2025–2026 Junior Performance Competitions

National Coordinator:

Registration is CLOSED

***ATTENTION*** NEW THIS YEAR!—For every category, entrants can only enter 10 minutes over the maximum time allowed at the National Round. SEE REPERTOIRE REQUIREMENTS BELOW FOR TIMES! States have the option to hold live or video competitions. Search for your state to verify the type of competition and other details. Entrants are responsible for verifying the format (live or video) prior to entering the competition. Live piano accompaniments are required for video competitions and live competitions. MTNA active membership dues must be paid before submission of the registration. A $200 nonmember teacher fee will be assessed if entrant's teacher has not paid active membership dues for the 2025–2026 membership year. Primary communication is via email. The registration must have accurate email addresses for entrant, teacher and parents. Be sure to check spam/junk folders regularly for confirmations and other important information. Division competitions will be an ONLINE-ONLY VIDEO round. Click here for the details of the Division competitions process. An additional division video fee of $25 fee will be required for those advancing to the division level. Deadline for video submission to Acceptd is December 3, 2025, 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Registration deadline is Wednesday, September 10, 2025, 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. There will be no exceptions.

The three-tiered Junior Performance Competitions begin with State Competitions. States have the option to hold live or video competitions. Search for your state to verify the type of competition and other details. The winners/representatives of each state’s competitions advance to a video-only division competition. All videos will receive comments from the judges. Division winners/representatives will compete in person at the National Finals during the annual MTNA National Conference. In the event that the MTNA National Conference is cancelled, the finals will be a video round.

Registration Procedure

• Age: 11–14 on January 1, 2026
• Entry Fee: $95
• Registration deadline: Wednesday, September 10, 2025, 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. There will be no exceptions.

Competition Categories

• Piano, String (Violin, Viola, Cello, String Bass) and Woodwind (Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, Bassoon, Saxophone)

Piano

Awards made possible by Kawai America

• National Winner: $1,000
• National Second Place: $500
• National Third Place: $300
• National Merit Awards: $100

Award for best performance of a work written by a Black composer will be given by Ebony Music, Inc.: $500 cash prize. Visit the Ebony Music website for suggested repertoire.

Award for best performance of a work written by Chopin will be given by the Chopin Foundation of the U.S.: $500 cash prize.

String

Awards made possible by the MTNA Foundation Fund

• National Winner: $1,000
• National Second Place: $500
• National Third Place: $300
• National Merit Awards: $100

Woodwind

Awards made possible by the MTNA Foundation Fund

• National Winner: $1,000
• National Second Place: $500
• National Third Place: $300
• National Merit Awards: $100

National Awards

• To receive a monetary award, national performance competition winners are required to perform on the Junior Winners Concert, which takes place 3:30–5:30 p.m. on the day following the competition at the MTNA National Conference, March 21–25, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois.

Guidelines

See Performance Competitions Guidelines.

Repertoire Requirements

• No changes in repertoire are allowed following submission of the registration.
• Repertoire must remain the same for all three levels of the competition (State, Division, National). ).
• All repertoire submitted with the registration must be prepared for each level of the competition (State, Division, 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.
• For every category, entrants can only enter 10 minutes over the maximum time allowed at the National Round.—NEW THIS YEAR!

MTNA Foundation Fund Junior String
MTNA Foundation Fund Junior Woodwind

• The program must contain compositions from at least two different periods of music (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic, Contemporary). Transcriptions and arrangements are allowed.
• Memorization is not required.
• Entrants are limited to one entry per category. Woodwind entrants may perform on any instrument(s) of their choice (e.g. Alto Saxophone/Tenor Saxophone and so on).
Performance time:
• State Competition:
• Maximum performance time: fifteen (15) minutes—NEW THIS YEAR!
• Division and National Competitions:
• Maximum performance time: twenty (20) minutes

MTNA-Kawai Junior Piano

• The program must contain compositions from at least two different periods of music (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic, Contemporary). Transcriptions and arrangements are allowed. *Note the Ebony Music and Chopin prizes are awarded at the national finals.
• Memorization is required for all repertoire.
• Concerto performances are not permitted.
• Compositions using extended (inside-the-piano) techniques (i.e. introducing foreign objects into the workings of the piano to change the sound quality, strumming or plucking of strings) are not permitted.
Performance time:
• State Competition:
• Maximum performance time: fifteen (15) minutes—NEW THIS YEAR!
• Division and National Competitions:
• Maximum performance time: twenty (20) minutes