2024 Concerto Competition

2023 First Place Senior Division Winner: Toby Vigneau, Double Bass

DEADLINE TO APPLY:

March 18, 2024—5:00 PM / MST

Calling all orchestral and choral musicians between 14 and 22 years of age to enter The Santa Fe Symphony’s 2024 Annual Concerto Competition. The Senior Division is open to instrumentalists in high school and college who play a symphonic instrument (aged 18 to 22). The Junior Division is open to orchestral and choral musicians in grades 9 through 12.

ELIGIBILITY

• All applicants must be residents of New Mexico.

• Orchestral or choral musicians should apply. No piano.

• Applicants must be available to participate in live final rounds; concert rehearsals; and Lensic performances with the Orchestra for their division.

• Applicants must coordinate their own accompanists for virtual auditions, if possible. If you are unable to do so, please complete your application and submit your virtual audition video without one.

• Applicants cannot be a previous Santa Fe Symphony Concerto Competition winner.

APPLY ONLINE NOW!

santafesymphony.org/concerto

APPLICATION FEE FUND

We recognize the potential financial and logistical difficulty in applying to a competition of this nature and are pleased to share that an Application Fee Fund has been made available through the generosity of an Anonymous Donor. It is our intention to make this competition as accessible as possible to students throughout the state of New Mexico.

If you are a music student in need of financial assistance, we encourage you to proceed with the submission of your application as soon as possible and then email us at: competition@santafesymphony.org

You may also contact The Santa Fe Symphony Office at 505.983.3530 during Monday through Friday Business Hours / 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM for more details.

JUNIOR DIVISION

Instrumentalists

Third Place—$200 Second Place—$300 First Place—$500

• Our First Place instrumentalist winner in the Junior Division will receive an invitation to perform at the free annual Discovery Concerts at The Lensic.

• Orchestral musicians in grades 9 through 12 who are New Mexico residents or currently attending a New Mexico high school should apply.

• Junior Division instrumentalists should choose a 5 to 7 minute movement of a classical-era concerto from standard repertoire for their instrument. Transcriptions for alternate instruments are allowed.

• All in-person finalists will receive a digital recording of their audition.

• The First Place instrumentalist winner in the Junior Division will also receive a digital recording of their performance with The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra.

Vocalists

Third Place—$200 Second Place—$300 First Place—$500

• Our First Place vocalist winner in the Junior Division will receive an invitation to perform with The Santa Fe Symphony Chorus led by Choral Director Carmen Flórez-Mansi.

• Choral musicians in grades 9 through 12 who are New Mexico residents or currently attend a New Mexico high school should apply.

• Junior Division vocalists should choose a 5 to 7 minute aria or art song.

• All in-person finalists will receive a digital recording of their audition.

• The First Place vocalist winner in the Junior Division will also receive a digital recording of their performance with The Santa Fe Symphony Chorus.

H elp us make a DIFFERENCE !

The funds awarded through our Annual Concerto Competition can make a significant difference to music students in their first year of college. For example, the Senior Division First Prize winner at The Symphony’s 2023 Concerto Competition can potentially cover the cost of a student’s textbooks in their first year of college. Textbook prices are rising roughly 3 times the rate of inflation.

SENIOR DIVISION

Instrumentalists

Third Place—$500 Second Place—$1,000 First Place—$2,500

• Our First Place Senior Division winner will receive an invitation to perform with the Orchestra at “Sounds of the Season” at The Lensic in December 2024.

• Instrumentalists aged 18 to 22 who are New Mexico residents or currently attend a New Mexico school may apply.

• Senior Division applicants have free choice of one (1)standard repertoire selection—no more than 10 minutes in length.

• Transcriptions for alternate instruments are allowed.

• All in-person finalists will receive a digital recording of their audition.

• First Place winners in each division will receive a digital recording of their performance with The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra.

Educational data shows that:

• the price of textbooks increases by an average of 6% each academic year, doubling every 11 years;

• while less expensive, the cost-per-student of eTextbooks also increased by 36.8% over 12 months;

• college tuition/fees have risen over 80% in the past 12 years;

• the average post-secondary student spends between $600 and $1,200 annually for books and supplies each academic year;

• 25% of students reported they worked extra hours to pay for their books and materials;

• 11% of first year college students skipped meals in order to afford books and course materials;

• 66% of college students skipped buying and renting course materials such as textbooks at some point in their career as they were too expensive.

ABOUT THE COMPETITION

The Santa Fe Symphony’s Community & Education Committee presents annual Concerto Competitions which are open to vocalists and instrumentalists in high school, and instrumentalists in college (ages 18 to 22). Winners in the Junior and Senior Divisions win cash awards to support their professional development in the performing arts, and are presented with exciting opportunities both on and off stage. The winner of our Junior Division will be invited to perform with the Orchestra at our free annual Discovery Concerts at The Lensic. The winner of the Senior Division will be invited to perform with the Orchestra as part of our annual holiday pops concert at The Lensic.

Will you consider supporting The Symphony’s community and education programs today?

A donation of any size can help us make these programs available to aspiring young orchestral and choral musicians in more communities across New Mexico. Your gift will also support our expansive music education programs—reaching deeper into the community and fostering the extraordinary artistic talent of our future musicians. You can earmark your contribution for a specific community education program, or help support all of our community programs by becoming a Friend of Music Education.

SAVE THESE DATES!

March 18, 2024

Deadline to submit all application materials.

April 2024 TBA

Candidates notified regarding acceptance to the Concerto Competition Finals

May 31, 2024

In-Person Concerto Competition Finals

Private Event

Non-Applicant Attendees must RSVP to Brian Sterriker, Education & Grants Manager (Competition start time TBA)

Dates TBD

Junior Division

First-Place Instrumentalist Winner performs at The Lensic with The Symphony for its Annual Discovery Concerts—Spring 2025 TBD (rehearsals start one week prior to performance).

Vocalist Winner performance with The Symphony Chorus—October TBA.

December 2024

Senior Division

First-Place Instrumentalist Winner performs at The Lensic with The Symphony for the “Sounds of the Season” holiday pops concert, conducted by Maestro Guillermo Figueroa (rehearsals start one week prior to performance).

santafesymphony.org/concerto