School of Music Concerto Competition

UISO Concerto Competition

Eligibility

Currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate Music Majors are eligible to compete in the School of Music Concerto Competition, except those who have won the competition previously. Students compete within their performance area for a preliminary round and area faculty select candidates to advance to the final round.

Repertoire

1. Students may choose to compete with concertos written for Orchestral or Wind Symphony accompaniment.
2. Any repertoire changes following the competition, if approved, are subject to the following restriction:
   • Any substitution of repertoire must require the same accompanying ensemble as the work performed in the competition. A winner may not substitute a work requiring orchestral accompaniment for one requiring wind symphony accompaniment, or vice versa. The accompanying ensemble assigned at the time of the competition remains fixed regardless of any approved repertoire change.
3. For students wishing to perform a concerto with Wind symphony accompaniment:
   • To be offered a performance opportunity with the Illinois Wind Symphony, a student competing on Wind Symphony repertoire must place among the competition winners. Placement will be determined solely on the merit of the performance, regardless of instrumentation or repertoire. (A student will not be granted an IWS performance opportunity on the basis of being the only entrant, or among the few entrants, performing a concerto with wind symphony accompaniment in a given year.)
   • Eligible Wind Symphony repertoire must be originally composed for wind symphony accompaniment. Works originally written for a different accompanying ensemble and subsequently arranged for wind symphony by a third party are not permitted. If a composer has created separate original versions of the same work, including one version specifically scored for Wind Symphony, both versions are considered eligible, provided all other competition requirements are met.
4. Voice repertoire: Cycles or groups of pieces written for voice and orchestra are required for this competition.  Appropriate selections would be: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, Don Quichotte à Dulcinèe, Les Nuits d’Etè, Brentano Lieder, etc. Opera arias are also now permitted.

Timeline

• Friday, February 19, 2027 at 12:00 PM (noon).
  • Final Round Nomination Form Due (To Be Completed by AREA CHAIRS only):
    • Final Round Nomination Form
• Friday, March 5, 2027, 4:00-9:00 PM – Final round in Smith Recital Hall

Preliminary Round

1. At this time, each of the following performance areas (Keyboard, Strings, Voice, Woodwind/Brass/Percussion) will have its own preliminary round. The format utilized for the preliminary round will be decided by each area.
2. Memorization is not required for the final round, however individual areas may decide to require memorization for their preliminary round.
3. Each area may advance up to the maximum number listed below (There will be no exceptions to these limits):
   1. Woodwind, Brass and Percussion – 5 (2 + 2 + 1)
   2. Voice – 2
   3. Strings – 2
   4. Keyboard (piano, harpsichord, organ) – 4

Final Round

1. The final round of the competition will be held on campus and will be open to the public, however, there should be no applause to maintain a consistent audience environment for each finalist.
2. Each finalist will be invited to play for a maximum of 15 minutes (timed from the start of the musical selection).
3. Finalists may prepare cuts to best show their work within the 15-minute time frame, but may be asked to stop and start within any movement at any point during the audition.
4. The use of an accompanist is required.
5. The adjudicators will be chosen by the Director of the School of Music and will represent a broad spectrum of instrumental/vocal areas.
6. The adjudicators will be instructed to choose the best student performers, regardless of instrument or repertoire. There will be anywhere between 2-3 winners depending on the year, finalist pool, and judges’ decision in consultation with the ensemble conductors. The number of winners will be determined by the adjudicators with consultation of ensemble conductors.
7. Please direct any questions to Dr. Jonathan Dufresne at jd28@illinois.edu.

Winners

1. The winning students will be invited to perform on campus during the 2027-2028 academic year, circumstances permitting. If a winner is not on campus during that year, they will be invited back to perform on campus. The School of Music will reimburse the winner for travel and hotel expenses incurred for the performance, up to a maximum of $1,000.
2. At least two students will be invited to perform as soloists with the U of I ensembles, circumstances permitting.
3. In rare cases, it is possible that a winning student, in consultation with the studio teacher and the appropriate ensemble conductor, may need to negotiate a change in performance repertoire. Please refer to the Repertoire section of this page for restrictions in performance repertoire changes.