The VCU Symphony Concerto and Aria Competition
The university's Concerto and Aria Competition is open to students from the following areas:
- Woodwinds
- Brass
- Percussion
- Voice
- Keyboard
- Guitar
- Strings
Students must receive a recommendation from a member of their studio's faculty in order to audition.
Competition
The competition features two rounds - a preliminary and a final round. The preliminary round will be held from 3:45 to 6:30 p.m. in the Sonia Vlahcevic Concert Hall on October 26, 2012. The final round will start at 6:45 p.m. One winner will be determined by a panel of judges with the final results posted on the orchestra bulletin board.
The deadline for submitting your application form is Friday October 12, 2012 at 4:00 p.m. Click here to download the form. Please put your completed form in Prof. Myssyk's box.
The Rounds
Preliminary Round
A two- or three-member jury will listen to candidates who will perform no more than an 8-minute excerpt from their piece before an audience.
Final Round (6:45 p.m. in the concert hall)
In the final round (again open to the general public) the jury will listen to finalists performing their entire selection. Following the final round, the jury will announce the name of the winner of the Competition.
Concert
The winner will perform his/her concerto/piece/aria (or one movement from a concerto, depending on the length) with the VCU Symphony at its 7:30 p.m. December 6, 2012 concert in the Sonia Vlahcevic Concert Hall.
Regulations
Eligibility
Any full-time student enrolled in a private lesson for the Fall 2012 semester is eligible to compete. While previous ensemble winners are eligible to compete, previous solo winners of the competition may not apply.
Requirements
Solos must be memorized. The participants should provide their own accompanist.
Length
Audition pieces must be a minimum of eight minutes and a maximum of 20 minutes. Shorter pieces should be a complete work or, in the case of longer works, one movement only.
Instrumentation
Minimum chamber orchestra size: 2, 2, 2, 2 - 2, 2, 0, 0, timp, str (with possible exceptions).
Repertoire
Standard or rental. Please have knowledge of score and parts availability prior to your audition. Winner(s) must perform the same repertoire as auditioned. Ensembles of duos to quintets are not acceptable. Vocalists may perform concert arias or opera selections.
Please contact Daniel Myssyk for additional information.
