Eligibility:

• The PYCO School of Music Youth String Competition is for students of Violin, Viola, Cello, and Bass.
• Participants must live or study in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
• The competition will take place on Saturday, January 11, 2025, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.
• The Winners Recital will take place on Friday, January 24, 2025 at 7 pm. Students MUST be available to perform in the Winners Recital in order to be considered for a prize.
• Students are eligible to win a Division Prize once per division. Previous prize winners are always to welcome to participate for consideration for the Winners Recital.

Age and Requirements:

• Elementary Division (ages 11 and under): Prepare one piece.
• Intermediate Division (ages 12–14): Prepare one piece.
• Senior Division (ages 15–18): Prepare two pieces in contrasting styles by different composers.
• Determine your student’s age as of January 1, 2025. Students whose birthday is on January 1 should compete in the younger category.

Students are required to play all works by memory, except Classical, Romantic or Modern sonatas. Students must prepare complete works or complete single movements; cuts are encouraged in piano tutti sections. Because the audition time may be shorter than the entire length of the piece(s), teachers should suggest appropriate cuts for the audition presentation. However, students are expected to prepare the entire piece(s), and the judges may ask for any portion outside of the cuts the teacher suggests.

Elementary and Intermediate level students are scheduled in 6-minute audition slots to play a maximum of 4 minutes of music from one piece. Senior level students are scheduled in 10-minute audition slots to play a maximum of 8 minutes of music from two contrasting pieces.

The competition timer will start when the audition performance begins and will stop students at the conclusion of their 4- or 8-minute time limit. Tuning to the piano prior to a performance is not included in the playing time limits, but any transition time needed between the two pieces for Senior Division students is, as the clock only stops at the end of the maximum allotted playing time. The remaining two minutes of each audition slot allows for passing time between students, tuning of the next student, and for judges to finalize their thoughts and feedback in written comments.

As a courtesy and to receive more detailed comments, please provide a copy of your music for the judges.

Accompanists: Selections written with accompaniment must be performed with a piano accompanist. Students must provide their own accompanist and ensure that their accompanist will be available to perform with them at the Winners Recital on Friday, January 24, 2025, if they are selected.

Application and Deadline: The application deadline is Monday, November 22, 2024. Application forms and complete payments must be received by the deadline in order to be scheduled for the competition. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. The application must be filled out online at the PYCO School of Music website here: pycosom.com/youth-string-competition-application. The $50 application fee can be paid in the Music Store at the PYCO School of Music (150 Lake Drive, Suite 103, Wexford, PA 15090), over the phone at 724-934-7529, or online at pycosom.com/youth-string-competition-payment. Fees are not refundable.

Scheduling: Please plan on being available for the entire day of the competition on Saturday, January 11, 2025 (9:00 am to 3:00 pm). Because judges must hear students from the same division in a block, we can accommodate special scheduling requests only within that block.

Notification and Winners Recital: The Winners Recital will include participants from all divisions. All entrants will receive an email on the evening after the competition with the list of prize-winners and performers selected for the Winners Recital.

Prizes:

• Division Prizes:
  • Elementary Division: $100
  • Intermediate Division: $100
  • Senior Division: $250
  • In the event of a tie or very close result, judges will use their discretion in determining if prize money will be shared between multiple participants.
• Prize money will be partially sponsored by Connections Dental.
• Eight to ten students will be selected to perform at the Winners Recital.

For more information, contact Lydia Miller Choorapuzha at lydiam30@gmail.com.