PRISMA Concerto Competition Rules

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  1. Eligibility: This international competition is open to all students who are accepted by PRISMA for 2023, excluding prior First Prize winners.
  2. Competition Entry: Specify that you are entering the competition in your PRISMA application.
  3. Repertoire Selection: Competitors select an entry (piece) of choice. This can be (one movement of) a concerto or one solo piece that requires orchestra accompaniment. The advised length is around 10 minutes but cannot exceed 15 minutes.
  4. Changes to Repertoire: Competitors cannot change their piece after sending the link of the video to PRISMA for the preliminary round.
  5. Jury: The jury consists of PRISMA’s Artistic Director and international guest artists selected by the Artistic Director.
  6. Rounds: The competition has three rounds: Preliminary, semi-final and final. During the semi-final and final rounds, the piece must be played from memory.
  7. Preliminary Round: Competitors upload an unedited video of the piece to YouTube and send the link to PRISMA before April 15, 2023. The use of accompaniment is optional. Important: Choose the ‘unlisted’ or ‘public’ setting when uploading to YouTube. Do not choose the ‘private’ setting.
  8. Semi-Final Round: The semi-finalists are announced prior to the start of PRISMA. The semi-final round takes place during PRISMA and is open to the public. Piano accompaniment is available for this round.
  9. Final Round: Two competitors will be selected by the jury for the final round which takes place on Friday June 23. Finalists will perform their piece with the PRISMA Festival Orchestra. A repeat performance will take place during the Saturday matinee concert.
  10. Scores and parts: Semi-finalists are required to bring a piano reduction, a full orchestra score and all orchestra parts for their piece to PRISMA.
  11. Performance Order: The order will be determined by the Artistic Director.
  12. Results not Cumulative: The results of the three rounds are not cumulative.
  13. Prizes: The winner of the competition will receive a $1,500 CDN grand prize, as judged by the international jury. The runner-up will receive $500 CDN. Both finalists will be invited back to PRISMA on a full scholarship.
  14. Decisions Final: All decisions of the jury are final.

Past Winners

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2022

Yein Son

Viola (Republic of Korea)
Stonybrook University & Yale School of Music

 

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2019

Julie Lin

Violin (Canada)
Colburn Conservatory of Music

 

2018

Taylor Fleshman

Harp (USA)
University of Cincinnati

 

2017

Noemi Sallai

Clarinet (Hungary)
Juilliard School of Music

 

2016

Trevor Barroero

Percussion (USA)
University of Arizona

 

2015

Shannon Fitzhenry

Violin (USA)
Peabody Institute

 

2014

Nicholas Bentz

Violin (USA)
Peabody Institute

 

2013

Stefani Feldman

Clarinet (USA)
University of Southern California