Overture Awards Scholarship Competition

Instrumental Music Criteria

CATEGORIES:  Any instrument is accepted.

1. All criteria set forth here apply to the Regional, Semi-Final and Final Competitions, unless otherwise noted.

2. Students should perform their best work and not choose pieces that are more difficult than their current level of proficiency to impress the judges.

3. No parents, teachers or coaches will be allowed in the competition area.

4. Open to SOLOISTS ONLY.  Ensembles are not permitted.

5. Performances will be judged on over-all artistic excellence as demonstrated by:
• Intonation
• Tone quality
• Technique: articulation, bowing, tonguing, fingering, fluency, embouchure, pedaling
• Level of technical difficulty
• Rhythmic accuracy
• Interpretation and artistic expression
• General musicianship – expression dynamics, tempo, phrasing
• Memorization
• Stage presentation

6. Students may choose one or more pieces to perform within the time limit.  MUSIC MUST BE MEMORIZED.  If it is not, this will result in immediate disqualification.

7. Performances must be no less than 1.5 minutes and no more than 5 minutes total.  In order to adhere to time limits, appropriate cuts in the music are acceptable.

8. For the Regional Competition, competitors will be stopped at 5 minutes.  For the Semi-Final and Final Competitions, competitors will not be stopped.  However, time is being kept and the judges will deduct points from the competitor’s score for overruns.

9. Competitors need not perform the same piece(s) they performed in the Regional round if they advance to the Semi-Final and Final Competitions.

10. Competitors must be accompanied by piano (except for piano, percussion instrument, guitar or if playing a piece that written as unaccompanied).  Students may use their own accompanist for all rounds of the competition. If you do not have an accompanist, the Overture Awards will supply one for you.  You must indicate your need on your application and enclose a copy of your music clearly marked for the accompanist.

11. Competitors must supply their own instruments at the Competition (except piano).

12. Five (5) COPIES of the music being performed with the measures clearly numbered and marked and the student’s name on each copy must be furnished for the judges on the day of the competition.  NO COPYING SERVICE IS AVAILABLE AT COMPETITION SITES.   COMPETITORS MUST SUPPLY THEIR OWN COPIES AND HAVE THEM PRIOR TO ARRIVING AT THE COMPETITION.