2025–2026 Senior Performance Competitions

National Coordinator: 

Registration for Brass and Voice Competitions is Now CLOSED.

(View Brass and Voice Guidelines)

Registration for Composition, Piano, Piano Duet, Strings and Woodwinds 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! Brass and Voice (Senior and Young Artist only) Performance Competitions are two-tiered competitions: the Preliminary Round, by video submission only; and the Final Round, live at the MTNA National Conference. Entrants will compete without regard to the state or division in which they live or take lessons. Seven entrants will be selected in both the Brass and Voice categories from a nationwide pool of applicants to compete in the Final Round. (See Senior Brass/Voice Performance Guidelines ) 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 for is Wednesday, September 10, 2025, 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. There will be no exceptions.

The three-tiered Senior Performance Competitions (not including Brass/Voice) 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 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: 15–18 on January 1, 2026
• Piano Duet Age: 11–18 on January 1, 2026. One of the duet partners must be 15–18 on January 1, 2026.
• Entry Fee: $125
• Registration deadline: Wednesday, September 10, 2026, 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. There will be no exceptions.
• See Senior Brass/Voice Performance Guidelines

Competition Categories

• Solo Piano, Piano Duet (one piano/four hands), String (Violin, Viola, Cello and String Bass) and Woodwind (Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, Bassoon, Saxophone)

String and Woodwind

Awards made possible by the MTNA Foundation Fund

• National Winner: $2,000
• National Second Place: $1,000
• National Third Place: $500
• National Merit Awards: $100

Piano

Awards made possible by Yamaha Pianos

• National Winner: $2,000
• National Second Place: $1,000 (supported by the Evelyn Lindblad Folland Endowment Fund)
• National Third Place: $500
• National Merit Awards: $100

Award for best performance of a work written by a Black composer will be given by Ebony Music, Inc.: $750 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.: $1,000 cash prize.

Piano Duet (one-piano/four-hands)

Awards made possible by Weekley & Arganbright

• National Winning Duo: $2,000
• National Second Place Duo: $1,000
• National Third Place Duo: $500
• National Merit Awards (per duo): $100

National Awards

• To receive a monetary award, national performance competition winners are required to perform on the Senior Winners Concert, which takes place from 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 allow at the National Round.—NEW THIS YEAR!

MTNA Foundation Fund Senior String
MTNA Foundation Fund Senior 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: twenty (20) minutes—NEW THIS YEAR!
• Division and National Competitions:
• Maximum performance time: thirty (30) minutes

MTNA-Yamaha Senior 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: twenty (20) minutes—NEW THIS YEAR!
• Division and National Competitions:
• Maximum performance time: thirty (30) minutes

 MTNA-Weekley & Arganbright Piano Duet (one piano/four hands)

• The program must contain compositions from at least two different periods of music (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic, Contemporary). Original compositions written specifically for one piano, four hands are preferred, but transcriptions and arrangements are allowed, in which case the arranger should be identified.
• Memorization is encouraged but not required.
• Team members may change parts (primo/secondo) for different pieces in their program.
• A duet team may enter the competitions in only one state.
• A team member may enter only once in the Piano Duet category in the same competition year.
• Two teachers may jointly enter a duet team. Both teachers must be listed on the registration and must pay current active MTNA dues or the Nonmember Teacher Entry Fee.
• If the entry involves two different states, the state of entry is determined by the teacher(s).
• Entrants entering the Piano Duet competition may also enter any other MTNA competitions for which they are eligible.
• Team members will share any monetary awards.
• No changes in duet personnel may be made after submission of the registration.
Performance time:
• State Competition:
• Maximum performance time: twenty (20) minutes—NEW THIS YEAR!
• Division and National Competitions:
• Maximum performance time: thirty (30) minutes