Young Chamber Musicians Competition

Classical Public Radio 89.9 FM WDAV, in partnership with OrthoCarolina, presents the Young Chamber Musicians Competition for musicians ages 14-25. Chamber ensembles are invited to compete for a chance to win their share of $12,000, a studio recording session and paid performance in the 2017-18 Davidson College Concert Series.

Young Chamber Musicians Competition Live Stream

Congratulations to Our Winners!

Quartet Amí and Bellezza Quartet

Congratulations to this year’s Young Chamber Musicians Competition winners – Quartet Amí and Bellezza Quartet – as well as the runners up – Callisto Quartet and The Orion Trio! Stunning performances by all and a closely matched competition.

If you missed the live performance – or would like to enjoy it again – you can watch the full video of the performance above.

Thank you to OrthoCarolina and all of our sponsors for giving us an opportunity to showcase the future of classical music!

Meet the Finalists

CALLISTO QUARTET

Sr. Division Runner Up,
People’s Choice Award Winner

ORION TRIO

Jr. Division Runner Up

QUARTET AMI

Sr. Division Winner

QUARTET BELLEZZA

Jr. Division Winner,
People’s Choice Award Winner

COMPETITION TIMELINE

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SUBMISSIONS ACCEPTED

DECEMBER 14 – MARCH 6, 2017
Register and upload your performance videos

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FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

APRIL 1, 2017

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COMPETITION FINALS

APRIL 22 – APRIL 23, 2017
Finalists perform, winners selected

Who are we looking for?

The Young Chamber Musicians Competition is open to chamber ensembles with musicians between ages 14-25. Ensembles must consist of 2-8 musicians. All instruments are eligible, excluding voice and all electronic/amplified instruments.

How do we participate?

There is no charge to enter the competition.

All entries must be submitted via ycmc.wdav.org between December 14, 2016 and March 6, 2017.

Each ensemble will be assigned to an age group according to the age of the oldest member in the ensemble as of April 23rd, 2017:

Junior Division: 14-18 years old
Senior Division: 19-25 years old

Entrants must submit two (2) separate classical music works of distinct styles and periods:

1770 and earlier (Baroque and earlier)
1770 – 1810 (Classical)
1811 – 1900 (Romantic)
1901 – present (Modern)

Both works must include performance of at least one full movement of the piece in question. They must be the same works the ensemble will perform if selected as a finalist to perform at a live concert in April 2017. The two works performed must be submitted as two separate videos.

The camera angle of the video must be continuous; no editing is allowed.

There is no limit to the length of the works submitted. However, the judges are not obligated to view more than the first 5 minutes of each submission.

Who's eligible to participate?

* All entrants shall have reached their fourteenth (14th) birthday but not their twenty-sixth (26th) birthday as of April 23rd, 2017

* All members of the ensemble must perform on both selected works

* Once the entry is submitted, changes in personnel are only allowed with the prior approval of WDAV

How will winners be selected?

A screening panel selected by WDAV will review all submissions and choose the best entries in each age group as finalists.

Finalists will be invited to compete in a live competition which will take place at Davidson College the weekend of April 22 – April 23, 2017. The competition culminates with a live adjudicated concert in Davidson College’s Duke Family Performance Hall on April 23, 2017.

Prizes

The Young Chamber Musicians Competition awards a grand total of $12,000 in cash prizes. Each ensemble that participates in the Final Round of the competition will receive a share of the cash prize. The outcome of the competition will determine the actual amount received by each ensemble.

The audience will use text-to-vote to select the winner of the $2,000 People’s Choice Award.

Senior Division
First Place: $4,000
Runner-up: $2,000

Junior Division
Grand Prize: $2,500
Runner-up: $1,500

Studio Recording Session. The winner in the Senior Division will also be invited to return to WDAV to record material of their choice in our professional recording studio, staffed by a sound engineer and producer. The ensemble retains rights to the resulting recordings. See complete rules for details.

Davidson College Concert Series. The winner in the Senior Division will be awarded their own concert in the 2017-18 Davidson College Concert Series. This is a paid performance which includes lodging. See complete rules for details.

SEE OFFICIAL RULES FOR COMPLETE DETAILS

Questions? Contact Us.

JUDGES

MAURO BOTELHO

Associate Professor and Department Chair, Music at Davidson College

Dr. Botelho is a classically-trained bassoonist with scholarly interests that center on the music of the late baroque and classical periods, especially in the aspect of rhythm. His most recent research explores the perception of bitonality.

CHRISTOPHER JAMES LEES

Assistant Conductor of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra

Mr. Lees is the Assistant Conductor of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, and conducts on the Lollipops, Education, Community and Nutcracker series. Since 2014, Mr. Lees has also served as Music Director of the UNC School of the Arts Symphony Orchestra.

CALIN LUPANU

Concertmaster, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra

In addition to his season-long responsibilities in Charlotte, Mr. Lupanu participates in such summer festivals as Bach and Beyond, Aspen, Lower Saxony, Strings in the Mountains, and the Colorado Music Festival. The latter of which he has served as concertmaster since 2004 and chamber music coordinator since 2014.

WHY ENTER YCMC 2017?

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VIP Status

This is not a “cattle call” competition where ensemble after ensemble is paraded in front of the jury. The four ensembles selected to compete in the Finals are given VIP treatment from the moment they arrive in Charlotte. Transportation from the airport, lodging, several meals, and rehearsal space are covered by the competition.

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Be Heard Around the World

YCMC Finals are broadcast live on WDAV – one of the top classical radio stations in the country. Your friends and family across the world can listen in from our website or mobile app. Oh, and this year we’re also streaming live video of the competition.

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Submissions are Easy

Online submissions are easy and quick. Plus, we don’t charge a fee for submission.

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Prizes

The winning ensemble could walk away with as much as $6,000 cash, a 2-day studio recording session, and a $2,000 gig in the ’17-’18 Davidson College Concert Series! Finalists who travel to Davidson College to compete are guaranteed a minimum prize of at least $1,500. So, at the very least, the cost of your flights to Charlotte is probably covered.

Yup, that’s right, the Senior Division champion wins a 2-day session in our recording studio with a producer at the helm.

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Fun

We’re all about FUN. Sure, competitions can be stressful, but since you’ve come all this way, let’s have a good time, too. You love classical music. We love classical music. This competition is all about the JOY OF PERFORMANCE!

YCMC: Aspire to Greatness

NEWS

Classical Public Radio 89.9 WDAV and OrthoCarolina Crown the Winners of the 2016 Young Chamber Musicians Competition

May 4, 2016

DAVIDSON & CHARLOTTE, NC – Classical Public Radio 89.9 WDAV and OrthoCarolina announced today the winners of the 2016 Young Chamber Musicians Competition (YCMC).