grand prize winners and students of current judges (see below) are not eligible.)
All materials must be received by December 31st, 2024, 11:59 PM CST for consideration by the selection committee.
Young Texas Artists reserves the right to disqualify contestants who do not exhibit the standards of accountability, responsibility, and behavior as dictated by professional decorum.
Contact Information
Dr. Emelyne Bingham
artdir@youngtexasartists.org
(832) 617-2344
Competition Location
Crighton Theatre
234 N Main St
Conroe, TX 77301
Competition Dates: March 6-8, 2025
Preliminary rounds are free and open to the public. Tickets must be purchased for the Finalists’ Concert & Awards.
- Thursday, March 6: Strings Division Preliminary Round
- Friday morning, March 7: Winds, Brass, Percussion, Harp & Guitar Division
- Friday afternoon, March 7: Voice Division Preliminary Round
- Saturday morning, March 8: Piano Division Preliminary Round
- Saturday evening, March 8, 7:30 PM: Finalists’ Concert & Awards
Awards
Piano Division
Gold Medal: $5,000
Silver Medal: $3,000
Strings Division
Gold Medal: $5,000
Silver Medal: $3,000
Voice Division
Gold Medal: $5,000
Silver Medal: $3,000
Winds, Brass, Percussion, Harp & Guitar Division
Gold Medal: $5,000
Silver Medal: $3,000
- Grand Prize Winner receives an extra $5,000
- Audience Choice Winner receives an extra $3,000
- Finalists will receive professional photos of their performances, courtesy of Dave Clements of DWC Photography
Audition Requirements
Each candidate will be judged by the highest artistic standards in regard to musicianship, technical proficiency, repertoire selection, stage presence, and artistry. Formal attire is required only for the finals. All selections must be performed from memory.
Candidates must provide one original score of each selection for the panel. An additional original score must be on stage while the contestant is performing. Scores for judges must have clearly numbered measures but should be unmarked otherwise. No photocopies for use or reference will be permitted without expressed written permission from the publisher if the work is currently protected by US Copyright. Scores must not be labeled with the names of candidates or teachers. The judges will choose which excerpts of your repertoire they would like to hear, including repertoire for the final round of competition.
More detailed instructions regarding scores can be found on the FAQ Page.
Timeline
Thursday through Saturday afternoon: Preliminary rounds. Two finalists from each division will be selected to compete in the Finalists’ Concert.
Saturday Evening: Finalists’ Concert held in concert format. Final judging will take place during the concert. Judges will select repertoire and order for each contestant. Formal attire is required for the final round.
The judges will determine each finalist’s selection. The Competition Committee also reserves the right to withhold granting a division prize should there be a lack of suitable candidates.
Final Round
Final performances are limited to 12 minutes, meaning candidates will need to edit their longer pieces to fit within the time constraints of Saturday evening’s concert. One movement of a concerto or other work may be edited for the finals, although the entire work must be prepared for the preliminary rounds.
Formal attire is required for the final round of the competition. Examples include:
- A tuxedo (black, tails or short coat) with a white shirt, cumberbund or white vest, black or white bowtie, black shoes & socks. Suits and long ties are not considered formal wear and are not acceptable
- A formal, floor-length gown or equivalent
Repertoire Requirements
Please read through the FAQ Page BEFORE you begin your application. Candidates will compete in one of four divisions:
Piano
- A complete concerto or other major work for solo piano and orchestra.
- One movement from a Beethoven Sonata. If the candidate chooses to play one of the Beethoven concerti to fulfill the concerto requirement, a sonata of contrasting style and period should be chosen.
- All selections must be performed from memory.
Strings
- A complete concerto or other major work for solo instrument and orchestra.
- A movement of solo Bach.
- All selections must be performed from memory.
Voice
- Three (3) selections of contrasting style in their original keys, selected from standard opera, oratorio, cantata, or songs with orchestral accompaniment. Two (2) selections must be in the original language. A third selection of the candidate’s choice may be performed.
- All selections must be performed from memory.
Winds, Brass, Percussion, Harp & Guitar
- A complete concerto or other major work for solo instrument and orchestra.
- All selections must be performed from memory.
Collaborative Pianists
YTA has several talented collaborative pianists on staff, but due to the volume of contestants using them, it is imperative that they get adequate time to prepare. Therefore the following rules have been put in place:
- The fee to use a YTA staff collaborative pianist is $125.
- This fee is non-refundable after February 10, 2025. Contestants not selected to participate in live rounds will have this fee refunded upon notification of preliminary results.
- The fee to use a collaborative pianist if requested after December 31, 2024, is $150.
- Change in repertoire after February 6, 2025, will result in a $50 repertoire change fee.
- The fee to use a collaborative pianist if requested after February 13, 2025, is $200.
- Staff collaborative pianists reserve the right to decline performing unpublished works.
Application
The Submission Deadline for all materials is December 31, 2024, 11:5 PM CST
Before you begin your application, assemble the following information:
- Credit or debit card to pay the non-refundable $65.00 application fee.
- Credit or debit card to pay the collaborative pianist fee ($125) if you will be using a YTA staff collaborative pianist.
- Curriculum Vitae in .doc, .docx, or .pdf format. Be sure to list major teachers as references and include their contact information in your curriculum vitae. Please note that a CV is not written in narrative (paragraph) form. Click HERE for help in writing and formatting your CV. Name your file as follows: firstname_lastname_CV (Ex. Charles_Ives_CV.pdf)
- High-quality headshot in .jpg or .jpeg format. Name your file as follows: firstname_lastname (Ex: Charles_Ives.jpg)
- Recent audio or video recording. Please submit a minimum of 15 minutes of music containing works of contrasting styles and periods. The repertoire on your recording does not need to be the same repertoire you intend to use in the live round. Name your file as follows: firstname_lastname_examplenumber (Ex. Charles_Ives_1.mov)
- Your repertoire list in .doc or .docx format for the competition. PDFs will not be accepted. Name your file as follows: firstname_lastname_repertoire (Ex: Charles_Ives_repertoire.docx). The list must be “program ready,” in other words, listed exactly the way you would find it printed in a recital program, and must contain the following information:
- Composer’s full name and dates (Ex: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), not J.S. Bach)
- The complete title of each piece, including catalog number (Schmieder, Hoboken, Köchel, etc.) and opus number where applicable. Be sure to include the instrument in your concerto title. (Ex. Bassoon Concerto in Bb Major, K. 191)
- The proper name of each movement with movement numbers included (usually tempo marking, but not always) where applicable (Ex. I. Allegro con brio, II. Andante, etc.)
- The EXACT timing of each piece as you play it
- The EXACT timing of each movement as you play it
- Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
- All applications, curriculum vitae, and photos will become the property of the Young Texas Artists Music Competition and may be used for promotion.
2024 Judges
Brian Luce, University of Arizona
Eric Mitchko, North Carolina Opera
Kay Stern, San Francisco Opera
David Torns, Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra
2024 Winners
GRAND PRIZE
Daeun Han, piano
AUDIENCE CHOICE
Rachel Jimenez, saxophone
GOLD
Daeun Han, piano
Maximus Gurath, cello
Krista Renée Pape, soprano
Rachel Jimenez, saxophone
SILVER
Xin Cui, piano
Claire Druffman, cello
Joanne Evans, mezzo-soprano
Roberto Gaitan, tuba