2023–2024 Chamber Music Performance Competitions

National Coordinator:
Jeff Brown, NCTM

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

Registration Procedure

• Entry Fee: $145 for each ensemble (includes $25 Acceptd fee). Registrations and all fees will be submitted on the Acceptd site and will be available Wednesday, November 1, 2023.
• Registration deadline: Wednesday, December 6, 2023, 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. There will be no exceptions.
• Ensemble must submit a GROUP photo and a GROUP bio (75-word maximum) at the time of registration.

Entrant Eligibility

• The age of each ensemble member must be 18–29 on January 1, 2024.
• An ensemble member may enter in more than one ensemble.
• An ensemble member may enter the Chamber Music and the solo performance competitions.

Competition Categories

String

(majority of instruments are string)
Award made possible by the Allen I. McHose Scholarship Fund

• Winning Ensemble: $3,000
• Second Place Ensemble: $2,000
• Third Place Ensemble: $1,000

Wind

(majority of instruments are wind)
Awards made possible by the Allen I. McHose Scholarship Fund

• Winning Ensemble: $3,000
• Second Place Ensemble: $2,000
• Third Place Ensemble: $1,000

NOTE: Piano will be considered a string instrument.

National Awards

• In order to receive the monetary award, national performance competition winners are required to perform on the Winners Concert, which takes place from 3:30–5:30 p.m. on the day following the competition at the MTNA National Conference, March 16–20, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia.

Ensemble Requirements

• The ensemble must consist of at least three (3) performers and may have no more than six (6) performers.
• During the course of a performance, the "core" ensemble (trio, quartet, quintet, sextet) so named on the competition registration may temporarily change in size through the addition or subtraction of personnel, but the named core ensemble must perform in the majority of the submitted competition repertoire. (For example, a woodwind quintet might add a piano and become a sextet, a string quartet might be reduced to a string trio, a trio might add a performer and become a quartet, or voice might be added to the ensemble.)
• Ensembles may be any combination of the following instruments: Brass (Trumpet, Horn, Euphonium, Trombone, Tuba), Piano, String (Violin, Viola, Cello, String Bass) Voice (maximum of two vocalists in an ensemble with instruments) and Woodwind (Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, Bassoon, Saxophone). Ensembles with piano only and voice only are not permitted.
• No changes in ensemble personnel may be made following submission of the registration.
• The performance is without conductor.

Guidelines

• Decisions of competition judges are final.
• A national first-place MTNA Chamber Music ensemble may not enter again with the same personnel.
• Facilities permitting, competition performances (including winners concert) are open to the public. Competition rehearsals are closed to the public.
• Audio or video recording and photography of the competitions and winners concerts are strongly discouraged.
• It is the responsibility of the entrant to be available for the final round at the national conference.
• The assigned rehearsal and performance times are final and cannot be changed.

Repertoire Requirements

• NEW THIS YEAR—Ensembles are no longer required to program music from two different style periods of music.
• Transcriptions are allowed only in ensemble repertoire without voice.
• Questions concerning repertoire should be directed to the National Chamber Music Coordinator prior to submission of registration.
• Individual movements of suites, sonatas or other groupings that can be performed as musical units are permitted.
• Cuts in the music are not permitted.
• Repeats are left to the discretion of the ensemble.
• No changes in repertoire are allowed following submission of the registration. Repertoire must remain the same for all levels of the competition (Division, National).
• All repertoire submitted with the registration must be prepared for each level of the competition (Preliminary, National).
• Programs may be over or under the performance time limit. Programs over the time limit at any level of the competition will be cut at the judges’ discretion.
• Repertoire must be chosen from works exhibiting equality among the individual ensemble players. Concerti with orchestral reductions or sonatas for soloist and continuo are not permitted.
• Repertoire with voice must be chosen from the following list:

Competition Music

• For the final round at the national conference, each ensemble must provide the judge(s) one score or one complete set of parts for each work listed on the registration. Miniature scores are strongly discouraged. Scores are not required for preliminary video round.
• Performance time:
• Maximum performance time: forty (40) minutes

Competition Performance Procedures

• No minimum time limit.
• Programmed music may exceed maximum time limit.
• In the final round, the Performance will be stopped when maximum time is reached.
• In the final round, the entrant chooses first selection; judges determine remaining order of performance.
• In the final round, a portion of all repertoire submitted on the registration will be heard.

Competition Agreement

• All ensemble members and teacher/coach have read, understand and agree to the Guidelines for the 2023–2024 MTNA Competitions. Failure to abide by these rules and regulations will make the ensemble ineligible to receive recognition or awards.
• Credit card holder has authorized use to complete the registration.
• All entry fees are nonrefundable.
• Ensemble will abide by all copyright laws and has permission to use all music given to judges during the competitions as outlined here.
• MTNA is not responsible for problems with internet services or phones.

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED