RULES AND REQUIREMENTS

YOUNG ARTIST COMPETITION

OAKLAND EAST BAY SYMPHONY

 

  1. The competition is open to soloists on all orchestral instruments and piano.  Compositions selected should be for solo instrument and orchestra.  Double concertos will not be accepted for the competition.  First place winners from previous years are not eligible to participate in the same division.

 

  1. Candidates will provide two copies of the composition for the judges at the time of the audition. The candidate may be asked to perform a particular movement and/or passages from all movements (senior division).  The decision of the judges is final.  Winners will be notified by phone the day of the competition.

 

  1. Eligibility:

The candidate’s primary residence (home of their parents or legal guardian) must be located in Alameda or Contra Costa County.

OR

                The candidate’s private teacher has his/her teaching studio in Alameda or Contra Costa Counties

                at which the student takes his/her regular weekly lesson.

                OR

                The candidate is a full-time student participating in the music program at a school in Alameda or

                Contra Costa County or is a participating member of a young peoples orchestra or wind ensemble

                in those counties (i.e., Oakland Youth Orchestra, Young Peoples Symphony Orchestra, etc.).

 

        If at any point during or after the competition it is discovered that none of these requirements are    

fulfilled, the candidate will be disqualified.

 

  1. Age Divisions:

Junior Division (10 to 15 years)

Senior Division (16 to 22 years)

Age determined as of  May 3, 2009..

 

  1. Awards:

Junior Award:  $500 cash prize and solo performance with the Oakland East Bay Symphony at the Young People’s Concerts or an OEBS Family Concert.

Senior Award:  $1000 cash prize and solo performance as guest artist with the Oakland East Bay Symphony at the February 26, 2010 Subscription Concert at Oakland’s 3,000 seat Paramount Theatre.

Honorable Mentions: In addition, candidates awarded Honorable Mention are given performance opportunities.  These may include performing at the Paramount Theatre at the Pre-Concert Series with an accompanist and/or performing as a soloist with the Oakland Civic Orchestra (a 50 - member community orchestra sponsored by the City of Oakland) during the 2009-10 season.

Note:  Awards are not necessarily awarded or limited to one winner.

 

  1. Repertoire:

 

Junior Division:  One movement of a concerto or concert work for soloist and orchestra from the standard repertoire.

Senior Division:  A full concerto or concert work for soloist and orchestra from the standard repertoire.

 

The concerto must be approved by OEBS.  If the concerto listed on your application is unacceptable, OEBS will contact you.  Senior Division candidates should note the list of concertos performed recently by OEBS. (See the back of the page) Please avoid choosing one of these works for the competition.

 

  1. Candidates must provide their own accompanist (piano accompaniment only).

 

 

 

 

  1. The competition will be held this year at the Crowden Music Center and California State University East Bay. The preliminary auditions will be held Saturday, April 25, 2009  from 9:00 a.m .to 3:00 p.m. at the Crowden Music Center (Berkeley,CA). You will be notified by mail regarding your assigned time for the preliminary auditions.

Finals will be held the morning of  Sunday, May 3, 2009 in the Music Building at California State University-East Bay (Hayward, CA).

 

  1. The candidate must turn in a completed application (with their teacher’s signature) by the deadline of  April 22, 2009.  A nonrefundable application fee of $25.00 must accompany the application.  The fee will be returned if the applicant is not invited to audition.  Checks should be made payable to Oakland East Bay Symphony.

 

  1. In arrangement with the United States Open Music Competition, the OEBS and USOMC will        

       annually exchange two finalists for inclusion in their respective competitions’ finals event.

        (age and residency requirements are still applicable to these candidates).

 

 

Senior Division candidates should avoid selecting the following concertos for the competition (these works have been performed recently at OEBS subscription sets):

 

 

Barber                            Cello Concerto

 

Beethoven                     Piano Concerto No. 1

 

Beethoven                     Violin Concerto

 

Brahms                          Piano Concerto No. 2

 

Gershwin                        Rhapsody in Blue (Piano)

 

Hossein                          Piano Concerto No. 2

 

Rachmaninoff             Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

 

Sibelius                           Violin Concerto

 

Tchaikovsky                 Piano Concerto No. 1