Santa Fe Symphony 3rd Annual
Youth Concerto Competition
Spring 2025

— Application Deadline —

Monday, March 31, 2025—5:00 PM / MST

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD OUR 2025 COMPETITION FLYER

OVERVIEW

The Santa Fe Symphony is proud to host its 3rd annual Concerto Competition, offering young musicians in New Mexico the opportunity to showcase their talent and compete for performance and scholarship awards.

IMPORTANT DATES

• Application Deadline: March 31, 2025
• Application Fee: $25
• Final Competition: May 30, 2025 at St. Bede’s Episcopal Church
• Application Form: Apply Here

ELIGIBILITY AND REQUIREMENTS

Junior Instrumental

• Open to orchestral instrumentalists 18 years of age or under on March 31, 2025.
• Repertoire:  One standard repertoire selection with orchestral accompaniment—5-7 minutes in length.
•  Transcriptions for alternate instruments are allowed.
• Memorization is required for the final round but not required for the preliminary round.

Senior Instrumental

• Open to orchestral instrumentalists between the ages of 19 and 21 on March 31, 2025.
• Repertoire: One standard repertoire selection with orchestra accompaniment—no more than 10 minutes in length. Transcriptions for alternate instruments are allowed.
• Memorization is required for the final round but not required for the preliminary round.

Junior Vocal

• Open to vocalists 18 years of age or under on March 31, 2025.
• One aria or art song with piano accompaniment that is no longer than 7 minutes.
• Memorization is required for the final round but not required for the preliminary round.

Exclusions

• This event is open to singers and traditional orchestral instrumentalists only. Pianists are not eligible to participate at this time.
• Students in the Junior Division may apply for both the instrumental and vocal competition, but they will only be allowed to compete in the final round in one category.
• Applicants cannot compete in a category where they have already been a Santa Fe Symphony Concerto Competition winner.

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT

• Applicants or their primary parent/guardian must reside in New Mexico.

AWARDS

Junior Instrumental

• First Place: $500, an invitation to perform at The Symphony’s annual educational Discovery Concert, and a digital recording of the performance.
• Second Place: $300
• Third Place: $200
• All finalists will receive a digital recording of their audition.

Senior Instrumental

• First Place: $2,500, an invitation to perform at The Symphony’s annual “Sounds of the Season” concert at The Lensic in December 2025, and a digital recording of the performance.
• Second Place: $1,000
• Third Place: $500
• All finalists will receive a digital recording of their audition.

Junior Vocal

• First Place: $500, an invitation to perform with The Santa Fe Symphony Chorus, and a digital recording of the performance.
• Second Place: $300
• Third Place: $200
• All finalists will receive a digital recording of their audition.

REPERTOIRE APPROVAL

All repertoire must be approved before submission. Please email the repertoire details to Elizabeth Young at eyoung@santafesymphony.org.

APPLICATION & FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Thank you for your interest in The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus’ Annual Concerto Competition. One $25 payment secures the admission of your application for the competition. PAY NOW.

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 student in need of financial assistance, we encourage you to proceed with the submission of your application as soon as possible and then email competition@santafesymphony.org or call 505.983.3530 during Monday through Friday Business Hours / 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM for more details.

If you need financial assistance to cover the application fee or if you have questions about the competition, please contact Callie Kent at ckent@santafesymphony.org.

OTHER INFORMATION

• A collaborative pianist is strongly recommended (but not required) for the preliminary round (video submission) and required for the final round.
• If you need a collaborative pianist or a quiet place to record, please reach out to Elizabeth Young at eyoung@santafesymphony.org.

Performance and recording opportunities are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed in cases of force majeure (e.g., unforeseen circumstances beyond the Symphony’s control).