Concerto Competition Guidelines

Application Deadline: Completed applications due on Friday, November 6, 2026.

Send as a PDF file to Dr. Vlad Vizireanu.

Preliminaries will be scheduled by area coordinators on or before December 11, 2026.

Rules and Eligibility:

1. Applicants must be enrolled as a full-time student at NAU, and must be studying privately with an NAU music faculty member, at the time of the competition and the performance.
2. Past winners are ineligible.
3. The work to be performed, (one movement of a standard concerto, or an entire concerto/concert piece), shall not exceed 15 minutes in duration for the Preliminary Round. Extensions of 25 minutes will be made at Dr. Vizireanu’s discretion for the Final Round.
4. All works to be performed must be formally approved by the Area Head in advance of the application deadline. (Please see list of ineligible pieces below)
5. The work must have a published score and orchestral parts.
6. Applicants wishing to perform a non-standard concerto or concert piece are required to provide the Director of Orchestras with a score and recording of the work in advance of the application deadline.
7. Any alterations to the piece, including key changes or cuts, must be approved by the Director of Orchestras in advance of the application deadline.
8. Memorization is not required for the Preliminaries in December, but is required for the Finals in January.
9. Accompanists are required for both the Final and Preliminary rounds.

Finalists:

Each area will name a maximum of two (2) finalists and one (1) alternate to compete in the final competition on Saturday, January 23, 2027.

• Woodwinds
• Brass
• Strings
• Percussion, Piano, & Classical guitar
• Voice

Finalist must furnish the adjudicating committee with three copies of the music to be performed.

Memorization is required for the final round of the competition and the performance.

Winners:

The committee will choose two unranked winners and two alternates. The performance will take place at 3:00pm on Sunday, May 2, 2027 in Ardrey Memorial Auditorium.

 

PIECES THAT ARE NOT ELIGIBLE:

2023

Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No 2, mvt. 1

Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto, mvt. 1

Liebermann: Piccolo Concerto

Schumann: Konzertstück for 4 Horns, mvt. 1

2024

Creston: Alto Saxophone Concerto, mvts. 1, 2

Waignein: Rhapsody for Alto Saxophone, mvt. 1

2025

Séjourné: Concerto for Marimba & String Orchestra, mvt. 3

Yoshimatsu: Cyberbird Concerto for Saxophone & Orchestra, mvts. 2, 3