Why Compete? Some young players are fortunate enough to be asked to solo with orchestras, but for most of us, winning a competition is the best way to snag your first orchestral solo dates. Competitions can also be a resource for scholarship money, and winning or placing in a competition looks great on your resume. Playing before a competition panel can help season your nerves for future, higher-stakes auditions. Winning competitions is good for your resume. Even if you don’t win your competition, you will walk away with more experience than you went in with, and often with useful feedback from the judges.
Why Not Compete?
Some teachers feel that focusing on competitions distracts students from more important work, such as building repertoire and technique. If you do win a competition, you may need to perform your piece in public within the next few months or year, which can disrupt your teacher's syllabus. Some teachers point out that winning competitions does not guaranteed success as an instrumentalist, and that many well-known top players never won big competitions during their youth, whereas many top competitions winners never had a career. Another problem with competitions is that they are time-consuming and expensive.
Where to Compete?
There are several different categories of instrumental competition. Everyone knows about the high profile, international contests such as the Queen Elizabeth, Tchaikovsky, Menuhin, Hannover and Indianapolis. But there are also thousands of smaller competitions, both local and regional, that young soloists can aspire to.
Orchestra Solo Competitions
Many professional and community orchestras sponsor young artist solo competitions. Some offer prize money, and all of them offer the chance to perform as an orchestral soloist. The audition requirements vary; there are often age categories, or stipulations on the length or type of piece to be performed in the audition. Most concerto competitions require accompanists. Some supply the accompanist, and some are conducted without one, but it's most common for applicants to be required bring their own pianists. Association-Sponsored Competitions
In the U.S., professional music teacher associations such as ASTA and MTNA sponsor instrumental competitions that offer both prize money and the opportunity to advance to regional, state, and even national levels. Often the competition categories are subdivided according to the instrument, so that, for example, violinists are not competing against pianists, as they are in orchestral competitions. These auditions are often open to the public, like recitals. Attending one of these competitions means that young performers can meet and socialize with other young performers. But in order for a student to enter one of these competitions, their teacher has to belong to the association.
Private Competitions
Some individual philanthropists and foundations endow their own competitions. Examples of these include the Jack Kent Cooke and Davidson Foundation, and the Sphinx Organization. Like the association-sponsored competitions above, the winners of these competitions are usually offered a performance opportunity, as well as prize money. Applications for these competitions may be more complex than orchestra solo auditions. Sometimes you have to fill out many pages of essays, procure recommendation letters, and send in an audio or video recording of your playing in advance in order to be admitted to audition. Some of these competitions are restricted to applications of particular ethnic groups or geographical location.
Finding the Competitions
Competitions can be hard to find, especially if they are being sponsored by small organizations. There is no database on the internet for minor competitions. The first resource to go to is your teacher, who may have other students doing competitions, and who may be receiving mailings from sponsoring organizations. Also check bulletin boards at your school, music school, and youth orchestra. Try searching through the websites of your local community orchestras, or calling the orchestras if they don't have websites. Word-of-mouth is another way to learn about competitions. Find out what competitions your friends are entering and where they got their applications.
The Economics of Competitions
Competitions are expensive. You'll need to find an accompanist and pay that person's hourly rate for rehearsals, plus their competition fee. You may also have to pay gas and parking money. If you know any of the other competitors, you may be able to reduce everyone's costs by using the same accompanist. If you do so, you should probably ask the competition organizers to schedule your auditions close together. Most competitions charge entry fees, and some require pre-screening tapes, which can be expensive to produce. Also factor in that your some of your presumably-expensive violin lesson may be devoted towards preparing for the competition. Since most competitions have dozens of entrants but only a few prizes, your changes of winning are slim, even if you play very well. You could spend hundreds of dollars each season on competitions, win a few, and still not break even.
What to Play
Requirements vary. For big-name competitions, you usually have to play a selection of pieces, such as concertos from various time periods, a piece of unaccompanied Bach, and showpieces. Some competitions require everyone to play the same pieces. Others give more latitude, but may impose a time limit, so you may need to cut your piece.
Often, due to programming constraints, youth competition winners are allowed to perform only one movement of a concerto, although it is often possible to play a complete, one-movement work such as Zigeunerweisen and Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso. Sometimes winners are required to play the piece that they auditioned with. If this is the case for your competition, think hard about what you plan to play. Will you be able to stand it, a year from now?
Talk to your teacher before selecting a piece to perform. Sometimes he or she might have insight into the particular conductor's preferences, and certainly your teacher will have insight into what you do best in auditions. Choose a piece that plays to your own strengths. If you have super fast fingers, play a flashy piece. If you have unusual depth, play a moving, Romantic piece. Or, best of all, play a piece that shows different
strengths. For example, the first movement of Vieuxtemps IV is not a great piece of music, but it is a great competition solo. Don't play a Mozart concerto unless you can pull it off with incredible style.
How to Prepare
You'll feel most comfortable if you are over-prepared. It helps to go back to a piece that you've learned before and can re-work for the second or third time. Take it out in public as much as possible before the competition. Play it front of your school. Play it at recitals, in nursing homes, and for helpless bystanders on public streets. If your teacher is willing, play it for the student who comes before and after you. Practice playing it cold. Practice playing it at the time of your audition (which might be as early as 8 AM.) Be sure to give your accompanist a copy of your piano part with any cuts you've made, and to have several good run-throughs. You should understand each other thoroughly about issues of tempo and dynamics. Don't always practice your piece at top speed. Work up technical passages with the metronome every day, and don't neglect you scales, arpeggios, and etudes, because they are the building-blocks of your piece. If you practice nothing but the piece, the piece will deteriorate.
This may sound obvious, but many people I've known have gotten lost on their way to competitions, which often happen at remote locations. Be sure that you or your driver has good directions before setting out (don't rely only on Mapquest—take a real map) and bring the cell phone numbers of your accompanist and the competition organizers, if possible. Also—make sure your accompanist has good directions and a map.
Plan your competition outfit in advance. No matter how well you play, the judges may mark you down if your appearance seems disrespectful. I know numerous competitors who were criticized , either verbally or in written comments, for dressing too casually or having hair in their face. On the other hand, don't over-dress. It seems presumptuous to walk into your 10 AM audition in a performance gown. Go for something that would be appropriate to wear to church or synagogue, or to a place of business.
Many competitions require that you provide a clean copy of the audition piece. Xeroxes are not allowed because they violate copyright law. If you have a good music library in your area, you might be able to borrow a copy there; otherwise, make sure to purchase a second copy of your music in advance and mark any cuts. Don't give them your old copy with all of your personal markings and notations, particularly if your notations indicate that your playing was ever less than perfect.
The Big Day
On the day of the competition, wake early and eat a light breakfast. Bring a snack to ward off low blood sugar. I like to arrive at least an hour early to get a feel for the environment and to warm up. Others like to arrive at the last moment and not hang around too much. But be sure to be a little early, as some competitions end up running ahead of schedule.
Don't over-do your warm up. I never play a piece the whole way within a few hours before competition. As my teacher says, "You don't want to leave your best performance in the warm-up room."
Some people swear that the potassium in bananas helps calm their jittery nerves before the audition. One great tip I received was to walk up and down stairs beforehand, because exercise gets your heart going and reduces nerves. I've also found it helps to play a slow movement of Bach before going into the audition room.
No matter how well-prepared you feel, when you walk through the door and see the other competitors and their cases, you're bound to feel a bit nervous. Put your blinders on. And don't listen to their warm-ups. Remember, everyone sounds better through a door. If you listen to them, you will feel intimidated. Just stay focused on what you're there to do.
In the Audition
Some auditions take place behind a curtain, so that the competitors and judges are both anonymous. Obviously, in this case, it is very important not to speak, no matter what happens. If you have an emergency, like a broken string, motion for the volunteer who brought you to the room.
In an open competition where you can see the judges, be sure to smile, make eye contact, and greet them. Don't be put off if they act flat or grumpy. (I, for one, have received effusive, warm comments from very grumpy-acting judges.)
Once you begin playing, you may notice them talking among themselves or rustling papers. Don't stop playing. It's better to have them scream at you than to stop prematurely because they probably won't allow you to start up again. Stay focused on your piece.
If you make an error, keep going. Your pianist will be right there with you, and your error might be completely covered, particularly if the judges are not violinists and don't know your repertoire. If the judges do notice your fumble, they will be impressed to see that you can think on your feet and keep your cool.
You might be stopped before you get to the end of your piece. Don't consider this an insult or a bad sign—the judges may be on a tight schedule, and they can tell your level of playing and musicality without hearing your entire piece.
After you finish playing, the judges may applaud, they may ask you questions, or they may be curt and dismissive. Again, you cannot infer anything, negative or positive, from this behavior.
Waiting for the Phone to Ring
Don’t. After all the build-up to the big audition, it's over in ten minutes with no sense of resolution. In an open competition, at least you get to see the other competitors. But many competitions are closed and there is nothing to do but go home and wait. The best thing to do is keep busy. Go out, go to a movie, get your mind off it.
Competitions often tell you that you will be informed of the results by mail. But what they say on their printed form, and what they actually do can be two different matters. Often, winners get a phone call or email that night. But sometimes it takes several days, or even weeks for the calls or letters to arrive. Sometimes only the winners are informed and everyone else is kept in the dark. It can drive you crazy, calling your friends who were in the same competition to see if anyone has heard anything.
The Problem of Jealousy
Of course we all want the best for our friends. But it really stings when your friend wins the competition and you don't. There is no cure for this feeling, so you have to live through it and get used to it. Sometimes, the roles will be reversed and you will win when they don't. The best thing is to be gracious and try to enjoy their success.
Judges' Comments
Sometimes, contestants are mailed copies or a synopsis of the judges' comments a few weeks after competitions. Actual copies are the most useful because you don't know what the synopsis writer has edited out. Sometimes these include numerical scores in certain categories, such as intonation, musicality, rhythm, tone, and stage presence. You might notices a marked divergence between the scores given by individual judges. If the judges have signed their names, you may be able to tell which one was a pianist, violinist, or conductor—which can be valuable information in itself.
Links
Here's a list of links to competitions to enter or follow. Please add to the list in chronological order and include web links or other contact information when possible.
International Violin Competition of Indianapolis. Indianapolis, Indiana. September 2006.
Haverhills Sinfonia Soloist Competition. Suffolk, UK. September 2006.
Hanover International Violin Competition Hanover, Germany. October 2006.
Naumberg Viola Competition. October, 2006. New York, New York.
Uralsk International Violin Competition. Uralsk, Kazakhstan, December 2006.
Lasker Young Soloist Competition. Newton, MA. November 2006.
Baltic International Violin Competition. Gdansk, Poland, September 2006.
Wieniawski Competition. Poznan, Poland. October 2006.
Paganini Violin Competition.. Moscow, Russian. November 2006.
Kendall National Violin Competition. Sydney, Australia. May 2007.
Concurso Internacional de Violín Pablo Sarasate. Navarrería, Spain, May 2007.
Ilba Competition. Ragusa Ilba, Italy. June 2007.
The Canetti International Violin Competition.Antalya, Turkey.July 2007.
Singapore National Violin and Piano Competition. Singapore. December 2007.
Early Music Network Baroque Violin Competition. Atlanta, Georgia. 2007.
Benjamin Britten International Violin Competition. London 2008.
Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists Cardiff 2008. 11 - 20 April 2008.
------------------------------------------------
Here is an article that I wrote for American String Teacher magazine. It was published in May 2007.
Getting the Most from Your Competition Experience
by Rachel Barton Pine
Over the years, I have been asked countless times for advice about competitions and auditions. The following is a compilation of my observations as a competitor, teacher, and adjudicator. I’m delighted to share them with all of my colleagues at ASTA, and I hope that they are helpful for you and your students.
BEFORE THE COMPETITION
APPLICATION FORM
Mail your application form in plenty of time before the deadline. Don't wait until the last minute or assume that your teacher will remember and remind you.
INFORMATION GATHERING
Don’t be shy - phone or email the competition organization as often as necessary to get your questions answered.
EXTRA COPIES OF YOUR MUSIC
If required, gather clean copies of your competition pieces and mark the measure numbers for the judges. Don’t wait until the last minute for this task, as numbering measures can take longer than you expect.
PRACTICE PERFORMING
Preparing for your performance in a competition is no different from preparing for a concert. The judges are your audience, and like any other listeners, they want to enjoy and be moved by the music that you are sharing with them. It is just as important to "practice performing" as it is to practice slowly. If you are a careful listener when you practice, you usually will stop and work on fixing your mistakes every time you hear one. However, you need to get used to the feeling of playing your piece all the way through without stopping for anything. Don't do this too often; most of the time it's best to fix mistakes right away. But every once in a while, do a "performance play-through" during your practice session to capture the feeling of going from beginning to end as though you were on stage. You can try making mental notes of things you’d like to fix later. Better yet, record yourself so that you don't have to remember mistakes as you go along. As you're playing, focus only on what you're doing and what's coming up. Then listen afterwards to what actually happened. When you critique your performance, don't catalog only the things that need improvement. Also pay attention to all that you did well so that you can repeat your successes.
PLAY FOR AN AUDIENCE
When you do your "performance play-throughs," ask your family or friends to be an audience. If no one is available, do your best to pretend that you have an audience. (Stuffed animals in a row of chairs were often my substitute.) Always decide where your pretend audience is sitting so that you can practice standing toward them at the correct angle.
SCREENED AUDITIONS
If your contest will be held behind a screen, try to visualize a big screen when you play your “practice performances.” It can be very disconcerting to perform without being able to see your listeners, and this visualization will help prepare you for that odd feeling.
AN IMAGINARY BACKSTAGE
You can take your imagination one step further. Choose a room of your house to be your “backstage,” then “walk out on stage” by going into the room where your audience is waiting. When I was a student, I used to use my kitchen as the "backstage" and my living room as the "concert hall." When I left the kitchen and entered the living room, I pretended that it really was the big moment. By the time I gave the real performance, I felt like I'd already done it many times before.
THE WHOLE ROUTINE
Performing is more than just playing your piece. Your concert actually begins the moment you walk out on stage and the audience sees you, and it doesn't end until you are again out of sight. Occasionally, I used to do a complete "practice performance." I walked out “on stage,” bowed, tuned, played, stood quietly in a good position during pretend piano interludes (singing them in my head), bowed after the last note, shook my imaginary pianist's hand, bowed again, and confidently walked back "off stage." Doing all of this might feel silly at first, but you’ll be glad you did it.
PRACTICE YOUR SHOWMANSHIP
Even if you feel insecure, it’s important to give the impression of confidence before, during, and after your pieces. During your “performance play-throughs”, don’t let any mistakes show on your face or in your body language. Be sure to project the drama and emotions of your music all the way to the last row of your audience. Never be distracted and lose concentration! When I was a kid, I strengthened my ability to concentrate by occasionally letting my little sister run around me and talk loudly while I was practicing.
PRACTICE YOUR WARM-UPS
When you do your “practice performance,” do a pretend “warm-up session” in your “dressing room.” (I used to use my bedroom as a “dressing room” before going to the kitchen “backstage.”) Experiment with warm-up sessions of varying lengths, as you may end up having more or less time than you expect. Sometimes a competition’s rules say that everyone will get a twenty-minute warm-up, but if they run late you may be stuck in the dressing room for an hour. Alternatively, a competition may run early if a contestant doesn't show up. Then you may get only ten minutes to warm up. If you’ve already anticipated every possibility, you won’t be fazed by anything unexpected. I have seen friends and students who were very prepared for a contest spoil their chances by getting flustered during their final twenty minutes of practice time. Figure out what warm-up routine will work best for you.
UNEXPECTED DELAYS
At a competition, it is possible to have a gap between your warm-up session and your performance. If you don’t expect this, it will feel very strange having your hands become cold again. Prepare for this possibility by doing your practice “warm-up,” putting your instrument aside for 10-15 minutes, and then doing your “practice performance.” After you try this a few times, it won’t seem nearly as awkward.
PREPARE YOUR ENTIRE REPERTOIRE
Just because your time slot is short doesn’t mean that the judges will only hear the beginning of your piece. They may ask you to play a spot near the end, or to jump to the cadenza. Prepare your entire repertoire, even if it’s a lot longer than the time slot. Don’t risk being unprepared by guessing which parts of the music the judges are more likely to hear and not focusing on the rest. If you want to make a cut in your piece to fit the time limit, be sure to ask the competition organizers if you are allowed to do so.
REPERTOIRE ORDER
Some competitions let you choose the order of your pieces. When you do your “practice performances,” try playing your repertoire in different combinations to discover which one you like best.
Other competitions allow the judges to pick the order of your pieces. Often, you won’t know what this order will be until the moment arrives. During your “practice performances,” play your pieces in every possible order so you can learn how it feels to go from one to the next. Then you’ll be prepared for anything.
Many competitions allow the judges to stop you in the middle of a piece. Have a friend or family member pretend to be a judge so that you become comfortable with not knowing what to expect. My younger sister used to help me with this. "Please start with your Bach....okay, that's enough, let's hear your concerto, starting from the top of page two....thank you, a little Paganini please." The next time would be different: "Begin with Paganini....thank you, your entire concerto, please....the second movement of Bach up to the repeat sign." From one moment to the next, I never knew what she would ask. So I got used to reacting to the unexpected (and I’m sure she enjoyed bossing me around). If no friend is available, you can create the same randomness by writing down the name of each of your pieces on a scrap of paper, putting them in a cup, and drawing them out one by one.
TIME OF DAY, ETC.
Practice playing your repertoire at the time of day that you will be playing it in the contest. Keep in mind that this could change. Sometimes my scheduled audition time would be 10 a.m. but the contest would run late and I wouldn't get to play until 2 p.m. If you want to really go over the top, you even can experiment with “performing” your pieces in rooms of different temperatures, humidity levels, and acoustics.
PITCH
Not every piano is tuned to A=440. Practice your repertoire with your strings tuned to a variety of A's, from 439 to 445, so that you won’t be thrown off no matter what pitch you encounter at the concert venue.
CLOTHES
Create a "dress rehearsal" a few days before your performance. Stand on an uncarpeted floor and play your repertoire wearing everything exactly as you will when you perform. Concert clothes can cause all kinds of problems. I have witnessed sleeves that got in the way of a performer’s hands, shoes that squeaked, skirts that rustled louder than their wearers’ mezzo-fortes, and suit jackets that constricted arm motions. Disasters can be avoided by discovering things like these ahead of time. Even when you find no problems, it's still good to get used to how your outfit feels with your instrument. Make sure that your clothes are age-appropriate. If you have chosen a skirt and blouse, look in a mirror to make sure that your shirt doesn’t rise up with your bow arm and expose your bare midriff.
YOUR INSTRUMENT
Be sure to get new strings and bow hair in advance of the competition. They should be “broken in,” but not starting to wear out. Keep a spare set of gently used strings in your instrument case, so that if a string breaks at the last minute, you can put a broken-in one on right away. Be sure to also take your instrument to a violin shop to get a check-up and tonal adjustment.
PACKING LIST
Before the day of the contest, make a list of everything you need to bring with you, even if you’re not traveling out of town. Gathering things can be stressful, and you’ll probably be excited and distracted when the day of the competition finally arrives. Without a list, you may forget something important. Commonly forgotten items include shoes, snacks, rosin, and piano accompaniment parts.
SLEEP
The night before the contest, relaxation is more important than last minute practicing. Go to bed early even if you’re too excited to sleep. Calm your mind with your favorite music, and force yourself to close your eyes. No amount of concentration and will power on stage will make up for lack of rest.
HAVE A GOOD ATTITUTE
Don’t waste time worrying about how your performance will compare with that of others or what rating the judges may give. Enjoy the improvement in your playing that will come from careful preparation. The musician you will be when you’ve finished getting ready will be superior to the musician you were before you started, and that’s what really matters!
AT THE COMPETITION
CLOTHES
Dress nicely for every competition, even if you know that the judges will be behind a screen. It is important to make a good impression on the contest organizers, and the judges might meet you afterwards.
ARRIVE EARLY
Because competitions can run ahead of schedule, be sure to arrive early. I have seen many students caught unawares because a contestant cancelled and the contest officials made the next people play ahead of their original time slots.
FOOD
Eat a good meal before your performance, even if you aren't hungry. Pack healthy snacks to keep your energy up. Bring plenty in case the contest runs really late. Don’t ever leave the building to get food (or for any other reason). Anything can happen while you’re gone. If other people drop out, you could miss your turn or have to rush to get ready.
WAITING
Don't feel obligated to socialize with those around you before it's your turn to play. Even if you are ordinarily the outgoing type, you may want to maintain your privacy and personal focus. I always packed a portable CD player and a good book. If I didn’t want to talk with anyone, I would put on my headphones and hold my book in front of me. Even if you don't want to read or listen to music, just wearing headphones and holding a book open will keep others at a distance. On the other hand, if you want company, arrange for a friend who isn’t a fellow contestant to come with you as your designated buddy.
WARM-UP
While warming up, don't exhaust your emotional energy by "performing" your pieces over and over. You don’t want your best playing to occur in the dressing room. I always used to bring along a favorite piece not included in my competition repertoire. If I wanted to, I could play it in my dressing room and stay limber without burning myself out on the contest pieces.
Remember the warm-up routine that you figured out at home. Play carefully and calmly. Warm up all of your audition pieces, because you never know what you might end up playing. Perhaps you will hear that the judges asked a previous contestant for certain portions of the repertoire. Practice everything anyway. The judges may ask you for different spots. And, sad to say, a contestant who is feeling competitive might not be telling the truth about what he or she performed.
Don't allow yourself to be rattled by hearing someone really impressive in the warm-up room next to you. The judges won’t necessarily choose the contestant who played the most challenging piece. Also, how someone sounds in the dressing room isn’t always how that individual will sound on stage.
Sometimes there aren’t enough warm-up rooms for everyone. On a few occasions I practiced in the ladies’ room!
YOUR INSTRUMENT AND MUSIC
Competitions can be very chaotic, so be sure to keep your instrument and sheet music with you at all times. Don't leave them unguarded when you go to the bathroom, because many people’s things look alike and you never know what may happen. At one audition, I left my music on the stand in my warm-up room and went to see what was happening outside. When I returned, another player was walking down the hall with my music in his hand! Luckily, I caught him in time or it would have been a disaster.
YOUR PERFORMANCE
Remember to tune before you start your first piece, and stay calm if you have trouble with your pegs. Don’t peek at the judges while you are playing! You may think that you’re being subtle, but the judges are sure to notice. You will come across as distracted and insecure. Also, don’t be concerned if the judges are writing lots of comments. Usually, they are noting strengths as well as areas that need improvement.
AFTER THE COMPETITION
MEET THE JUDGES
It is always valuable to learn from the experts who just heard you, just as you do at a master class. Regardless of whether you win a prize, be sure to introduce yourself to the judges if you have the chance, and ask them for their honest feedback.
TALK TO YOUR TEACHER
Be sure to show your written judges' comments to your teacher so that you can discuss them together and complete the learning experience. If the judges gave you numerical scores, don’t draw any big conclusions by how high or low they are. Each judge uses his or her own range – one judge’s 85 may actually be higher than another judge’s 96.
IN CONCLUSION
Remember that the real reason you entered the contest wasn’t to win a prize. Music isn't an Olympic sport in which the fastest runner is clearly the best. Comparing different violinists is like comparing apples to oranges. If you don’t win, you shouldn’t feel depressed, and if you do win, you shouldn’t get too full of yourself. Each time I won a prize, my teacher would say, "Well, Heifetz wasn't there that day."
When you are a student, the true value of participating in competitions comes from the educational opportunity. You get to play a concert for the judges, you get to perfect your preparation methods, you have a goal to work towards, you have a chance to hear others and learn from them, and you can identify strengths and weaknesses in your playing. It’s much more important to do your best than to “beat” others.
Good luck and have fun!
~~~
A veteran of many competitions herself, Rachel Barton Pine won 1st prize in numerous U.S. competitions before becoming the first American and youngest ever Gold Medalist in the J.S. Bach International Violin Competition in Leipzig, Germany, at the age of 17. As a teenager, she also won prizes in the Montreal, Queen Elizabeth, Kreisler, Szigeti, and Paganini International Competitions.
