Youth Instrumental Competition Application
Please read completely (Note: Significant changes from previous years are in red) :
Dear Students, Teachers, and Parents,
This is the necessary information you will need to review before your participation in the Women’s Symphony
Association Youth Instrumental Music Competition in partnership with Allegro Orchestra Lancaster. The competitions
will be held on the following dates:
Junior Competition – For students in grades 7-9
Sunday, February 16, 2020 from 12:30pm-5:30pm
Highland Presbyterian Church, 500 E. Roseville Rd. Lancaster, PA 17601
The winner of the Junior Competition will be invited: (a) to compete for the $5,000 college scholarship during the Senior Competition to be held the following week (see below for details) and (b) to perform in the Young Music Masters
Showcase with Allegro Orchestra to be held Sunday, June 14, 2020 at the Ware Center.
Senior Competition – For students in grades 7-9
Sunday, February 23, 2020 from 12:30pm-5:30pm
Highland Presbyterian Church, 500 E. Roseville Rd. Lancaster, PA 17601
On this date, performers will be competing for a $5,000 WSA college scholarship. In addition, six soloists will be chosen
from the Senior Competition, two from each of the three following categories: Piano, String, and Brass, Woodwind &
Percussion,* to perform in the Young Music Masters Showcase with Allegro Orchestra to be held Sunday, June 14, 2020
at the Ware Center.
*Number & organization of the categories subject to change based on the number of competitors. Changes, if any, will be at the discretion of Dr. Brian
Norcross and the Chair of the YIC. Any changes will be communicated to all participants in a timely manner.
Young Music Masters Showcase
Sunday, June 14, 2020 at 3:00pm
The Ware Center, 42 North Prince St. Lancaster, PA 17603
The finalists will perform with Allegro Orchestra Lancaster, appearing as guest soloists during the showcase.
Note: This concert will be a showcase of our young musicians’ talent and not a competition
Deadline Information:
Please contact Dr. Brian Norcross by December 31, 2019 to ensure the suitability and availability of your
repertoire at brian.norcross@fandm.edu. The application deadline is January 31, 2020.
The registration forms and rules of the competition are attached. Please review and follow these requirements carefully. If you
have additional questions, please feel free to contact one of us directly. Thank you for your interest in these competitions. We
look forward to receiving your application.
Sincerely,
Polly Pearce, Chairperson
2020 Youth Instrumental Competition
(717) 333-0551
polly.pearce22@gmail.com
WSA Youth Instrumental Competition
Requirements
Please read carefully:
The Junior and Senior Competitions are open to all students who reside in Lancaster County. Former WSA
scholarship winners are not eligible to compete.
Junior Competition: Students in grades 7–9
Senior Competition: Students in grades 10–12
The registration deadline for the Junior and Senior Competitions is Friday, January 31, 2020
- This is a solo competition and is not open to ensembles (duets, trios, quartets, etc.).
- Repertoire: Competing students choose their own repertoire. Works need to have an available
orchestra accompaniment and be 13 minutes or less. Longer repertoire selections will be
considered by special request to Dr. Norcross. To confirm the orchestral availability, competing
students will need to submit their repertoire selection to Dr. Brian Norcross, Artistic Director of
Allegro Orchestra Lancaster, at brian.norcross@fandm.edu. It is preferred that the solo
repertoire not have any cuts. Repertoire selections are due by Tuesday, December 31, 2019. - Applicants must supply four copies of their performance piece with each measure numbered. This
will enable the judges to deliver a detailed evaluation. - Applicants are not required to memorize their competition piece.
- Applicants must supply their own accompanist* for the competition.
*The winner of the Junior Competition (who competes the following week at the Senior Competition) will be compensated (by WSA) for her/his accompanist’s performing at the Senior Competition. - During the Junior and Senior Competitions, the accompanist should limit lengthy introductory
accompaniment to several lead-in measures. Our judges are only interested in the evaluation of
the applicant’s skills. The movement, when played in its entirety, must fit the guidelines above. - Applicants must be able to perform their piece at the time of the competition and at a level
which is suitable for performance with Allegro Orchestra Lancaster. - Each applicant is limited to compete on one instrument.
- Rehearsal times for the Junior Competition will be Saturday, February 15, from 9:00am to 12 noon.
- Rehearsal times for the Senior Competition will be Saturday, February 22, from 9:00am to 12 noon.
Note: The Chair will coordinate specific rehearsal times with the performers. - Special competition and rehearsal time requests must be made with the return of your
completed application. The Chair will try to accommodate all requests within the scheduling
format.
Contestants will be judged based on the attached rubric. The decisions of the judges are final. Great care is
taken to supply qualified judges from the greater Lancaster music community.
The performances of the Junior and Senior Competitions will be closed to the public except for the
judging panel, members of the Women’s Symphony Board, and the respective performer’s music instructor &
parents.
The Young Music Masters Showcase in June will be open to the public.
WSA Youth Instrumental Competition
Awards
All monetary awards are presented by the Women’s Symphony Association.
Junior Competition Awards
The First-Place winner receives $300; the opportunity to compete for the WSA Scholarship at
the following week’s Senior Competition and is invited to perform in the Young Music
Masters Showcase with Allegro Orchestra Lancaster.
The Second-Place winner receives $200.
The Third-Place winner receives $100.
Senior Competition Awards
- There are three categories* for the Senior Competition:
- Piano
- String
- Brass, Woodwind & Percussion
- The First-Place winner in each category (three first-place winners total) receives:
- $300 and is invited to perform in the Young Music Masters Showcase with Allegro Orchestra Lancaster.
- The Second-Place winner in each category (three second-place winners total) receives:
- $200 and is invited to perform in the Young Music Masters Showcase with Allegro Orchestra Lancaster.
- The WSA Scholarship Winner (to be chosen from among the three aforementioned First-Place winners and the winner of the Junior Competition) receives:
- A $5,000 college scholarship ($1,250 per year)**.
* Number & organization of the categories subject to change based on the number of competitors. Changes,
if any, will be at the discretion of Dr. Brian Norcross and the Chair of the YIC. Any changes will be
communicated to all participants in a timely manner.
** The winner of this scholarship is not required to major in a music-related program, but must attend a
college or university for four years in order to receive the full amount.